But that is not all. We are also able to endow a leadership institute. Under the direction of the Bowman professor, the institute will be a magnet for exploration and innovation in teaching and conducting scholarship in this important field. It will support and expand Western's goal to develop graduates who are well prepared to exercise responsible leadership in their chosen fields and careers, and in their communities. I am particularly privileged to announce, for the first time this morning, that this tangible contribution to "engaged excellence" will, hereafter and always, be know as the Karen W. Morse Institute for Leadership.
Let's hear a word from President Emeritus Morse:
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Thank you, Karen.
That is our history: ceaselessly passionate commitment to academic excellence. And, that must be the compass by which we continue to steer as we move forward.
Let me turn, then, to discussing our future.
And, how we are going to get there.
Perhaps the most important component of how we move forward has already been touched upon. We must move forward together. That's the reason why this convocation is organized as it is. That is why, every week or two when I ask a selection of colleagues to join me for breakfast, there will be people from all parts of the university — those who get here early to those who leave late, those who work inside wearing business attire and those who work outside wearing rain gear.
There is much more to bringing us together and I will touch upon those in a few minutes. But a president's leadership style is also relevant.
So, what is my role in the "how" of getting to even brighter futures? I firmly believe that leadership in complex situations begins by asking questions instead of giving answers. If you want to know who I am as president, there is no more fundamental point — I have questions, you have answers.
Asking questions but not just any questions. They have to be questions that make us uneasy.