Brick by brick and building block by building block, during the 1999-2000 fiscal year the University of Connecticut experienced exceptional achievement in multiple arenas as our dramatic transformation continues to unfold.

Maintaining the momentum established by UCONN 2000, we reached the halfway mark in the transformation of our physical plant into a statewide network of campuses that will be among the most attractive and technologically advanced in the nation. The pool of entering students was remarkable

for its size, strength and diversity. Our outstanding faculty was enhanced by the recruitment of scholars of extraordinary talent in a wide range of disciplines. Private financial support rose to new heights. We continued to strengthen the quality of student life and to enhance academic programs at all levels. And we proudly lived up to a tradition of excellence in intercollegiate athletics as we cheered our women's basketball team on to their second NCAA championship and applauded our men's basketball program and other successful athletic teams, took a major step forward toward construction of a new football stadium where we will play football at the Division I-A level, and were recognized as one of the nation's outstanding institutions implementing equity between men and women in collegiate sports.

As a public research university, we have a mission that goes beyond the borders of our campus. In 1999-2000 we expanded our reach and vision by strengthening our ties with South Africa's African National Congress and initiating a partnership with the University of Fort Hare, the oldest and most prestigious traditionally black university in South Africa. Closer to home, our scientists were called upon to help study and track the spread of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus and to seek ways to end the economic calamity produced by a mysterious lobster kill in Long Island Sound. UConn researchers developed potential treatments for cancer, breakthroughs in genetic engineering, and innovations in elementary/secondary education.

The year was not without its challenges. Foremost among them was developing a response to the financial problems that confronted the University of Connecticut Health Center and specifically John Dempsey Hospital - problems common to academic health centers across the nation in the age of federal funding restrictions and managed care. We acted forcefully and effectively, guided as always by a clear commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and patient care, and we secured vital support from Connecticut's elected leaders as we pursued our plans. On other fronts, we worked hard to get new student housing started in time to meet anticipated enrollment growth, broke ground for a much-needed conference center and hotel on campus, and worked with our neighbors in Storrs to create an active, attractive college community.

The pages that follow highlight some of the more significant elements of our success during the past year. Indeed, when we consider the achievements of the recent past, I am confident it can be said that the University of Connecticut is building swiftly, and it is building well.