My annual Thanksgiving list.  We have so much to be thankful for in higher education.

10.  Institutions that matter.  We get to work for institutions that improve people’s lives.

9.  Beautiful campuses.  There are few working environments more beautiful than college campuses.  I hope I never take this for granted.

8.  Teaching.  I feel so privileged to be able to teach students.  The bond between teachers and students is strong and I feel fortunate every time I enter a classroom.

7.  Public support.  Sure, we would always like more resources, but the public dedicates a large amount of money to higher education.  I’m grateful to the taxpayers of this nation for the support they give us.

6.  Research.  Many of the scientific and technological advances of the past century occurred thanks to the hard work of university researchers.  The dedication and progress of this group is awe-inspiring.

5.  Dialogue.  In a world that needs more conversations particularly between different people, I appreciate working in an environment that values dialogue.  We don’t always get it right, but we are still on of the best places for uncomfortable conversations.

4.  Service.  A core part of higher education is service.  Our students serve, our faculty serve, our institutions serve.  I’m so thankful to work in a field that values service so highly.

3.  Campus administrators.  Colleges are complex institutions to run and manage.  We are fortunate to have high quality administrators to help our institutions succeed.

2.  Faculty.  Most faculty could work somewhere else and make much more money.  I love working with colleagues who are dedicated to high quality teaching and research.

1.  Students.  Our students amaze and challenge us.  We are so fortunate to get to work with them every day.

Happy Thanksgiving!