Once again, UMBC has been named one of the top national universities “where the faculty has an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.” UMBC was ranked #6 on U.S. News and World Report’s 2014 Best Colleges Guide’s list of schools with the “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” along with such universities as William and Mary, Berkeley, Princeton, and Brown. UMBC has also again been named the top national university for “promising and innovative changes.” This is the 5th consecutive year that UMBC has topped this “Up-and-Coming” list. “I’m encouraged that our colleagues around the country continue to recognize the quality of our academic program. Our faculty and staff are consistently looking for creative ways to strengthen teaching and learning on our campus, and we are proud that this has made us a leader in redefining excellence in undergraduate education,” says President Freeman Hrabowski. “Each fall, I see the result of our hard work as I welcome yet another outstanding class of undergraduates.” This continued recognition points to what makes UMBC unique: our community successfully combines a deep commitment to undergraduate education with achievements in graduate education and research. Our investments in undergraduate student success and steady efforts by our faculty and staff to maximize student engagement and success are attracting ever-larger numbers of talented, diverse students. This year, we welcomed a record-breaking incoming class of 1,660 freshmen. These students are planning to study in a wide range of disciplines. Most important, we continue to assess student outcomes and explore new ways to advance teaching and learning. For example, the Hrabowski Fund for Innovation invests in faculty initiatives that fuel creativity and enterprise, helping more students from all backgrounds to excel. Our iCubed study, funded through the National Science Foundation, is examining the effectiveness of a variety of learning activities for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students. And our STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is building a national model for ensuring more transfer students complete four-year degrees.