photo by Mike Sands
President Edward M. Hundert with
new University Marshal Robin Dubin, associate professor
of economics, leads the academic procession into Severance
Hall for Fall Convocation 2002. In his address, Hundert
introduced six topics he would like to see the CWRU community
explore to help create a vision for the future of the University.
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Fall Convocation Address
Edward M. Hundert, President
Case Western Reserve University
Given at the Annual Fall Convocation
To Mark the Beginning of the Academic Year
August 28, 2002
Severance Hall
Good afternoon, and thank you all for attending Convocation.
This is my first such gathering here at CWRU, so I'm excited to
use the occasion to share with you some thoughts about our future
in the hope of opening a campus-wide dialogue this semester about
how we should articulate our aspirations for this great University.
But before getting into talking about "the vision thing," let
me start with two other brief comments about the opening of the
new academic year, one personal and one "academic."
First, on a personal note, I just want to thank all of the many
people who have so warmly welcomed me and my family to this great
community. From Jim Wagner, with whom it is my privilege to work
side by side in leading the university, to one of the campus groundskeepers
who greeted me on my first morning as President, the faculty,
staff, students, trustees, alumni, and others with whom I've interacted
so far are truly the most dedicated, inspirational people I've
ever met. As I stand here today, I haven't even finished my first
month as President, and yet I feel that I've already begun not
just to meet many new colleagues but to make many new friends.
So my wife and children and I really want to convey our deep gratitude
for the magnificent welcome we've experienced since moving here
last month. For me, people are what it's all about, and the people
here are incredible! It's just been a thrill for me to start to
get to know our wonderful faculty, students, staff, trustees,
alumni, and neighbors, so, again, thank you!
The one other comment I'd make about the opening of the academic
year is a reflection on this year's theme for the University.
Although I have another topic of great importance today, I do
want to start a tradition of using this address at Convocation
each year to explore in some depth the theme chosen for the year,
to kick off the campus-wide events and discussions to be held
on the chosen topic. So, although I'll do so in a more abbreviated
way this year than I will in the future, let me just say a few
words about this year's theme.
As you know, during the last academic year—the year of 9/11—a
committee appointed by the Provost's Office selected "America's
Role in the World" as the theme to be explored this year across
our campus. Under the leadership of the committee's chair, Professor
Jonathan Sadowsky of the Department of History, the committee
also awarded a set of small grants to support projects led by
faculty, students, or staff that would address this theme. Just
to mention a few of these projects, they include:
- A series of discussions and presentations
on the Americanization of foreign cultures, called "Disney in
the World," led by Professor Bill Deal of the Department of
Religion and Professor Marie Lathers of the Department of Modern
Languages and Literatures.
- A lecture series entitled "Moral Perspectives
on America's Role after 9-11," organized by Professor Robert
Lawry of the law school, Director of our Center for Professional
Ethics.
- And a marvelous project, proposed by undergraduate
student Doug McLean, in which members of the College Scholars
Program are to design and build "A Pictographic Globe" - a large,
physical, interactive globe on which the land surfaces will
be able to display data about international issues and trends.
I'd also mention in connection with this year's theme that the
freshman orientation program required all incoming students to
read a book: Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez.
Since I consider myself one of this year's entering freshmen,
I did my required reading, and have already had some very engaging
encounters discussing the book with my fellow members of the freshmen
class.
A few words about the book may be helpful. It's an autobiographical
work in which Richard Rodriguez, the son of Mexican immigrants
growing up in California, describes how the very education that
he and his parents so much wanted him to pursue had the effect
of alienating him from his family. The most obvious instrument
of that alienation was language: as he became more and more fluent
in English, the "public language" of his family's adopted country,
he became less and less comfortable in Spanish, the traditional,
intimate, "private language" of his family. As he grew, he recognized
that the process of his assimilation into mainstream US culture,
which he equates to the death of his "private individuality,"
actually made possible the development of his "public individuality,"
his ability to be successful in the larger society.
There are two points I'd like to make that emerge from this self-depiction.
One relates to how we in an American university view our role
in the world. The second focuses on how our country—and we
as Americans - must inevitably be affected by our own interactions
with the rest of the world.
As I read his book, I thought about the students who arrive here
on our campus every year from other countries—some 95 nations
in all during a typical year—to begin a period in their lives
that will affect them profoundly. Some blithely look at their
TOEFL scores and conclude that they're going to do just fine in
a culture that uses a language that most of them have learned
in school, not at home. In other words, we're asking them to use
our "public language"—English—to establish themselves
as individuals here, expecting that they'll succeed in being "transformed"
by the learning process without access to the "private language"
of their families of origin.
But Rodriguez also notes that it's not the language you use that
gives you confidence, but rather your involvement with other persons
who treat you as an individual of value. The implications of this
observation for the manner in which we host our international
students are serious, and I hope that we might devote some of
our energies in connection with this year's theme to exploring
at the practical level how we might provide the most supportive
possible environment for these students, who account for more
than 12 per cent of our student body.
I hope we look at the significance of this same phenomenon for
our domestic students as well. While most of them don't face the
linguistic challenges that are more common for international students,
even without the barrier of language they nonetheless find themselves
facing the kind of transformation that I in fact hope we help
them achieve. In my own freshman seminar just yesterday, quite
a bit of the time and much of the emotion was spent on the tension
between the expressed hopes of some family members and close high
school friends that we freshman "not change who we are" when we
go off to college, and the stated objective of a great university
education: that it be a changing experience! So, the fluent, even
articulate student from California, New York, or Ohio is also
going to need the presence of persons prepared to treat him or
her as an individual of value in order to become the "public individual"—the
scholar, the professional, the achiever, the contributor to society—that
he or she can be.
As a final comment on this year's theme, we should of course
also look at this matter globally. Just as an international student,
like any student, faces the prospect of significant change by
enrolling here, this country cannot escape the prospect of change
as we become increasingly interconnected with other parts of the
world. This is particularly important now that the United States
has become what some have called the "world's only superpower,"
a term I think people use for our country's relationship to the
world when they imagine us to be like freshmen who might enter
college believing that they can be "self-sufficient" - "affecters"
of their environment without being "affected" by it. In correspondence
on this topic, one of our faculty members commented that "Leaders
in the U.S. do not seem to recognize what leaders elsewhere do,
namely, that only a post-nationalist approach to world problems
can begin to solve some of them."
Another member of our faculty noted that university leaders can
set a tone and take initiatives that can be controversial, referring
to the recent incidents at the University of North Carolina, where
there was strong opposition to a required summer reading by students
of a book about the Koran. He notes: "To the extent this university
wants to promote 'societal engagement' or 'engagement with the
rest of the world', these are politically loaded subjects." All
the more reason, I would say, to nurture a learning environment
that promotes moral discourse in a culture of deep respect for
human differences.
This was the main message of my welcome the freshman class last
week: to spend their years here constantly engaged in passionate
discussion about values. There couldn't be a more pressing time
in human history for this ethical discourse, with the news each
day filled with weighty moral issues surrounding international
crises, social injustice at home and abroad, a widening gap between
those who have access and those who don't have access to what
our science and technology can do to improve our lives, and with
the very integrity of our economy—the business practices
of great American companies - being called into question. I told
them that whether, upon graduation, they plan to go onto graduate
or professional school or join the work force or pursue yet another
path, our goal is not just that they are prepared to succeed as
leaders in their fields, but that their education here should
prepare them to be moral leaders within their communities.
That's part of a vision for Case Western Reserve University about
which I'd like to launch a campus-wide discussion, side by side
with (and not unrelated to) this year's campus dialogue about
America's Role in the World. So, since this convocation represents
not just the start of a new year but a new administration, I'll
save any further reflections on this year's academic theme for
another time, and use the rest of my time with you this afternoon
to open another important campus-wide dialogue about our aspirations
as a university.
My purpose in opening this dialogue is to invite all of you to
help advance a great university into an even greater future. What
I want to do is outline very briefly a half dozen topics intended
to serve as a framework, six categories into which we might organize
these discussions over the months ahead. What I hope will emerge
from this process is a vision for Case Western Reserve University
around which we can mobilize a tremendous amount of creative energy,
resources of many kinds, and a campus community that will not
only be changed, but that will change all of us in the course
of building it together - the very dilemma faced by Richard Rodriguez,
by every entering student, and, I would argue, by every one of
us in this room today. My plan is to hold a large number of these
discussions in both formal and informal settings throughout the
fall semester to gather input on this vision from our faculty,
students, staff, trustees, alumni, partner institutions, and others,
with a goal of presenting at the formal inauguration event at
the end of January a concise but compelling vision - not my vision
but our vision - for the future this great university.
I'd also just add that none of the topic areas around which I'd
like to organize this process is new to CWRU. Actually, it's because
so many of the ingredients are already here that I dare to lay
out such an aggressive—but, I think, achievable—set
of goals for us. Indeed, what attracted me to this remarkable
leadership challenge and opportunity is a strong sense that this
university is at an inflection point in its history such that
there will never be a better time to think big and to act boldly.
What are some of these ingredients that are already in place?
Well, we have wonderful students, staff, and faculty—faculty
who, more than any others I've ever encountered, view their roles
in teaching and in research as completely inseparable, both driven
by that wonderful combination of curiosity and rigor in thinking
that leads to discovery and to learning. We have a committed,
passionate team of administrative leaders, a dedicated board of
trustees, and incredibly loyal alumni. We also have Cleveland
Mayor Jane Campbell and other elected officials from the local
city councils to Columbus to Washington, and many other business
and civic leaders in Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, and beyond who
are looking to partner with us to be part of a bright future for
this region as well as for higher education. We have our unique
location here in University Circle, with more potential for productive
partnerships in one square mile than probably any other campus
in the nation. We have an exciting campus master plan that will
in truth enable us to "complete" the merger of our predecessor
institutions. And we already have any number of academic programs
across our eight schools that have earned national and international
reputations for excellence and leadership.
Those characteristics, and others I could mention just as well,
represent what we are today, the ingredients we have to work with.
Every person here who has helped to achieve these distinctions
deserves our deep appreciation—they certainly have mine.
And, while we should take every opportunity to celebrate these
outstanding achievements of our institution and do a much better
job than we now do in letting the world know about these great
things, we ultimately will be judged on how we build on this foundation
to become what I believe we can become, which is, simply put,
the most powerful learning environment in the world.
So that's the first of my categories for our dialogue about the
future of CWRU: what would it mean to strive to be the most powerful
learning environment in the world? How could we challenge ourselves
to create such a strong culture of mentoring that not just students
but also faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and even visitors to
campus become passionate about moving beyond themselves to advance
knowledge and improve humanity. I would personally link this part
of the discussion we'll be having to the wonderful traditions
we celebrate here in creating synergy between and among our research,
education, and service missions, but at this stage I'm much more
interested in learning what you hear in an aspiration to be the
most powerful learning environment in the world. What do you think
about that?
The second topic I'd put out for campus-wide reflection is an
educational philosophy centering on transformation—the transformation
of learners, the transformation of teachers, the transformation
of institutions, the transformation of knowledge itself through
research, and, ultimately, the transformation of a better society.
Again, I would personally link this part of the discussion to
the possibilities for a uniquely transforming environment not
limited to the university's own classrooms, laboratories, and
libraries, but one which includes partnerships with many other
great cultural institutions, hospitals, businesses, and other
agencies concentrated in University Circle and Greater Cleveland.
While, as a great research university, we of course enjoy collaborations
all over the globe, I wonder if we could excel among great research
universities by taking seriously the 'think globally, act locally'
philosophy. What if we were to build these strong partnerships
with other institutions and agencies right here in Cleveland and
Northeast Ohio in the service of national and international leadership,
through a belief that our ability to apply research advances to
improve the human condition throughout the world should be proven
first within our own community?
And so the third topic I put out for discussion is partnership.
Universities have not traditionally enjoyed great reputations
as partners. How might we distinguish ourselves in this regard
and achieve things that other universities can't—but we could—if
we were the best university at forming productive partnerships
with other great institutions? I note particularly the great institutions
nearby which form some of our already realized ingredients for
success, but perhaps there are even more unrealized opportunities
that we ought vigorously to pursue. What do you think?
The fourth topic for this dialogue on our future will, I hope,
center on our values. We need to articulate clearly the values
we hold most dear and then practice these values across every
level of the university. One of my favorite quotations comes from
Mark Twain, who once said: "To be good is noble. To teach others
to be good is nobler - and less trouble!" We have to articulate
and practice our values. If we espouse values of quality and excellence,
then we have to seek world-class students, faculty, and staff,
and promote and reward those who excel. If we value leadership
and innovation, then we have to recruit faculty who are thought
leaders in exploring new frontiers of knowledge, and selectively
allocate resources into those programs in which we can establish
global leadership. We are, after all, a research university, and
one thing I am certain of is that we need to make a massive investment
in our research infrastructure if we are going to be able to continue
recruiting the kind of faculty I just described and hold ourselves
to standards of excellence and leadership in our core mission
of knowledge creation.
There are some values I believe we have to discuss with particular
vigor and clarity. If we say we value diversity, and we do, then
we have to seek to recruit faculty, students, and staff with perspectives
shaped by a wide variety of cultural and intellectual experiences,
and we have to provide a broad range of programs and opportunities
in an atmosphere of tolerance and sensitivity.
So, values are the fourth organizing category for this discussion,
and I hope what we can do is start by valuing the importance of
values themselves. As I said at the freshman convocation and I
say again here, I believe that values require constant attention
and discussion in a community of scholars. We not only have to
nurture honesty, integrity, and respect, we also have to promote
a culture of self-reflection, self-criticism, continual self-improvement
and constant moral discourse. That's what I think, but what do
you think about our values?
The fifth category for discussion I'd suggest focuses around
the massive organizational enterprise that is this great research
university. Twenty-first century universities need to accept our
organizational obligations - we have to be responsible stewards
of the resources society entrusts to us. My question for discussion
across the campus and beyond is how might we strive to be the
most effectively and efficiently run research university in the
world. I believe that if we could use leading edge technologies
in an effort to annihilate all unnecessary bureaucracy, our faculty,
students and staff could maintain a focus on what they do best,
and our scholarly productivity would set a new standard in higher
education. If we could offer the world's best academics a unique
opportunity for unimpeded scholarship even when that scholarship
crosses departmental, school, or institutional boundaries—the
very intersections where so much current scholarship is found—then
I believe we could successfully compete for the best talent against
any university in the world.
Well, I can hardly wait to hear some of the discussions on the
topic of our organizational obligations, especially with so many
expectations being put on us to help revitalize the local economy.
Note, however, that I would not be willing to put up for consideration
the question of whether this kind of economic contribution should
ever be allowed to compromise even one iota our mission of academic
excellence. But how often is that really a tradeoff? If we value
the academy's expanding role in society, and I certainly do, then
to the extent that it's consistent with our academic mission,
should CWRU's vision include a goal to maximize our positive economic,
social, and cultural impact in Northeastern Ohio? What do you
think?
And, finally, for the last general topic area, I would like to
engage every one of you in a dialogue about how CWRU can become
a true pioneer in higher education. It is a national tragedy that
college applicants feel compelled to choose between a great liberal
education and pursuit of a degree from a great research university.
What better place to get a liberal education than from research
faculty who personify the combination of curiosity and disciplined
thinking that form the two cornerstones of a liberal education!
So, the last category asks whether CWRU might aspire to lead the
nation as the research university where the challenges of creating
new knowledge support the values of a liberal education, where
rigorous theory and practical experiences come together.
Obviously there has been a lot of activity around this question
over the last couple of years, with the review of General Education
Requirements, the President's Commission on Undergraduate Education
and Life, the development of the SAGES program, and so one. What
I'd like to do for this part of the discussion is actually ask
you to set those initiatives aside for a moment, and engage our
campus back at the level of first principles on this question
of liberal learning in a research university. What other thoughts
are out there in addition to the ideas captured in those initiatives?
How can we harness the excitement of student and faculty interactions
with cultural institutions, clinics, social service agencies,
government, or industry, so that these are no longer viewed as
"extra-curricular," but experiences that drive students toward
the demands and rigors of academic theory to create the transforming
experience that might be known by the expression "learning at
Case Western Reserve University?"
I look forward to talking with you about your reactions to some
of these thoughts about our university's prospects as my orientation
program takes me to dialogues at each of our eight schools this
semester, and as we set up other forums for these discussions
as well. I want to hear about your vision for our future. I want
to hear your thoughts about how each of our three missions - our
research mission, our education mission, and our service mission
- relate to these six overarching areas.
Let me just again underscore my belief that there will never
be a better time for us to think in bold ways about that future,
and let me make my commitment to each and every one of you to
try to craft this bold but achievable vision with your help, and
then to do everything in my power to make it a reality. There
can be nothing more important, especially when one considers the
fact that those seemingly intractable problems now facing our
country and our world can and will only be solved by the next
generation of moral leaders, a group collectively known as our
student body!
In closing, I want to share what I view as a philosophical context
within which we need to take our responsibilities for these students
upon whom the future so clearly depends. It's a philosophy that
emerged for me partly from the fact that my wife and I have three
daughters, and partly from our shared interest in comparative
religions. On one of our trips to India to learn about Hinduism,
we were introduced to a Hindu philosophy about how to raise your
daughters. Now, because of the Hindu belief in reincarnation,
and the very real possibility that you can die while your daughter
is still of child-bearing age, the thought experiment suggests
what would happen if you were reincarnated in your own daughter's
womb, This is something that would actually never happen in any
form of Hinduism, of course, but it suggests a remarkable thought:
that you should raise your daughter as if you might be raising
your own mother. A mind-blowing concept, I know, but think about
it: how would you raise your daughter if there were some chance
you might be raising your own mother?
To me there's a simple analogy here: that we should teach our
students as if we might be teaching the very people who will be
responsible for solving the deep problems that our country and
our world face today. That's how we should teach our students.
By the way, I don't know about reincarnation, but I do know it's
a fact that our students are the people in whose hands the world's
future rests, so in the end, my message today is that the whole
business of creating for them this powerfully transformational
environment is something we have to take very, very personally.
Have I laid out some ambitious goals here? Yes. Do I believe
we can achieve them? Absolutely. And why do I believe such a thing?
Because I am continually inspired by the words of Margaret Meade,
who once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing
that ever has. It's the only thing that ever has." I thank you
for your attention,
I thank you again for the warm welcome you've given my family
and me, and I thank you in advance for participating in our dialogue
about a vision for the future of our University.
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