UA President Robert Shelton was surprised to see Wilma Wildcat leading a group of students, reporters and the Alumni Pep Band to the front door of his home at 7:35 a.m. Monday, his first day on the job.

A stunned Shelton posed with Wilma and four members from the UA’s cheer squad for photographers outside of his home in the Foothills to the tune of the UA’s fight song, “”Bear Down, Arizona.””

“”I just wanted to give him a special welcome,”” said UA’s Marketing Director Kate Jensen, who was responsible for organizing the event.

Shelton, accompanied by his wife Adrian, joined several members of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona and reporters on the CatTran that shuttled them back to the UA, where he was greeted by hundreds of students, alumni, faculty members and the news media outside the Administrationbuilding at 8:15 a.m.

Shelton shook hands and hugged his way through the crowd to reach the top of the steps, where a microphone awaited him beneath a 10-foot-high semicircular whirl of red and blue balloons, while the band played a number of peppy tunes.

ASUA President Erin Hertzog told the crowd about the first time she met Shelton, who was dismayed at the time that he couldn’t get tickets to a UA basketball game.

Hertzog said she knew right away that students were going to love him.

“”I want to publicly thank Peter Likins for nine years of extraordinary service and for helping to facilitate a smooth transition,”” Shelton said.

Adrian Shelton also had a chance to address the audience.

“”I’m overwhelmed by the warmth of the welcome,”” she said. “”I’m absolutely thrilled to be here.””

The cheerful applause subsided and the crowd dispersed once Shelton entered the Administration building and headed towards his new office on the seventh floor.

A line of reporters from various news organizations, including KUAT and the Arizona Daily Star, waited for their turn to interview the new president.

During a one-on-one interview, Shelton said that he wanted to take a “”hard look”” at enrollment management and that he would like to sit down and talk with students so that he could assess their ideas on tuition increases.

“”One person’s idea of a low tuition is another person’s unaffordable tuition,”” Shelton said.

Shelton approved former UA President Likins’ plans to continually raise tuition each year in small increments and would like to avoid any radical increases but admitted that it depended on the funding the UA receives from the federal and state government.

Shelton said he wanted to thank students for the warm welcome he received and said he hopes they won’t be shy.

“”I’m easily approachable, and I want to hear from them,”” Shelton said.

John Bybee, a senior majoring in psychology, creative writing and studio art, said he believed the main difference between Likins and Shelton was their personalities: Likins being more businesslike, while Shelton seemed to be more personable.

“”I liked Shelton from the start because he exhibited excellent body language,”” Bybee said.