Remarks as drafted.

Thank you for joining me on Veterans Day as we honor the contributions, courage and dedication that distinguishes all those who have earned the title of "American veteran," and specifically recognize the veterans we have the privilege of working with every day here at UT System Administration

I'll begin by thanking all those among us who volunteered to serve and defend this country - our veterans, active-duty service members, guardsmen and reservists. Your service has helped keep our country and citizens safe and free. Please raise your hands so we may recognize your service with a round of applause

I'd also like to acknowledge our military family members here today — those of you who provided your spouse, partner, parent, sibling or child the support and encouragement he or she needed to serve. Please also raise your hands — you have our sincere thanks.

The UT System and every UT institution has implemented programs and initiatives to help equip our veterans for success in civilian life, whether they are students, faculty, staff or members of the local community. UT institutions have dedicated veterans support centers that offer military-affiliated students assistance ranging from loaner textbooks to mentoring to counseling to hiring assistance. And nearly 10,000 students of UT institutions receive military-affiliated financial or veterans' benefits.

UT Arlington was named Texas' #1 university for veterans in Military Times' annual "Best for Vets" list. UT San Antonio was named a "Gold Military Friendly School" by the publication Military Friendly. UT Austin, UT Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center have also received published accolades for their commitment to veterans this year.

The UT System and our institutions have a partnership with the mentoring program American Corporate Partners that pairs veterans with mentors from across the System to help them find their career path in the civilian workforce.

Here at the UT System Building we have an educational and cooperative research partnership with the U.S. Army Futures Command that launched this past year. We are proud to share our workspace and work with these dedicated men and women.

Investing in veterans is not only the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. They are leaders, mission-focused and committed to teamwork. They develop a strong work ethic: motivated and dependable. They are resourceful problem-solvers who can think critically and handle high-stress situations. They know how to work in high-tech, diverse workplaces. They have a global perspective, and they embody resilience, endurance and dedication. They also know that continuous success requires lifelong learning.

The UT System, our state, and our nation are better, smarter, stronger and more competitive because of our veteran colleagues.

Veterans, thank you for your service.