Carol A. Cartwright
President

January 30, 2009
“The Promise of Possibility”

WELCOME

Thank you, and good morning.
I want to thank Chair Harbal, and the other members of the Board of Trustees, for the opportunity to serve as the 10th President of Bowling Green State University. The enthusiastic reception I talked about last fall on Opening Day has continued. I have been inspired by the warm and welcoming spirit of all of those I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with in the university community, in the city of Bowling Green and throughout the region. And, of course, that includes everyone at BGSU Firelands as well. I understand we have a group watching the streaming video on the Firelands campus today. Thank you for participating. I truly appreciate the time you are spending with us, and salute you for the work you are doing.

I want to express my appreciation to the faculty and staff of Bowling Green State University for the quality of education – both in- and out- side of the classroom -- that you provide for our students. It is the quality of the faculty and staff at BGSU, and the diverse and talented students, that attracted me to Bowling Green State University, and the reason I look forward to serving as president.

Before I address the State of the University, I would like to take a moment to recognize the university’s constituent group leaders. Bowling Green State University has a long and rich tradition of shared governance, and I am grateful for the working relationship that I have developed over the last six months with our faculty, staff, and student leadership. I would like to recognize Dr. Ellen Williams, Chair of the Faculty Senate; Kim Fleshman and Beverly Stearns, Co-Chairs of Administrative Staff Council; Faith Olsen, Chair of Classified Staff Council; John Waynick, President of Undergraduate Student Government; and Emmanuel Guillory, Chair of Graduate Student Senate.

And I want to express my sincere appreciation to the senior leadership team for their support and hard work on behalf of BGSU. We have two individuals with us today who have just been appointed to leadership positions.  Albert Colom is our new Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Dr. Simon Morgan-Russell is now the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

We are all truly fortunate to be part of a university community with a long and rich tradition of academic excellence, quality faculty and students, and dedicated staff and administrators. 

THE STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY

Many of you know that Maestro Benjamin Zander, the Music Director and Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, was on campus earlier this month. His visit was part of the Dorothy and DuWayne Hansen Musical Arts Series, and was jointly sponsored by the College of Musical Arts and the College of Business Administration.

Benjamin Zander has become internationally known for drawing parallels between conducting orchestras and leading organizations. He co-wrote a best-selling book called “The Art of Possibility,” with Rosamund Stone Zander. I was honored to attend his presentation at Kobacker Hall. In fact, the theme of today’s presentation, The Promise of Possibility, was inspired by his talk.

I would like to read a short passage from Ben Zander’s book, a section he calls,  “Speaking in Possibility.” I think it provides a good lesson for us all as we move forward in these challenging times.

“Often, the person in a group who articulates the possible is dismissed as a dreamer or as a Pollyanna persisting in a simplistic ‘glass half-full’ kind of optimism. The naysayers pride themselves on their supposed realism. However, it is actually the people who see the glass as ‘half empty’ who are the ones wedded to fiction, for ‘emptiness’ and ‘lack’ are abstractions of the mind, whereas ‘half full’ is a measure of the physical reality under discussion. The so called optimist, then, is the only one attending to real things, the only one describing a substance that is actually in the glass. The practice of being with the way things are can break the unseen grip of abstractions created as a hedge against the danger in a world of survival, and allow us to make conscious distinctions that take us into the world of possibility.”

He goes on to say, “We start from what is, not from what should be; … we learn to soar like the far-seeing hawk, over the whole landscape.” Now, I do not think Maestro Zander would mind at all if we changed the “hawk” to a “Falcon.” It’s great advice.

And so, drawing on these ideas, I am confident in saying to you today that the state of our university is strong at its core. However, it is appropriate to add that we are subject to the stresses of an unprecedented national economic crisis – just like everyone else.

Much has changed since we convened as a university community last fall. Home foreclosures, the crises in financial services and the automobile industries, and the downturn in manufacturing have had a significant impact throughout our nation. In Ohio, where manufacturing has been the mainstay of our economy – we are feeling the effects of this recession perhaps more than many other states.

I will not dwell on the obvious challenges of balancing budgets in the midst of what Governor Strickland described as an “economic tsunami” for Ohio. Those are serious matters, and we will continue to deal with them in the months ahead.

You know the issues as well as I do.
 
It is important to note that although there were three budget cuts in 2008 to balance the state budget, the Governor has maintained his ongoing commitment to higher education and he has not reduced higher education core funding, the State Share of Instruction. The Governor, with bipartisan support of the state legislature, has made it clear that he recognizes that higher education plays a key role in the economic recovery of our state.

Research by the Council on Competitiveness supports this strategy. Today, 85 percent of jobs are classified as “skilled” – requiring training beyond high school.

The service economy is fueling a need for more complex skills and expert thinking. Companies are looking for workers who are creative problem solvers, proficient at communicating with their co-workers and customers. High level performance in computing, collaboration and teamwork are now assumed.

Here is the Council’s bottom line. “Competing for the future means it is time to get serious about figuring out how to create a skills advantage for American workers and companies.”  Ohio’s policy-makers understand this and we do too.

Governor Strickland has made it clear that he will do everything in his power to continue to support funding for higher education. In his State of the State address on Wednesday, the Governor again affirmed his belief that higher education will drive our economic recovery. He recognizes that graduating a highly educated workforce will help the state attract new business and industry. With that expression of confidence comes great responsibility. We must be certain that we are making the absolute best use of the resources that are provided to us.

Going forward, we need to embrace today’s budget challenges as an opportunity to change the way we operate, to increase our efficiency, enhance our programs and services and be nimble in our response to the rapidly changing playing field of higher education. Not only do we need to be open to partnerships with other colleges and universities and businesses, we need to actively seek opportunities for collaboration.

It is not the best use of our time to look back at how things used to be, but rather to look ahead at the possibilities that will reveal themselves as we apply our collective experience, wisdom and skills to these challenges. I am confident we are up to the tasks for the work we have ahead.

In his inaugural address last week, President Obama called for “action, bold and swift … to lay a new foundation for growth.” While he was obviously referring to our nation’s response to the economic crisis, the call for a new foundation for growth, applies perfectly to our situation at BGSU.
 
The economy will turn around. What is most important for the university and for our state and region is that we plan for, and invest for the recovery – and that we contribute energetically during the recovery by grabbing hold of opportunities that help us position ourselves for future success.

The good news is that we have begun this process through a number of major initiatives already underway on our campuses.


BUILDING DREAMS -- CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN

As we plan for the possibilities of the future, it is important that we continue to identify new sources of revenue – especially in the area of student financial support. I am pleased to say that the recently completed Building Dreams Campaign was hugely successful.

The original goal of $120 million was far surpassed. More than $146 million dollars was pledged during the campaign.

More than 70,000 individual contributors made gifts and pledges during the campaign. That number alone indicates an unprecedented broad level of support for the University.

The Building Dreams Campaign will provide support for a long list of University programs, services and facilities. More than $46 million was raised for scholarships. This means that 540 new scholarships for students have been established since the beginning of the campaign.

Thank you to everyone who provided leadership and support for this highly successful campaign. The success of the campaign is also a testament to the quality of our academic programs, faculty and staff. The people who contributed made investments in excellence.  They know they have invested wisely.

STRATEGIC PLANNING – CHARTING OUR FUTURE

We have already begun to understand the possibilities of the future as a result of our strategic planning. Early in the fall semester, throughout the month of September, approximately 600 faculty, staff and students participated in the “Charting our Future” dialogues that focused on a review of the university’s Vision, Mission, Values and Goals.  As a result of these discussions and broad-based input from members of the university community, revisions were made and a “working framework” was developed. If you are not already familiar with what was produced, I encourage you to visit the strategic planning website to see the revised Vision, Mission and Core Values, and a list of the six overall goals.

The next step was to develop specific concrete strategies, within the context of the needs of our state and the strengths and resources of the university.   

Six small cross-functional groups were formed, and each group was asked to develop proposed strategies for each goal. I also invited all members of the university community to participate in this process by visiting the strategic planning website and blog and submitting their suggestions. The deadline for submissions is next week.

I am confident we will end up with a rich set of strategies for review and implementation. Each unit of the university will then be asked to determine specific action plans that will contribute to the university-wide implementation and achievement of the goals and strategies.

About 18 months ago the deans, in partnership with the Provost’s office, began developing compacts that are aligned with the university’s mission and Ohio’s Strategic Plan. These comprehensive plans include academic priorities, performance metrics, enrollment targets, and budget planning goals.  They will be linked with the action plans in the strategic planning process.

Our planning discussions revealed a unique opportunity to review and enhance our General Education offerings.

We are building on a strong foundation as we consider a redesign of the General Education program with the goal of integrating the undergraduate experience at BGSU – from orientation to capstone courses.

This must be an intensive and extensive institution-wide conversation, and it is a significant opportunity to build upon some important, innovative and high quality work we do here. It will lead to greater retention and could become a signature program – an identity -- for BGSU.

Even in the early stages of this important work, I can sense the excitement building. I’ve heard about spirited campus conversations about “thinking beyond disciplines” and intellectual debates about the meaning of a liberal education which includes critical thinking, analysis and problem-solving as essential 21^st Century skills.

Let the conversations begin! Change won’t happen overnight, but it is critical to our success.

George Kuh, Chancellor’s Professor of Higher Education at Indiana University, is a national leader in student engagement. He’s identified educational practices that are related to positive results in students. In fact, his recent research shows that these practices are not just “effective,” they are “high impact.” Here’s the list.

First-year seminars
Common intellectual experiences
Learning communities
Writing-intensive courses
Collaborative assignments and projects
Undergraduate research
Diversity/global learning
Co-ops and internships
Capstone courses
Electronic portfolios

Now, I don’t think there is any “secret sauce” in this list. The reason these are effective is that they require time and effort on important work. What I really like about this list is that, while we don’t have these high impact practices completely integrated yet, we are a lot further ahead than most institutions. Learning communities, service learning, co-ops and capstone courses are just a few practices where we are already well on our way. Focusing on these high impact practices will help us solidify our identity and be a national player. Because we have years of experience in experimenting with and implementing these practices we are already on the national stage and in a good position to deepen and broaden these practices throughout our culture.

BGSU has a university-wide commitment to student success, including committed faculty and graduate students who are eager to work with students to enhance their own learning experiences.

Our residential and academic learning communities are national models for students working closely with like-minded peers and outstanding faculty members. The pathways to undergraduate research, study abroad, leadership seminars, volunteering in urban schools and career exploration are clear and accessible to our students. We are already known nationwide for these high impact practices. It is a significant point of pride for us.

Let’s build on these advantages. We have a mission and values that are grounded in contemporary knowledge about human learning. We understand the value of integrating learning experiences, and we value a holistic approach.  We’re not alone.

The nation’s major public research universities have weighed in on the value of undergraduate education—most recently in “Returning to Our Roots: The Student Experience” which acknowledges that many have lost touch with the best in the past and can “invent quite different institutions if we reaffirm three broad ideals and adhere to them tenaciously:…becoming genuine learning communities, becoming student-centered, and emphasizing the importance of a healthy learning environment.”

Over and over I hear from students and their parents about the quality of the learning experience at BGSU. Recently, a parent of one of our students told me that she had one child who attends BGSU and another at an Ivy League school. She commented that the BG student is getting the “Ivy League” experience. I like comments like that--they reinforce the many things we do well at BGSU!

When I arrived on campus last summer I was given a welcome gift by the classified staff. It was a book called 212 - The Extra Degree. The premise is that at 211 degrees water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils – and with boiling water comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive. This uncomplicated metaphor reminds us at BGSU that we are already doing so many things very well, but by constantly pushing to achieve the extra degree we can position ourselves to tap the vast power of possibility.

THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

Our ability to succeed in the future is directly tied to our ability to align our goals with Ohio’s Strategic Plan for Higher Education.

Bowling Green State University is a member of the University System of Ohio and we have been identified as one of the “four corner” universities, along with our sister institutions of Miami University, Ohio University, and Kent State University. The Chancellor has called upon each public university in Ohio to identify its distinctive mission, academic strengths, and specific measures by which we will contribute to the system and to identify areas that could become Centers of Excellence. Our approach to an integrated undergraduate experience has the potential to define our identity and so do our Centers of Excellence which are at various stages in our internal approval process at this point in time.

The Center for the Arts has been approved by the Board of Trustees. This Center of Excellence is based on an impressive record of creative and collaborative accomplishments and the promise of making a significant contribution to BGSU in the future. Regardless of major, the arts are an important part of a liberal education. Learning outcomes are closely coupled with high impact practices and have an important public dimension.

Also reviewed by the Board is a Center on Health and Wellness across the Lifespan. Mounting evidence shows that prevention and health promotion programs save money and improve lives. This Center of Excellence will provide students with educational opportunities to work with health professionals and health organizations in the community through internships, service learning, problem-solving, and applied research.

Educator Preparation will be presented to the Board in February. Bowling Green State University has distinguished itself nationally for its preparation of highly qualified educators. We graduate more education professionals, from the greatest variety of educator preparation disciplines, than any other university in Ohio – contributing significantly to Ohio’s workforce and students.

The proposed Center of Excellence in High Performing Organizations would serve as a driver of both the state and regional economy by developing talent and fostering innovation. Nationally ranked programs in industrial psychology, supply chain management and organizational development form the core of the Center. It will leverage existing academic strengths across disciplines and colleges at BGSU, while focusing on research, community engagement and education.

Several other centers are under consideration and may be proposed later.

From these descriptions, you can see that the Centers of Excellence are rigorous, robust cross-unit collaborations around themes that are very important in society – now and in the future. All approved proposals for Centers of Excellence will eventually be submitted to the Chancellor as part of a statewide review.

In addition, a new funding formula for higher education will be implemented beginning with the next budget biennium that begins on July 1st, 2009. While the current funding formula is based on student enrollment, the new formula goes beyond enrollment and includes outcome-based measures; such as course completion, retention, and graduation rates.

I touched on this topic on Opening Day, but I want to emphasize again the importance of becoming familiar with our strategic plan, as well as the goals and metrics of the statewide plan. As you recall, the statewide plan includes four key goals and 20 measurements of success.
As we move down this path I think you will be impressed – as I was – to learn that these are activities that we already do very well.

This morning I want to share with you several examples of how BGSU is contributing to the state’s goals and measurements of success, and as we develop our new strategic plan, it will be important to develop strategies and action plans that are true to our mission while also enhancing our contribution in these areas.

The first goal identified in the statewide strategic plan is “Access,” with five measures of success identified under this goal. I am pleased to report that BGSU already does an outstanding job of enrolling students over age 25, which is one of the measures of success, and we also award degrees to a significant number of first generation college students. In addition, our track record over the last five years in relation to awarding degrees to under-represented students is also very strong.

To increase enrollment of adult students, Continuing and Extended Education has launched the “Finish what you started” campaign which invites adults to contact Adult Learner Services to find what credits they need to complete their unfinished degree.

In relation to the second goal of the statewide plan, which is “Quality,” one measurement of success is identified as “Improvement in actual graduation rate over expected graduation rate.” This is an area where BGSU performs very well. In fact, BGSU was cited in this year’s U.S. News and World Report as over-performing in terms of actual versus expected graduation rate by nine percent. BGSU’s graduation performance rate exceeds the expected graduation rate based on the demographics of the students we serve. We are one of only 24 national universities – both public and private – that received this recognition.  Furthermore, we are recognized for this value-added achievement year after year.

A perfect example of a significant contribution by BGSU relates to the goal of “Economic Leadership.” BGSU is a partner in the work of a state, city, county, and multi-university collaborative, the "Cleveland to Toledo Energy Corridor." The focus of this partnership will be to link resources all along the Erie Shores to produce a powerful corridor for energy research and development as well as production and coordination along I-80/90.

It’s looking more and more like Alternative Energy will play a role in rebuilding the Northwest Ohio economy. In the Governor’s State of the State speech this week he pointed out that Northwest Ohio has become an international center for solar research and production. More than 6,000 people are already working in the solar industry here. Bowling Green State University is actively participating in this emerging technology. Drs. Felix Castellano and Pavel Anzenbacher at our Center for Photochemical Sciences are researching the next generation of photovoltaic materials which convert sunlight to energy. Their research is in collaboration with the University of Toledo.

The statewide strategic plan also calls for additional STEM graduates, in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.  At BGSU, we are keenly aware that future scientific discoveries depend on a strong pipeline of students in STEM fields, and our faculty were recently awarded a $2.2 million grant by NSF, in partnership with Owens Community College, to recruit and graduate several hundred students in STEM fields over the next five years. In addition, we received $3 million in grant funding from Choose Ohio First Scholarship program to collaborate with area community colleges and over 100 business and industry partners to recruit and retain 300 talented Ohio students in STEM fields over the next five years. These major awards and significant partnerships are already making a significant contribution to the pipeline of graduates for the state and region.

There are many other examples where Bowling Green contributes to the state’s strategic plan and to the implementation of high impact practices that will help drive our success in the future. I would like to take a few minutes to mention just a few.

These examples describe how we are implementing high impact practices that ensure a fully integrated experience for students with real world partnerships and the guidance of an engaged faculty.

BGSU’s educator preparation programs in the College of Education and Human Development were nationally reviewed in the fall by the Board of Examiners of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. The preliminary report is that we have received national recognition status, which is the highest evaluation rating.

Dr. Jacquelyn Cuneen, in the School of Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies, is known as an educator who believes real-life experiences provide valuable lessons. Community projects and undergraduate research are key elements of her classes. This semester two of her classes are preparing marketing plans for Toledo’s new minor league hockey team – the Walleye – and new arena league football team – the Bullfrogs.  By the way, Dr. Cuneen is the only person in the nation to receive all three top awards from the North American Society for Sport Management.

Rodney Gabel's residential intensive stuttering clinic is part of a comprehensive program serving clients with severe stuttering, as well as a high impact service learning opportunity for our master's students. There is also a research component for doctoral students. The program provides speech-language pathologists who have specialized expertise in stuttering.

Each year, BGSU has approximately 1,400 students who are engaged in co-ops and internships throughout our region, state and nation – again this is a key high impact practice that serves as a national model.  Our students are engaged in co-ops and internships in multiple sectors, including business and industry, and non-profit organizations.

During fiscal year 2007, 715 students earned three and-a-half million dollars in wages while completing their industrial-based learning experiences. Nationally, the research shows that more than 60 percent of all co-op students are offered jobs by their employers. I smiled when I learned from a faculty member who checked with every new graduate of our College of Technology as he or she came off the stage at Commencement and thanks to their internships and co-op experiences – 90- percent already had jobs!

Our Cooperative Education and Internship Task Force Core Committee, is focused on finding even more opportunities to align us with the state’s plan to stimulate economic development in Ohio through the creation of additional co-ops and internships. This committee is a superb example of tight coupling between Academic and Student Affairs and highlights the importance of integrating classroom learning and practical experience.

The Faculty Senate recently approved a Department of Architecture and Environmental Design Studies and we have started the process of gaining approval for a master’s degree program in architecture. This will have significant impact on students because they will have the opportunity to graduate with professional licensure.

The educational and professional leadership modeled by faculty in the College of Musical Arts has long produced stellar results, both in students recruited and their achievements. A proud moment came this year when Katherine Kilbourne, a doctoral student of Dr. Emily Freeman Brown’s, won the Thelma Robinson Scholarship Award in conducting. Back in 2006, Octavio Mas-Arocas, also a BGSU doctoral student at the time, won the award. It gets better; Katherine, or Kiki as she’s called and Octavio were married last month!

InTune Magazine, a prominent national publication for music students recently recognized our annual New Music Festival and our programs in World Music that complement traditional programs in music education, performance, and composition.  This is important because global perspectives are high impact initiatives.

While we are on the topic of positive national exposure, I would like to take a moment here to congratulate one of our students who was in the world spotlight last weekend. Alissa Czisny won the women's title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

She’s a strong academic performer as well as a national competitor.

We are so happy for her, and I know you will all join me in wishing her well as she aspires to compete at the Olympics in Vancouver next year.

The Community College of the Air Force – Advanced Technology Education initiative allows qualified service members to enroll in a specially designed BGSU online baccalaureate-completion program. The program will provide military personnel stationed around the world with a pathway to earn a BG degree – completely online.

The growth in online learning is impressive.

Last year, 417 courses were offered online, with 6,594 enrollments. In the 2008-09 academic year there will be 508 online courses and 8,425 enrollments.

BGSU Firelands has initiated an academic partnership with the Firelands Regional Medical Center's School of Nursing. After 3 years, students graduate with a diploma from the Medical Center and associate’s degree from BGSU. The program is designed so that students can seamlessly continue their education towards the B.S.N. collaboratively offered by BGSU and UT.

This summer will find BGSU master’s degree student Sarah Opfer, in Washington D.C working with federal agencies on environmental regulations and policy. Sarah is a biological science major who has grown up around the great lakes and has spent quite a few long days out in the field collecting water quality samples, so her expertise will be put to good use during this unique educational experience.

John Balistreri’s three-dimensional rapid prototyping work is a process by which virtual designs rendered with computer assisted design are transformed into actual objects. John’s work, integrating art with technology, has resulted in a patent, and lots of positive press for BGSU and our School of Art. It’s also a splendid example of faculty engagement with curious students.

Money management seems to be a topic on everyone’s mind lately. It is interesting to note that the use of BG’s Student Money Management Services by students, faculty, and staff increases monthly, as do participant numbers in SMMS-sponsored programs. The service is also reaching out to public schools by providing assistance with the implementation of the statewide curriculum mandate to make financial education a required component of the high school curriculum by 2010. 

As you recall, diversity has been identified as a high impact practice. In mid-November, the Campus Diversity ad hoc Work Group was convened to evaluate and organize campus-wide diversity initiatives.  Specifically, the 30 faculty, staff, and students who comprise the group are charged with recommending a more formal approach/structure for University diversity education and programming.  

The Student Chapter of the American Marketing Association was listed as a Top 16 Chapter in the world.  Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting honorary was once again ranked as a “superior” chapter. It is the only chapter in the Midwest to receive this distinction 34 out of the last 35 years. It’s been proven that involvement in student organizations linked to academic programs contributes greatly to student retention.  We should note that faculty mentoring is essential for success in student organizations.

An example of the high impact practice of providing opportunities for Global Learning also comes from the College of Business. This term we have nine BGSU business students spending spring semester in Hong Kong on a new exchange program.

And borrowing on the concept of “speed dating,” all junior business students now participate in a “speed interview” day. This event brought nearly 20 business representatives to BGSU to coach our students on effective interviewing techniques. 

The University Libraries staff members don’t have time to bury their noses in books. Each year staff members take the library’s Bringing Books to Life Program to Northwest Ohio elementary schools, where schoolchildren in rural and inner city schools have the opportunity to read an award-winning book, discuss the book, work on language-arts skills and write a book review on a blog. All of their activities are integrated with the curriculum. Recently one of the student’s blogs even received a comment from the book’s author.

I could go on, but I think that gives you a good idea of the strong foundation we are building upon.

OUR ROLE

I am proud that Bowling Green has a long tradition of being a good academic partner in the community.

Just think about the pressing needs of northwest Ohio, and the world for that matter – sustainable clean energy, health and wellness across the lifespan, preventive medicine, education, transportation, law enforcement and public safety – to name just a few. And then think about the knowledge, creativity and innovation that could be brought to bear to respond to these needs by our area’s public universities and community colleges – combining their complementary strengths and the unique identities of each, working together toward common goals for our region. 

I am strongly encouraging more formal partnerships between our region’s public institutions, for the public benefit.

The approach that I am advocating would provide a framework for strong universities and community colleges to work together to benefit themselves and the communities they serve.

Together we contribute more than any of us can do alone.

There are plenty of opportunities for higher education in Ohio to serve the needs of the region and of the state.

It is my firm conviction that a university, public or private, is here by public trust, and for the public good.

And though “mission” may vary from campus to campus, as well as from era to era, all efforts proceed from a shared understanding of the history, role and value of higher education in the United States.

We exist because citizens of Ohio trust us with their tax dollars; because students and parents trust us with their hard-earned tuition dollars; because foundations and corporate donors trust us with grants and subsidies; because individuals trust us with philanthropy in their lifetimes, and bequests in their wills; and we exist because the people of Bowling Green and at our regional campus in the Firelands area, trust us to be good neighbors and good citizens.

And we are accountable to everyone I just mentioned.

CONCLUSION

Earlier, I said we need to plan for the economic recovery as we also acknowledge the current environment. As I thought about my message, I decided that today was not the day to dwell excessively on practical realities – as significant as they are. I assure you that we have important goals for this semester:  balance the budget, focus on enrollment, complete the strategic plan and fill leadership positions.  But in the end, today is an opportunity for a clarion call to be engaged in the future – to imagine Bowling Green after the economic recovery. As we inch even closer to the exciting celebration of the 100^th anniversary of BGSU, it is more important than ever for us all to “think forward,” and I invite you to get engaged.

I would like to share one more quote from Benjamin Zander’s book.  It is from the chapter titled, “Giving Way to Passion.”

“Giving way to passion has two steps:

The first step is to notice where you are holding back, and then let go.

The second step is to participate wholly. Allow yourself to be a channel to shape the stream of passion into a new expression.”

In other words, raise the temperature just one more degree to harness the powerful steam that is produced.

In October 1991, as part of my first inaugural address, I shared with the audience that I had been raised in a family with a “can-do” attitude. I told them that my pockets were filled with coins of optimism. I’m happy to tell you that no matter how many coins I have spent since then, the supply has been constantly replenished. It seems the more optimism you use, the more you have for another time. And so it is with power – the more you share, the more you have to make positive change. Today I pledge to share the power of engaging in change leadership – the power of thinking forward – together we will work toward the promise of possibility. I know you are ready to reach out and accept the invitation.

I’ve seen the pride and optimism on your faces. Let’s explore the possibilities that enable every Falcon to soar to even greater heights!

Thank you.