Installation Address

Unabridged Text

Richard H. Wells, Chancellor University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Delivered: 4:00 p.m., Friday, September 21, 2001

Kolf Field House, UW-Oshkosh Campus

Welcome

Welcome to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. For more than 130 years, people have joined this academic community alongside the Fox River to celebrate learning.

It is my pleasure to extend greetings to all our visitors, friends and guests.

Greetings to our alumni. We are proud of your accomplishments…we are strengthened by your support.

Special greetings to the students. We will never lose sight of the fact that we are here for you.

We thank our retired faculty and staff. Our University's quality reflects your effort.

To Chancellors Emeritus Edward Penson and John Kerrigan: Thank you for your decades of outstanding service and for the excellent advice, counsel and support you have provided.

To my mentor and colleague, Dr. John Moore: I thank you for working with me and allowing me to learn from you. You are a true friend.

To current employees - faculty, academic staff, classified staff, and administrative colleagues: Thank you for the contributions you make to our University.

We greet guests from our extended community, starting in Oshkosh and extending out to the world.

We are joined today by representatives, visitors, and guests from other colleges and universities. Thank you for being here … we value the strong ties that link our efforts to yours.

Greetings to President Katharine Lyall, a true leader. Having worked with her, I see why she is so widely praised.

Welcome to Regent Tommy Jones, Jr., and to Regent Vice President Gerard Randall. We thank the Board of Regents for the service they provide to our University and state.

To the public officials, including our legislators … special thanks for the interest you have in our University and in fulfilling our state's commitment to educational excellence.

To my family and personal friends…Christie and I thank you for being here on a very special day.

Let me now introduce my most immediate family:

My father, my brother Jeff.

Our daughter Justine, a graduate student in the Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Our son Christopher could not join with us, as he is helping Oshkosh North High School football team defend their title as Wisconsin's Division I Football Champions.

And, I am most thankful to my artist wife, Christie … a woman whose intelligence, graceful style and elegance occasionally rubs off on me.

* * * * *

Today's address is titled Governing Ideas for the University on the Fox. Giving this speech as the University's Chancellor is a special privilege and responsibility.

To those assembled here today, please understand that much of the context of this address reflects a strong emerging consensus provided to me over this past year by the University's external and internal constituencies. This is, therefore, our address as a University community.

In light of the horrific tragedies and enormous challenges facing us today, music will serve as the introduction … sounds rather than words.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Professor Robert McWilliams, conductor, will perform a work entitled Elegy by John Barnes Chance. This piece is based on an unpublished work entitled, Blessed are they that Mourn.

An elegy is a reflective, pensive poem or song … a lament in praise or remembrance. Join me in silence and reflection as the Wind Ensemble presents this work. Once the music ends, silence continues to honor all that makes us great as a nation. Please stand.

Musical Interlude - Elegy

Thank you Professor McWilliams and the Wind Ensemble. Please be seated.

Our world has been altered in real, irreversible, and fundamental ways. What we once viewed as normal no longer exists. We are now challenged to find what our renowned Professor Edward Linenthal has called, the new normal.

In many ways, our nation faces a condition of anomie, defined by the French Sociologist Emile Durkheim as a state of social and psychological confusion and insecurity. We are, in some respects, without a clear sense of direction.

We must find our way, but without many of the familiar bearings that have guided past journeys.

Without a roadmap, without directions or a compass, we are now faced with the challenge to create, once again, paths to the new normalcy.

Make no mistake; this will be a difficult and painstaking journey … but, one we are prepared to take.

In these troubled times all of our social institutions have an enhanced role to play. Our nation's educational institutions, must take center stage. Our University must assert, assume, and advance its correct and proper role:

We will serve as beacons of wisdom and understanding.

We will illuminate the darkened paths on our journey toward the new normal.

Universities like UW-Oshkosh with noble Normal School roots have an established legacy. Our tradition is one of fulfilling very challenging and unmet social needs.

We may have been shaken, but our sense of who we are has been sharpened.

We are ready to serve.

What is the ideal role for a 21st Century University? Is there one? Can we reach agreement on what defines that role…or what defines a university, for that matter?

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh can be viewed as a place. It can also be viewed as an ideal. What is the ideal that is this University?

The 21st Century University is more than an idea … it represents an ideal. Most traditional approaches to the University's role in society speak of the three-part mission: teaching, research, and service. This tripartite mission is a good way to talk about - and to think about the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Teaching. For 130 years, our University has emphasized teaching excellence. From our founding as the state's third Normal School, this University has always stressed the importance of teaching as the central focus of our role to serve the people of northeastern Wisconsin. This must remain our central focus. Part of the new normal for us clearly relates back to our origin.

Research. The commitment of the University's faculty to being active in their chosen profession means that in addition to teaching excellence, they have an established record of commitment to the advancement of knowledge. Whether called research or scholarly activity - or artistic performance - this notion of building upon teaching excellence by contributing to the growth of the knowledge or understanding of society is a central defining role of the professorate. Beyond teaching excellence, our faculty contributions and accomplishments advance knowledge, promote understanding, and foster wisdom. This will also continue.

Service. What can we say - what should we say - about service here in Wisconsin? Based on the trend-setting international reputation and stature of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the notion of the Wisconsin Idea is one that embodies the essence that the University is here to serve the people of the state. This notion that the University advances social purposes - that it serves a social good - is a significant part of the pervasive culture and tradition that permeates all of the universities and institutions that are together known as the University of Wisconsin System. This Idea is that the University is here to serve the people. This is part of our tradition. This will also continue.

Here at UW-Oshkosh, we are an academic community that relates to broader concentric circles of community, including:

The community of Oshkosh;

The community of the greater Fox River Valley Region;

The community of 1.2 million people in what I view as northeast Wisconsin;

The community of the State of Wisconsin; and

Indeed, we serve a national and an international community, as well.

This broad sense of community must be part of the new normalcy.

To be true to history, we should see that there was something very unique and extraordinary associated with the formation of our University.

Normal Schools were created in service of public education … service in support of democracy. Our Normal School roots are nothing short of revolutionary…

They changed the face of public education…and higher education…helping to bring about equality of opportunity for members of excluded groups.

We represent a transformational force that helped to shape our democracy…this is our legacy. This also will be continued.

Over time, our University evolved and grew. We established new traditions and developed new educational programs…in the liberal arts and sciences… and in nursing and business administration.

In my view, commitment to the idea and to the ideal of service is what best describes the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

The Oshkosh Ideal is about our commitment to work as partners developing and realizing human potential…a commitment transcending time.

Service in support of achievement …that is the Oshkosh Ideal …and that is what will endure long after our time here has passed.

So what are we to make of the ideal that is the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh? Are we satisfied with viewing our University in terms of the three inter-related traditional notions of teaching, research and service?

As we search for the essence of our University - I propose that we be guided by the ideas that establish, define, and describe our University.

These ideas capture the ideal.

These ideas capture the essence of this University.

These ideas are the governing ideas that describe who we are, and where we might be headed.

So what are the governing ideas for the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh? Let us be guided by governing ideas that establish, define, and describe our University. What governing ideas should be part of our future?

Governing ideas should be broadly held by all segments of the University community…guiding who we are, where we are going, and how we are going to get there.

These ideas should be an inter-connected articulation of our mission…our core values…and our vision for the future.

Let us now envision our contemporary mission as a 21st Century University?

The governing ideas can be viewed as an inter-connected set of concepts that describe our University's mission - our core values - and our vision for the future. These governing ideas thus outline and describe our University's strategic direction for achieving that intended destination. These governing ideas must include our University's strategic and prioritized initiatives for moving in those directions of intended travel.

Governing ideas are more than descriptive. They outline and capture a view that is broadly held by all segments of the University community. Governing ideas are the ideas that govern who we are, and where we are going, and how we are going to get there.

So what is our mission as a University?

Our mission is tightly linked in partnership with others in the University of Wisconsin System. The existing mission is stated at three levels and in three broad and lengthy parts.

But, what is the essence of the mission of this University?

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh is a responsive and progressive public service university offering a full range of baccalaureate and selected master degree programs as well as other vital services to the more than one million citizens that live in Northeastern Wisconsin. The University embraces as its mission enriching the lives of students and improving the quality of life for the citizens of Wisconsin. This is done by making accessible the existing and new knowledge, expertise and resources found within the University's faculty and staff.

We see that our traditional commitment to teaching excellence stands at the very foundation of our mission.

Teaching excellence supports programs in four undergraduate colleges and in the state's third largest public graduate school.

In addition, the essence of our mission is one of service for the many needs of the 1.2 million citizens living in northeastern Wisconsin.

Simply put, the mission of our University is one of serving, … leading, … and advancing…a mission in harmony with the state's single word motto: Forward!

From this service mission - moving the state forward - what can be said about the core values that describe and define the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh?

The rich history and proud tradition of our University is about serving, advancing, and stimulating the people and the communities we serve … now viewed as the northeastern quadrant of Wisconsin, with a total base population of roughly one million people.

The core values served by this University are deeply linked with the needs and the interests of the people we serve. Serving people describes and defines who we are as a university. More specifically, whom do we serve?

First and foremost, we serve our current students…providing them with affordable access to high quality educational opportunity.

This service to students - this creation of alumni - is the important work we do. We are very proud of what we help to develop. We are equally proud of how we help develop students. We are proud of the dedicated efforts of our faculty and staff.

While serving student needs, we also advance the interests found in communities and organizations within our state. In more ways than can be counted, we help individual citizens achieve goals and make never ending contributions to our society.

So what are the core values that describe - that govern - our actions as a University? We see six.

1. Quality. First, as stated earlier, we are a community that serves students and that values providing access to high quality…and affordable educational opportunity.

2. Community and Relationships. Second, within our University's history and tradition, we value being a very diverse, inclusive and caring community of learners. We see our academic community as part of the broader community we are expected to serve, shape and stimulate.

What other core values make us a unique and distinctive type of community essential to a strong democratic society?

What other core values would be descriptive of the characteristics of our community - or a community that values excellence? We see three more core values:

3. Freedom and Responsibility. A third core value is the commitment we share regarding freedom and responsibility.

We celebrate the history of academic freedom.

We see this both in terms of the artistic and intellectual freedoms it includes and also in the freedom of our students to learn in an environment that celebrates and values diversity of backgrounds, thoughts, ideas, and expression.

Given such vital freedoms, we must value the associated responsibilities of reasoned inquiry, intellectual honestly and scholarly competence.

4. Service. A fourth core value is one already touched on earlier: being progressive and responsive to social needs. Through such service, we value partnerships and relationships that bring us together … partnerships that join the thoughts, ideas, and ambitions of faculty, staff, students, and other citizens…partnerships that seek real solutions to the many difficult challenges confronting our region, state, nation and global community.

By placing such value on this expanded notion of service, we are helping to find our way to the new normal.

5. Continuous Learning. The fifth core value we hold as a University is the commitment to continuous learning and holistic personal development in the pursuit of knowledge, meaning and understanding.

The five preceding central commitments govern what we do and why we do it. These commitments are further augmented by a sixth core value that characterizes how we do the things we do.

6. Civility. Our sixth core value is the demonstration of civility in our thoughts, deeds, and actions. We are a community that respects, and celebrates the aspirations and the achievements of the individual. But we also value working together to accomplish important and often difficult goals.

Therefore, we are deeply committed to respectful and fair treatment…and to broad and expansive commitments to diversity in every possible sense. Clearly, civility must be a core value that guides our journey to the new normal.

As we have now outlined the general shape of our University's mission and the core values we hold as a community, what is the vision we have for the future of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh?

Given our history and traditions - given our origin and given our tremendous growth - the vision for the future of this University is to be found in how these past accomplishments help define our future role. What vision could serve as one of the major governing ideas that will help define our future?

The vision for this University is one of being recognized for the excellence we have … of being recognized for the unique role we have … of being known for the qualities and the characteristics that are the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Consider then … the following statement of vision for our University:

"The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will be recognized as setting a national standard for being a responsive and progressive public service university … for being a university that serves public needs."

This vision sets a national standard for a new type of a university. This vision speaks of the new normal in a context familiar to us. This vision also suggests a transformed, broadened, and invigorated new role for the University: namely, that we should capitalize on our established strengths and traits as a university that serves, shapes, and stimulates the region that is northeastern Wisconsin.

The vision for the future of this University states that we will be widely known and admired for having the core values described in the preceding section and for a series of other characteristics that are widely seen and broadly understood.

What other characteristics will the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh be known and admired for? We see that we will be widely known and admired for having the core values just described as well as the following three traits that flow from the vision statement.

1. Student Enrichment. We will achieve distinction for our unwavering commitment to the well-rounded and holistic development of our students.

This will be done through high quality academic programs, through exemplary personalized student development services, through dynamic teaching and through extensive student involvement in the exciting research, creative, artistic and professional practice agenda of our faculty.

The overall value we provide to our students will be an indicator of our effectiveness.

Student enrichment will be the central defining characteristic for our University.

2. Outreach and Partnership. We will be known and admired for the quality of the accomplishments we make in partnership with others.

From students, to the faculty and staff, our University will have programs, initiatives and services that reach out and touch people of all ages from all segments of the northeast Wisconsin region.

These caring partnerships will foster highly supportive and mutually beneficial relationships inside our academic community and between our University and the citizens we serve.

This commitment to sustainable and effective partnerships will transcend the limitations of geography to reach outside of northeast Wisconsin to impact a global community.

We will be highly respected for being a regionally focused and globally connected university.

3. Service. The University will be broadly known for the nature and the quality of the services it provides.

Our academic community will help to address social problems and meet social needs.

As a responsive and progressive public service university, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will be referred to by others as being a national model for the highest standards of service.

The vision for the future of UW-Oshkosh is one that aspires to set a new national standard. By being identified as a responsive and a progressive public service university - by being known and admired for student enrichment, partnerships and service - this University will be nationally recognized as being a university that serves public needs. Through this, our University will be known for providing service in support of achievement. This is the vision for the future of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Now that we have set forth a new expression of our University's mission - now that we have identified our core values, and the vision for our future - and what that vision means - we are ready to ask what these governing ideas mean for our University?

To this point, we have envisioned UW-Oshkosh in the 21st Century as a mature university with 130 years of service to the region. We have envisioned our mission as being broadened by the weight of that history - and by the common traits that have underscored our unwavering commitment over the years.

In this attempt to state - or restate - the governing ideas of the University, we have harkened back to our ideals - to those things that have remained true. This is part of the new normal that is our role and destiny. We are known for:

Our commitment to students.

Our commitment to freedom and responsibility - to truth, knowledge, understanding, to artistic expression.

Our sense of community that comes from holding these characteristics in common.

Our sense of community - in that we relate to and serve those beyond the borders of the campus.

Our sense of service.

Our commitment to caring partnerships.

Our commitment to fulfilling this mission and vision as being a nationally recognized leader for the qualities we have in such strong abundance. This is the notion of UW-Oshkosh as a responsive and progressive public service university.

The articulation of our mission, values and vision leads us to the strategic directions or goals awaiting exploration. When we talk about strategic directions, we need to remember that we are committed to a strategic and operational planning process that is very open and inclusive and that is not yet completed.

From this vantage point, we can identify a series of major overarching strategic directions that point in the directions that this University must head if we are to make progress in fulfilling our mission and vision statements. I see four major overarching strategic directions that could guide and light the way to the future for our University community.

1. Quality. We will set out to enhance our educational quality and the scholarly environment we provide for teaching and learning excellence.

Our faculty and students will discover new knowledge while also finding new and relevant applications for using that knowledge.

2. Community. We will develop a very diverse, inclusive, warm and caring community of learners. We will actively celebrate our sense of community with the people and the region we serve.

3. Partnerships. We will build upon our established linkages and partnerships with others. In our actions, people will see evidence of the value we add to those we join in service to common purposes.

Through these three simple strategic directions - Quality, Community, and Partnerships - we can see where this University can head - where this University should head. There are other destinations, too, of course, and the rest of the planning process will help us to shape those destinations.

But as we state where we are heading, we also need to mention how we will get there. This brings us to the fourth strategic direction that can be perceived at these early stages of our planning process:

4. Leadership, Governance and Resource Stewardship. We will foster shared decision-making and effective shared governance. We will have broad, open, and inclusive processes.

We will ensure that we develop the ability to respond effectively to new opportunities and challenges as they become clear to us in the future.

This means we will have improved and increasingly agile and flexible approaches to how we govern ourselves and how we perform our work.

We will be good stewards of our precious time and human resource talent…our physical resources…and the public funds that are provided to us.

During these difficult economic times, we will do our very best to maintain, expand and diversify our resources.

More importantly, though, we will align our resources with our priorities.

Most importantly, we will continue to provide the outstanding return on the public resource investment in our university. Make no mistake about it; American higher education continues to provide the best possible return on investment for our society's social, political and economic future.

If we are successful in heading in this direction relating to leadership, governance and stewardship, we will optimize our University's social contributions.

Once we reach consensus on our governing ideas and the strategic directions, we will then develop specific initiatives toward those ends.

Action initiatives will be linked to financial planning including the state biennial budget report and request processes.

They will be developed as specific initiatives…with clearly stated objectives… dedicated resources…. and indicators for progress.

The quality of the strategic planning process in many ways will be measured by the character and the quality of the results that are achieved as a result of these initiatives. As we work through this process this fall and early into the next calendar year, the development and the articulation of the strategic directions and related action initiatives will thus fulfill the promise embodied within the governing ideas that have been discussed today. In these ways, the effectiveness of our strategic planning process will be defined by the results we achieve. We will hold ourselves accountable to the public we shape and serve

These are emerging governing ideas that describe and that define the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. New ideas and reactions continue to surface.

We will work this fall on developing and refining our strategic initiatives and directions.

We are well on our way toward identifying those distinguishing characteristics for a responsive and progressive public service university.

Today I have shared with you the emerging governing ideas for the University on the Fox.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will be a university characterized by service in support of achievement. This is what the future requires and what the public will admire in us.

Thank you all for the great honor of being allowed to serve as the tenth Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.