Opening Convocation

President Bruce Shepard’s Prepared Remarks to the Faculty and Staff

September 16, 2009

Introduction

Cyndie and I are delighted to be here with you.  A year ago, you were welcoming us.  This morning, we welcome you as we gather together to begin a new academic year.

I love the rhythms of the academic life, particularly the excitement as a new year begins.  I expect you, as have I for the past 37 years of opening sessions, feel a twinge of anxiousness about the unknowns ahead, but, predominantly, excitement about the challenges and opportunities of a whole new academic year awaiting us all.

The anticipation of open terrain awaiting our footprints.

All summer, I pondered how best to use these moments, how to make them of greatest value to you.  This is a rare opportunity to speak to the university assembled.   You have every right to expect me to candidly and fully share my best thinking. 

I should warn that I am a bit old fashioned.  I think it not too much to ask of each other, even in this era of texting and maximum 140 character tweets, that some significant time, once a year, be dedicated to hearing from the president.  And, there is much to talk about. 

First, I join in congratulating our award winners.  Ours is a university of such excellence, and excellence so demonstrably engaged.  As outstanding as their records are, our winners are still just representative of what, at Western, is pervasive dedication to being the very best.  Well done and thank you all.

When I refer to pervasive excellence, by the way, that is not mere presidential hype.  It was my greatest “take away” from those 90 listening sessions last fall.  It is more recently documented in all its amazing richness in the Annual Report now available on the web.  Need to bolster your pride in Western and our solid foundation for even brighter futures: do look through that report at: Annual Report on the University Communications website.

Now, there is a certain ritualistic aspect to presidential remarks on occasions such as this: normally to speak first of the accomplishments of the year just concluded and then of the year ahead.  Today I will repeat the ritual.  But, there will be little ritualistic in my remarks for there was little normal about the year just passed.  Nor, will there be in the year that lies ahead.

Next page:  The Year Just Concluded