Dear Students,

Welcome back or if this is your first day on this campus, welcome, period. Whether you’re starting a bachelor’s degree, finishing up a master’s or doctorate or somewhere in between, I’m genuinely glad you’re here, and I wanted to take a few minutes to share what’s new this year and what it means for you.

A new name, renewed purpose

You may notice we’re going by a new name this year: the Division of Student Success, formerly Student Affairs. This isn’t just a rebrand, it’s a promise. Our job has always been to support you as you navigate real challenges, discover your purpose, and grow into who you’re becoming. The new name just says the quiet part out loud, that our purpose is you and your success. Everything we do aligns with these four anchors:

  • Career Development: helping you turn what you care about into a career that lasts and is future proof 
  • Healthy Excellence: building your own well-being toolkit allowing you to be healthier than when you first arrived at WashU
  • Leadership: being your partner to have the tools to lead with purpose and integrity
  • Belonging: having a community where everyone feels included and where your name and story are heard, seen and celebrated

Construction update (and our apologies for the dust)

You’ll notice new scenery on campus this year—literally. The Neil S. Hirsh Center is on track to open in January 2027, and it’s going to be a genuine hub for campus-wide career engagement and alumni connection under one roof, built for exactly the kind of collaboration we know you want.

We also recently broke ground on a brand-new residence hall named for James E. and Clara P. McLeod. This will be the home to first- and second-year students starting in Fall 2028. It’s going to be a great space for building a community that lasts long after graduation.

In the meantime, I owe you an apology in advance. Construction means noise, detours and dust. This can be challenging when you’re just trying to get to somewhere on campus. Thank you for your patience while we build something worth the disruption.

Meet Forest

And finally, some fun news: our bear mascot has a name! Please welcome Forest! We can’t wait for you to see Forest around campus this year…at games, events and everywhere our community gathers.

The 2026 Midterm Elections

This November brings the 2026 midterm elections, and I want to encourage every one of you to engage. If you’re eligible to vote, please do—it’s one of the clearest ways to exercise your voice as a citizen. And if you can’t vote, for whatever reason, that doesn’t mean you’re on the sidelines. You can help register others, attend a campus dialogue, volunteer at a polling place, or simply stay informed on the issues that matter to you and your community.

Wherever you land politically, I’d ask you to hold onto civility and real dialogue. Disagreement is healthy and listening to different perspectives is often how we learn the most. But it works best when we listen to understand, not just to respond, and when we treat each other with respect even when we see things differently. That’s not a lesser version of engagement; it’s the mature version.

Connections

Finally, keep connecting…with each other, with your faculty and staff, and with our alumni community. And to help you do this, we created a new Event Hub to improve how you can engage. I encourage you to use this new tool.

You have more support around you than you might realize, and that includes me. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me or anyone in the Division of Student Success—we’re here, and we mean it.

I hope your first way of classes was wonderful. And amid everything else, don’t forget to have some fun.

Warmly,
Anna “Dr. G.” Gonzalez
Vice Chancellor for Student Success
@akgonzal327