"Have you been to the campuses of York lately? For our 40th anniversary, we used the slogan "Look at us now", but that was three (Spring 1999) years ago and even more has changed.

At Glendon, the rose garden is as lovely as ever during June convocation and the Memorial Garden donated by the late Murray Ross in memory of his wife is maturing into a beautiful place to sit and contemplate the campus. There's a new entrance as well with more work yet to come.

Have you seen the two downtown campuses? There's the Miles S. Nadal Management Centre in the TD Centre where executive management studies take place with its very handsome board room and collection of art works by York's visual artists. We also have the new Osgoode Hall Law School Professional Development Centre in the North Tower of the Eaton Centre where continuing education in law is becoming a major activity. The Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School are thriving downtown and on the Keele campus. We're very proud of both. On March 1, we officially opened a new environmentally progressive building for computer science and computer engineering that everyone should see.

But probably the greatest pleasure is to take one of our graduates who has not been to York lately to the Keele campus. All of you who made your way here (up until the late 1980s) remember a different Keele campus from the one we now study and work in. As this issue of Profiles shows us, the University's landscape has been transformed ­ and there's more to come.

Preparing for the "double cohort" and further growth especially in York region, we are building at a rapid pace to gain classrooms, labs and research space. By the fall of 2003-2004 there will be several new buildings ­ two parking structures, the Technology Enhanced Learning Building, new quarters for the Shulich School of Business and a student residence. So stop at the entrance to the Honour Court and Information Centre where you can pull over for a few minutes, look at the many stones honouring our benefactors there, and get a map showing just how much York has changed.

One of our graduates, now president of a thriving Canadian company, came to see me recently and was both lost and dazzled by the changes but his first question was "Is the Orange Snail still there?" Fortunately it is, along with many other student haunts that will bring back memories for all.

At the same time, think of us ...your university, maturing in academic focus and building a reputation internationally, as a great place to learn and experience life.

So come and "look at us now". We'd love to see you!