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Keynote speaker: “You are ready!”

by | May 14, 2011 | Headlines

Perry Rettig, Associate Vice Chancellor of Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs, gave the commencement address at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh afternoon commencement ceremony May 14.

Here is a transcript of his speech:

“Graduates of the class of 2011, I congratulate you on your accomplishments to get where you are, today.

“Over the next 5 minutes, I will extend to you words of challenge. When Chancellor Wells arrived here on campus, he reminded us of the importance of academic freedom—the freedom to make intelligent inquiry and expression. But, he also reminded us of the other side of this two-sided coin—academic responsibility. As you have heard, freedom isn’t free. Professors have a great deal of academic freedom, but they also have a great deal of academic responsibility. This responsibility requires ethical conduct and scrupulous focus on detail. It demands an unparalleled integrity and professionalism.

“So, too, do you enjoy a duality of privilege and purpose. Because of your dedication to your studies and your intellectual pursuits, you have earned your associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees. This honor is truly well-respected and deserved. Now, for the other side of that coin. You have toiled countless hours and made numerous sacrifices to get to this point. And, you have not been alone. As you look into the stands and off into faraway places, you see relatives and friends who have also made sacrifices, both in terms of finances and support. You see before you faculty and staff who have toiled by your side every day holding you to high standards of learning and performance. So, you have not been alone. But, you already knew that. The implicit agreement holds that with the honor of the degree you have earned comes associated responsibility. This responsibility is yours and comes with high expectations.

When I went off to college, my dad told me, ‘Son, work hard and play hard.’ I took him up on that advice. And, I have anecdotal evidence that you have, too! You’ve worked hard; you’ve played hard. Today is a day to celebrate. Tomorrow you will flip over the coin. Some of you have already done that with phenomenal experiences through internships, capstones and clinicals. But it’s clearly time now to pay for those freedoms for which you have worked so hard. The stakes are far too high, the work for too important for you to rest. With a thorough grounding in your liberal arts degrees, we are counting on you to lead our communities, our services, our workplaces. Those implicit agreements are becoming explicit. We need you to lead with integrity, with the values you’ve been taught by your families, with the skills and talents honed by your professors. Yes, we live in times of scarcity, fear and unbelievable demands. But with these challenges come the opportunities.

“What are the expectations of today’s citizens and employers? They’re the skills, frames of thinking and talents that your families and your professors have taught you. For example, from my mom I learned the importance of a strong work ethic, perfectionism and integrity. I know you have learned similar lessons from your parents. From your professors, you’ve learned intellectual honesty, perseverance, appreciation for the aesthetic, and the various knowledge, skills and dispositions associated with your content areas.

“I fondly recall of an incident when I was an elementary school principal. Third-grader, Dustin, came into my office holding a cupcake in his grubby little hands. He told me he made the cupcakes to celebrate his birthday. He wanted me to eat it right away. I told him that I would eat it later! I quickly changed the focus of our chat and asked him how old he was. To which he replied, ‘I’m 9, but since I flunked first grade I should be 10.’ Poor Dustin, he is 26 today, but he thinks he should be 27. He is not in the audience, today. You are. You are our brightest and most talented people.

“A few weeks ago, our campus was honored with a visit from Reverend Jesse Jackson. In his speech, he challenged you and all of us. He described the legacy given to us by those who struggled for equality, human rights and decency. We must honor their awesome struggles, our legacy, by our civic responsibility—not tomorrow, but today.

“I often hear students and workers say, ‘But I don’t have any power.’  That, of course, is untrue. You might not have authority, but you have power. Reverend Jackson reminded us of the power we have when we come together. But, you have other power, as well. You have the power of your values, your convictions and of your education. You can convince and move those who hold authority to make change. You do have power. You have that power, not tomorrow, but today.

“We have inherited the legacy of democracy. We must take responsibility for that inheritance. There are some concrete, yet essential democratic lessons we can use, not tomorrow, but today. We have learned liberty is essential in a democracy. This means that we have personal freedom and responsibility; we need a free flow of information and of ideas, and we need open debate.

“Democracy is based on the common good—or, the greater benefit for all while protecting the rights of the minority. We have learned, too, of the need for human equality. We must ask ourselves how this manifests itself in the workplace. In order for democracy to flourish, we need diversity—diversity in both people and ideas. And, finally, we know that democracy requires transparency and honesty. Those are democratic principles that you can take to work, today.

“The faculty, staff and administration at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh have today certified you as ready to be those democratic leaders we need. We’re not asking you if you are ready. You are ready!

“Your careers and communities are calling for you to continue the legacies you have been given. As liberally educated citizens, you will carry forth these democratic legacies in the nation’s classrooms, studios, laboratories, hospital wings, businesses  and communities, not tomorrow—today.

“I would like to finish with a quote from Martin Luther as he stood up to the authority of the church: May his words inspire each of us to our call for action—today.

As he said: ‘Here I stand; I can do no other.'”

Read more about spring 2011 commencement: