AUSTIN, Texas President Larry R. Faulkner of The University of Texas at Austin has been traveling to several Texas cities recently attending “Send-Off 2000” celebrations congratulating recent high school graduates who will be incoming freshmen at UT Austin next fall.
The traditional send-offs provide UT Austin-bound students and their parents an opportunity to talk with University officials about the transition to campus life. Traveling with Faulkner were representatives from the offices of admissions, student financial aid, housing and community service as well as from the Texas Ex-Students’ Association.
Faulkner and his team honored about 200 students in the Rio Grande Valley in two separate celebrations for about 75 students in Brownsville on June 6 and 125 students in McAllen on June 7. During that Valley trip, Faulkner also was the luncheon speaker at the Rio Grande Valley’s Annual Summer Academy for School Superintendents, which was held at the Sheraton Fiesta Hotel on South Padre Island.
On June 12 the president and delegation honored about 60 students in Laredo. Later this summer, they also plan to visit incoming freshmen and their parents in El Paso, Dallas and Beaumont.
Dr. Bob Galvan, special assistant with the Office of the President for Human Resources and Community Relations, said the “Send-Offs” began eight years ago as a partnership effort between the University and constituents in the Rio Grande Valley to welcome students and to assure parents that the students are in good hands. The Valley model became so successful that similar send-offs have started in other areas of Texas in recent years.
For related picture of these events, click on the link below:
http://www.utexas.edu/news/2000/06/02/nr_sendoff/
