Address at The Victor Hurst Academic Convocation
Let me begin by thanking our new Vice President for Research, Chris Przirembel, for his thoughtful and inspiring words to us. A few years ago I had the opportunity to speak to this convocation as Dean and I greatly value that experience; however, I believe Dr. Przirembel has established a new benchmark and standard for our academic convocation with his presentation to us this morning. Thank you, Chris.
I also want to recognize and thank our Trustees who have joined us for this ceremonial beginning to our academic year. Board members, your work, your commitment to Clemson and your presence today are an inspiration to all of us at Clemson. Thank you.
It seems appropriate at this moment to take a look back and then take a look forward.
First the look back at a remarkable year.
Upon reflection, the past year presented two key decisions for Clemson. The first was the answer to the question of "how big should Clemson be?" The second question was "are we truly committed to our goals?" I believe the answers to these two questions have shaped Clemson's future for a very long time.
These two decisions have set our course for the next decade as an institution because in both cases Clemson decided to focus on quality, even thought the easier path would have been to continue the status quo.
Words are easy, action is much harder.
You can say "quality" or "excellence" but until you demonstrate with your actions the words are without substance.
In both cases, Clemson converted its statements (its pious hopes) into actions and in so doing made bold steps to realize our potential as a University.
In deciding to reduce our freshman class by 500 students we answered the question of how big should Clemson be, and we demonstrated our determination to focus on quality not quantity. It would have been easier to increase enrollment, there were many reasons to do so with almost 12,000 applications (up 10% from last year). Public pressure was intense. We chose the more difficult path.
The only reason to reduce the size of the freshman class was to focus on quality and insure that the Clemson Experience for all our students would be maintained and enriched. Our alumni made it clear that the Clemson Experience is about relationships and Clemson would not be Clemson without these relationships student to student and faculty to student relationships.
Let me illustrate; yesterday we gathered the incoming freshman class in the amphitheater and introduced these students to their deans, coaches and Clemson history. We began a new tradition called The Tiger Walk. Members of the Class of 1955 entered Clemson 50 years ago and today members of that class where here to participate in welcoming the Class of 2005. When we completed our program at the amphitheater the Class of 1955 joined in walking with the Class of 2005 to the President's Home for a picnic on the lawn. This group of alumni will continue to mark milestones with the Class of 2005. Where else but Clemson would these new traditions begin?
With the collaborative thinking of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, our Board of Trustees gave a significant vote of confidence to the campus by encouraging and supporting this decision of quality over quantity in our freshman class size. In so doing traditions will continue to grow from relationships.
The second decision was even more complex. Please recognize the significance of this decision. In the midst of the most severe education budget cut in South Carolina's history, Clemson reaffirmed its commitment to quality, and said we will provide one of the finest public educations in America. We will stay the course to our goals even in an environment of significant cuts to education. It was a remarkable thing to witness.
As a means of illustrating this commitment made by our Board of Trustees, let me take you back to our Faculty/Staff meeting last December, a few weeks after learning of the 15% budget cut we faced.
At that meeting I presented a set of Guiding Principles we would follow in addressing this significant challenge. As a way of illustrating the importance of our Board's decision here are 6 of those principles from that December meeting:
We are committed to our goal of reaching the Top 20 Public Universities.
We will have an open process throughout.
We will find opportunities to come out of this better positioned for the future.
We will work to protect faculty and staff. Position cuts will be our last resort.
We will not whine. We will be aggressive, but positive.
We will work together as "One Clemson".
I believe that by following each of these guiding principles we have defined our future.
Here is the key point I wish to make to you as Clemson faculty, staff and students this morning. I believe that these actions are the strongest vote of confidence our Board of Trustees could possibly give to you and your work.
These actions were taken to give you one very clear message: "We believe in you; we have confidence in you and the future you are shaping for Clemson".
There is every reason for our Board's confidence in you. The work of Clemson faculty, staff and students has resulted in significant increases in several important areas:
- In the quality of our incoming freshman class, which will be our finest class in Clemson history measured by class rank and SAT scores. (In SAT comparisons this class exceeds the incoming freshman class at Purdue, Michigan State, VA Tech, and NC State.) SAT average for the freshman class will be at or near 1200.
- In the quality of our funded research, which has established remarkable new standards the highest in our history well over our yearly goal. I will let Chris Przirembel make the announcement very soon. But clearly our $100M goal is in sight years ahead of schedule.
- In the quality of our public service, which is engaging the whole campus in outreach.
- In the quality of our private giving, which has also established a new historic standard in gifts exceeding our $260M goal for our campaign. An announcement will be made soon as to the exact amount raised in this campaign. All of us will be impressed.
- In the quality of our scholarship and unfunded research, which parallels and in some cases exceeds the success of our funded research.
This evidence of the quality of your work was the reason for this significant vote of confidence from our Board.
And I hope you feel the way I do as a result: very proud and determined to do even better work. I know that as I prepare for my course this Spring, I will try to make it better, more meaningful for my students. I won't accept the standard I established in the past.
Now the look forward. It will be a busy and challenging year. I am pleased with the work we are doing in our SACS Self-Study because we have learned a great deal about ourselves through this process. We have sorted out matters of substance we need to change and reaffirmed the things we should not change. The visit this coming Spring is important.
Further, we are planning two summits this year. The first, on Graduate Education and the second, on Campus-wide Public Service. These events have proven our ability to gather, focus, debate, recommend and act.
But let me address two important questions in this look forward.
Why? Why have we set our goal to be among America's Top 20 public universities / and How? How will we get there?
The Why question and the How question
First the "Why?"Why have we set our goal to be a Top 20 public university?
The answer is because the students of South Carolina deserve an education of this quality. The students in our state should not have to leave SC (and the opportunity for a Life Scholarship) to have an education that is among the best in America.
Further, our state's economy needs the boost from a public research university that can move SC into the "new economy". Our neighboring states of NC and GA have moved into this new economy driven by their research universities. South Carolina can not afford to become a purely service and manufacturing economy trapped between two technology driven economies on either side of us. It is South Carolina's turn.
It is important to know that 9 out of 10 SC citizens believe our state needs a Top 20 public university for these two exact reasons. We have the data of their responses.
Now the "How?" questionHow will we become a Top 20 public university?
We will become a Top 20 public university by focusing on our core mission; by tending to our knitting.
Certainly we will focus on our goals, but recognize that our goals are about our core mission and the quality of that mission.
How will we become a Top 20 public university? By providing substance, meaning and quality in everything we do. This is how we have made our steps forward to this point and this is how we will do so in the future; but in a newly energized, collaborative, positive and encouraging environment that brings out the best in each one of us.
If we do this well, the Top 20 rankings will follow. Let me repeat, If we do this well, the Top 20 rankings will follow.
As you prepare for the beginning of this new year, pause for a moment and reflect on why you decided to join the academy. I'll bet it was the opportunity to influence the minds, lives and careers of young people. Revisit that decision as we begin anew. We have that remarkable opportunity again starting tomorrow. You made a great choice to be a teacher. Let's make a difference in the lives of our students.
I look forward to our work together.
Best wishes for a great year.