Faculty Expectations
Dr. Hussain Al-Rizzo, PhD
Associate Professor of Systems Engineering
University Faculty Excellence Award, Teaching
On behalf of the faculty at UALR, I extend a warm welcome to the new students and a welcome back to the returning students. I hope you all had an enjoyable and restful summer and are eager to begin classes. Make sure you catch up with old friends and take time to greet those who are new.
I invite you to explore the many options that are available to you at UALR and enjoy experiences that you will find challenging yet rewarding. A key point to your success is to actively participate in your education. Get involved in joining a student organization, engaging in a cooperative education experience, working closely with faculty both in and out of the classroom, participating in athletics, working on campus or taking on a leadership role.
As faculty members, our responsibility is to ensure that you receive the best possible education. It is our privilege to offer you the best educational services, technology and curriculum. That being said, you as students must remember your responsibilities. The first year of college is a transition point in your life. College will require you to think critically, analyze, and solve many new and difficult problems and learn what it means to be an engaged and responsible member of an increasingly diverse community.
For many of you, this will be the first time you will have to face challenges on your own. Your undergraduate studies will require you to prepare and study outside the classroom and to bring your questions to the classroom. I urge you to treat your assignments with the same seriousness, professionalism, and dedication with which you would treat a job.
Peer-to-peer interactions with an emphasis on academic success and personal development are important during your college years. You also must balance your academic responsibilities with social, family, and other personal activities. Take time each day to enrich yourself, nourish your soul, and recharge your body and mind. I encourage you to set goals and to keep them high.
Please know I am proud and honored to be a member of UALR’s community. I hope you look forward to this new academic year as much as I do.