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A Message from Dean Lilly

Congratulations on your wonderful achievement and welcome to the Longhorn family! "What Starts Here Changes the World" so, as you begin your academic career here at The University of Texas at Austin, know that the Office of the Dean of Students is deeply committed to helping you reach your fullest potential.

As a first step toward that goal, I urge you to read the practical advice and valuable information collected for you in this Bulletin. New Student Services, an area of the Office of the Dean of Students, makes every effort to develop outstanding orientation programs and materials to help facilitate your adjustment to this new and sometimes overwhelming environment.

In its mission to assist and support students and their families, the Office of the Dean of Students functions as a resource hub, working with all campus departments, faculty, staff, alumni and the wider Austin community to provide access to the countless resources available.

Dr. Juan González, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Dr. Paul Woodruff, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, are also deeply committed to ensuring that you have an exceptional and productive educational experience during your time at The University of Texas at Austin.

You are now at a crucial starting point, about to begin an incredible journey. The successes you attain here will set the stage for all of your future endeavors. So be sure to take full advantage of every opportunity to expand your intellectual horizons, seek out new and exciting experiences, listen to perspectives that differ from your own, and develop new skills by challenging yourself.

The Office of the Dean of Students offers many programs and services to facilitate your continued transformation. A few of the critical resources available to graduate and undergraduate students include general UT Austin information, information on your rights and responsibilities as a student, diversity training, peer mentoring and advising, assistantships, leadership development opportunities, employment, conflict and crisis management, emergency support and legal services.

Important To Remember

As you settle in at The University of Texas at Austin, you are encouraged to always be mindful of the pivotal role you play in your own success, as well as the important responsibilities you have to the university and to fellow members of the campus community.

Hazing

Finding your niche on campus may entail joining an organization. Many seemingly harmless initiation activities fall within the definition of hazing and can result in serious penalties. Hazing is prohibited both by state law and university policy. For more information, see the section on page 76 of this Bulletin on hazing, or visit deanofstudents.utexas.edu to read the Dean’s Memorandum, which provides a summary of the Texas Hazing Statute and The University of Texas at Austin’s Hazing Regulations.

Academic Integrity

A vital component of the university’s mission is to provide an educational environment that fosters world class standards of excellence and scholastic achievement. Whenever the university’s standards of academic integrity are not strictly adhered to, these educational objectives are undermined. To learn more about standards of academic integrity at The University of Texas at Austin, please visit deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/.

Illegal Music Downloading and File Sharing

Students who share music and video via peer-to-peer (P2P) software are being aggressively pursued by the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA). The vast majority of these lawsuits result in very large fines. File-sharing software itself may be lawful, but illegal downloading or sharing of even legally purchased songs violates the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Music and videos are protected by copyrights which can only be waived in writing by the owner of the copyright. Students who download or distribute copyrighted materials will also be violating university regulations. For more information, see page 75 of this Bulletin, or visit www.utexas.edu/student/lss/.

Dean Lilly’s Top 10 Primary Leadership Principles

  1. Humility
  2. Integrity
  3. Honesty — oneself and others
  4. Open Communication
  5. Compassion
  6. Sound Judgment — discernment
  7. Appreciation of others’ perspectives
  8. Commitment to the good of the whole
  9. Strategic thinking — being able to forecast implications
  10. Listening

Do...

  1. lead by example
  2. make well-informed decisions — gather data
  3. own your mistakes
  4. realize that process is just as important as the product
  5. leadership is a lifelong process —you learn from others; there is no single perfect process
  6. learn as much as you lead
  7. be analytical and remember that there are three sides to the story
  8. remember to act in ways that reinforce a team approach — there is no “I” in team
  9. be willing to take the high road
  10. always look for the positive/silver lining
  11. find a mentor

Don’t...

  1. become overconfident
  2. force your opinion
  3. not avoid debate
  4. abuse your power and authority
  5. hide your mistakes
  6. run from challenges
  7. forget who you are representing — you are representing the needs of others
  8. become an island or isolate yourself from others — you cannot lead if you do not have followers
  9. be in a hurry
  10. fail to see your own limitations
  11. let failure/adversity stop you