2017 State of the University Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., President February 16, 2017 Good afternoon. It is always good to gather in convocation as a university community. This is my final convocation with you. As you know, after six years as president of The University of Scranton, I will be stepping down at the end of this academic year. This past August I informed the Board of Trustees of my decision to resign as Scranton’s 25th president, discerning that both for the University and for me the time was right for a change. What I said in August remains true for me today: “In making this decision, I am filled with gratitude to the Scranton community—trustees, faculty, administrators, staff, parents, friends, alumni and students—for all that we have accomplished to advance our mission as a Jesuit and Catholic institution of higher education in the 21st century.” When I arrived on campus in 2011, I invited everyone to consider a plain-­‐spoken question: “What does it mean to say that Scranton is a 21st century Jesuit university in North America?” And I intended my answer then to inspire a common work: “The University of Scranton—a Jesuit University—can and should excel in providing its students an education that is engaged, integrated and global.” It happened, and we can all be proud of what we have achieved. Most notably, through campus-­‐wide collaboration and engagement, we developed The University of Scranton Plan: An Engaged, Integrated, Global Student Experience. Make no mistake: our strategic plan is already yielding superior results. I still have important work to accomplish here, but as I prepare to leave Scranton, my sadness in departing is eased by my sure and certain hope that our University community will continue to flourish. Thank you all for joining me on this amazing journey as we have moved our beloved University forward, and for your support and friendship. But now to the business at hand: what should I declare in my final State of the 2 University address? As I noted in my first address given two weeks after President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union address: “The one constant in the annual State of the Union address that we can all remember hearing year in and year out is that famous first line—‘the state of our Union is strong.’ While that has been a debatable point throughout our history . . . President Obama stuck with this traditionally optimistic opening sentiment as he declared the state of the union is ‘getting stronger.’” Most Americans probably wanted to hear our President say that in 2012 even if we didn’t necessarily believe it was true. Fast forward to 2017, and Obama’s optimism is a distant memory. In what one Forbes’s columnist described as an “angry, determined, and take-­‐no-­‐prisoners inaugural address,” President Trump offered a dark vision of America. How can anyone forget the most incendiary rhetoric of the entire speech: “This American carnage stops right here and stops right now?” After three weeks of swift and many times controversial actions, Donald Trump is delivering on the promise of change his supporters sought. As the Forbes columnist continued, however, “The rest of the country may be left wondering what will happen next.”1 This includes, for us, questions of what big changes President Trump could bring to higher education. Regardless of the national scene, I continue to have high hopes for us because the state of our University is strong. But we should not be shortsighted. Commentators on higher education often note the difference between solving problems and achieving goals. At The University of Scranton we are about achieving goals. We are forward-­‐looking. Institutionally, we need regularly to refresh our answers to the following questions: What can we do? What should we do? What can we do better? Two years ago in convocation, I suggested a provisional answer. “Information is not knowledge; knowledge is not education. Rather education is satisfying the hungers or desires of our students that include: integrated knowledge, a global paradigm, civic participation, a moral compass, and adult spirituality. These hungers provide us with an appropriate guidebook for 1
Nick Morgan, “The Astonishing Rhetoric of President Trump's Inaugural Address,” http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorgan/2017/01/20/the-­‐astonishing-­‐rhetoric-­‐of-­‐president-­‐trumps-­‐inaugural-­‐
address/#7ac5dff675b9. 3 mapping a truly transformational education for our students.” As I mentioned earlier, now in its second year, our strategic plan is that “appropriate guidebook.” So we have much to celebrate at The University of Scranton. I need not rehearse for this audience our University’s recent accomplishments: enviable national rankings, a dedicated faculty and staff with much to give both professionally and personally, students who continue to succeed on the national scene and a campus transformed. Now consider a few other reasons for celebration on our campus: •
Our collective response to President Trump’s recent executive order on immigration (halting refugee arrivals into the US for 120 days and barring citizens of Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen from entering the US for 90 days) and our continued concern for undocumented students is to be commended. Allow me to quote from one of our students from Libya: “I’m very thankful for [faculty and staff] concerns and thoughts. It is nice to feel like you are with your family. I appreciate it all.” I offer my thanks to you on behalf of our international and undocumented students. We will continue to grapple with these issues in the coming weeks. •
The University of Scranton remains committed to providing an educational, residential and working environment that is safe, inclusive and free from discrimination and harassment. This includes that no member of our community should be subjected to sex-­‐ or gender-­‐based harassment or misconduct. I call upon all of you to be active participants in building a culture of dignity and respect. Anything less from any of us fails to live up to our mission and calling as men and women for and with others. •
The Middle States Self-­‐Study is very much under way. Our steering committee co-­‐
chairs, Rebecca Beal and Julie Schumacher Cohen, are committed to an open and transparent process. They have met with representative groups, including the Faculty, Staff and Student senates and the academic deans. They have convened a broad and representative group of faculty and staff to comprise our Steering Committee—a hearty thank you to all who have taken on this role, and to those who will participate 4 as members of the working groups studying each of the seven Middle States standards. I encourage and welcome broad campus participation. This process is aimed first and foremost at achieving reaffirmation of our accreditation, but it is also intended to enrich the University through reflection, analysis and self-­‐renewal. Since December the Steering Committee has met regularly to develop a draft of the Self-­‐Study Design, including research questions that connect directly to the University’s mission and goals. I am particularly pleased that they are incorporating Ignatian discernment as an element of the deliberative process. You will soon have an opportunity to see the results of their work, and I encourage you to offer feedback on the draft before it is sent to Middle States in mid-­‐March. We are looking forward to a visit from our Middle States liaison Dr. Ellie Fogarty on March 31st. She will discuss the self-­‐study process with various constituencies throughout the day and at a town hall meeting for the entire campus community. I hope you will join in these conversations. In my opinion, we have nothing to fear, for we have a great story to tell! •
As I wrote previously to the campus community The Jesuit Center will lead the Mission Priority Examen, seeking to engage all members of the University community in the coming months as we embark on the essential task of reaffirming and celebrating our Jesuit and Catholic identity. I encourage your participation. •
Significant initiatives within the division of Enrollment Management and External Affairs include: pending launch of a comprehensive new site to serve our many important graduate programs; new home pages for all three colleges and a refreshed look across our entire website; and additional programs to help our campus community understand and engage our region. In particular, I note the growing participation and national visibility for the University of Scranton SBDC Small Business Internship Initiative. Finally, upcoming activities both on campus and off will give us all a chance to assist in recruiting our incoming undergraduate class. Royal Days, regional 5 yield receptions, Preview Day, and a broad outreach to accepted students by faculty, staff, alumni and trustees are important ways for us all to tell the Scranton story and encourage the newest group of Royals to join our community. Thank you all for your help. •
In collaboration with the Kania School of Management, Residence Life will add a new Residential Learning Community for the upcoming 2017-­‐18 academic year entitled: Scranton Innovative Thought and Entrepreneurship or (SITE). This will increase our first year living learning communities to six and will now include up to 300 members of the incoming class. Our strategic plan is working! •
Our athletic teams continue to earn accolades both in and out of the classroom. While success on the field is a good reward for hard work, I’m most proud to report that The Royal Way culture project in its second year has made an important impact on the lives of our students. Just last week, the department hosted an Ignatian Examen for 400 student-­‐athletes and athletics staff. We should all be proud that our student-­‐athletes and coaches are approaching athletics in a unique and powerful way that puts our mission as a Catholic and Jesuit university at the center. •
This semester we will begin the first phase of the Staff Compensation program. This is an important project that has been ongoing in Human Resources, and your divisional leaders will share how this program will be implemented in your respective divisions. •
The important work of the Comprehensive Resource Review continues and to date has made positive contributions to our financial sustainability of over $5 million. •
Finally, Father Phil Judge, chair of the Presidential Search Committee, continues to update the campus community on progress in choosing our 26th president. Information is also available through the website: scranton.edu/presidentialsearch. So, there is much to celebrate at The University of Scranton. Yet I urge us to reject the comfort of staying in neutral and to advance together boldly. 6 Before we adjourn to eat, I want to congratulate our Sursum Corda recipients—Frani, Pauline, Todd and Betty—and to welcome the newest members of our community. To our award recipients, simply a most sincere thank you for a job well-­‐done, especially in “lifting up our hearts” with your contributions to the Jesuit mission of our University. To those just arriving on campus, this is a great place to work! Also, let me celebrate those who made this event possible: Peggy Burke and the Provost’s Office staff for organizing everything; Patti Tetreault and her HR colleagues for their work with the Sursum Corda Awards; members of the physical plant who continue to amaze; and our catering folks who always feed us so well. Thank you faculty and staff for all you say and do to make our University great. God bless you and God bless The University of Scranton!