Convocation Address - September 24, 1998
Page 2 of 4

As I reflect on our history, our future, and the role of higher education in responding to the needs of a changing society, I can envision four intertwined images of Tulane's future. These images are linked together by an uncompromising and unrelenting commitment to quality, impact, focus, and differentiation- always with an eye toward meeting the needs of our society and our nation.

The first image is of a university recognized as one of the most distinguished universities anywhere because it has charted an academic course firmly rooted in its history, location and unique strengths. It is also an institution that represents the best of the modern research university because it anticipates and meets both our national and societal needs at the dawn of the 21st century and beyond.

This image is perhaps the most vital one for higher education and for Tulane's future. Yet, as I say the words, it seems so ambitious as to be unobtainable. The key to this image for us is to identify what we believe are this nation's long-term, shared priorities and to internalize these priorities, as appropriate, into everything we do at Tulane University.

Clark Kerr, former chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley, and an outstanding spokesperson for higher education, stated in a recent issue of Change magazine what he perceived were the nation's shared priorities a generation ago. The first was "...to become the world leader in academic research...." The second was "... to supply the new labor market with people of high skills..." and the third was, "... to create new programs to improve equality of opportunity."

I firmly believe that these priorities are still very germane to this nation and to higher education. However, the context for these priorities is radically different today than a generation ago. If the higher education system in the United States is to maintain its position of world leadership it must rethink and perhaps redefine its approaches to responding to these priorities. I would like Tulane to be a leader in this effort.

Let me reflect for a moment on just two of these priorities: academic research, including graduate education, and the development of human capital. The third priority, equality of opportunity, is such an important one that I would like on another, separate occasion to speak about higher education's role in meeting this challenge. I would also like to mention another priority--not specifically mentioned by Kerr--which relates to a university's role as an engine of change for economic development and community building and renewal. I will address this priority later in my remarks.

After World War II, the United States made a substantial commitment to and investment in academic research, including graduate education, in the sciences and engineering. In hindsight, very few people doubt the wisdom of this investment or the nation's success in responding to this priority. Yet we must now ask ourselves: What other areas of academic research and graduate education are now necessary to maintain this nation's competitive advantage in a world increasingly characterized by the rapid dissemination of information, globalization, the realignment of societal, economic and political power, and a widening gap between the haves and have-nots? We can continue to make a strong argument for increased research and graduate education in some of the sciences and engineering. But what are the emerging areas of academic research and graduate education necessary for success in the next generation, and is or can Tulane be a leader in any of these areas? Can we elevate our collective goals in terms of the quality of our research and graduate programs to ensure that we meet the highest standards of excellence in the academy while satisfying the highest academic research priorities of society? If need be, can we redirect our focus and resources from areas of historical importance or where we are not competitive to new arenas of research and graduate education which better reflect the priorities of our future and where we have a chance to excel? Tulane must remain a vibrant, relevant research university, but it is time for us to closely examine all aspects of our research and graduate education activities to ensure their quality, potential, and fit with the priorities of the nation--now and in the future.

As we think about how we need to educate the next generation of leaders for society, can we rethink and perhaps redefine our traditional models of education? Historically, and certainly a generation ago, the widely accepted model for higher education was built on the concept of a student in a campus classroom being taught by a full-time faculty member on fixed days and in fixed time blocks. The student was granted a degree if he or she successfully completed so many credit hours with a certain grade point average. Once the degree was granted, the students became members of the alumni association and their lifelong relationships to the institution became secondary to their own lives and to the life of the institution. This educational model fit the context of a human capital priority a generation ago. It does not fit today's world, nor does it fit tomorrow's.

Obviously, there have been changes to the model over time, but in my humble view, these changes have been too slow to evolve and are not nearly creative or responsive enough to meet the needs of the next generation of leaders. I have a strong desire for Tulane to be the leader in defining and implementing a new model of education for undergraduate students, as well as graduate and professional students. In particular, I would like to see Tulane become the research university which offers an extraordinary and differentiated undergraduate experience using many, if not all, of its resources as a research institution. If we can do this, we will have accomplished something others have not been able to do.

I believe the revised model should be based on educating the "whole person" for a lifetime, using whatever technologies and approaches are required to effectively facilitate student learning--at any time and in any place. It is a model that focuses on student learning as the outcome of the educational process and on all parts of the educational experience, not just on the courses taken.

Learning theory has dramatically advanced in the last two decades. Let's make sure we use the best of these advances to create an extraordinary educational experience for all of our students.

These are just a few of the challenges we must confront and resolve if my first image for Tulane is to become a reality. Start with a renewed and shared understanding of the needs of society in a changing world, and then make sure we attend to these priorities at the highest level of quality possible.

An excellent start in this direction has already been provided by the Strategic Planning Framework Committee with the release of its Environmental Scan report. This report is exceptional in its insight and comprehensiveness. It is just the guide we need to have a dialogue about shared priorities and their impact on higher education. If you haven't read it, do so. It should be our launching pad for the future.

If we can realize this image, then my second image for Tulane has a high probability of being realized.

My second image is of a university that is a leader, not a follower, in setting the agenda for higher education. I don't want Tulane to follow in anybody's footsteps; I want others to follow in ours. At a time of change and transition in society and in higher education, I want Tulane to be the "voice" of higher education and a "beacon" of excellence. Tulane should be a hotbed of ideas and debate on the issues facing our nation and higher education today and in the future. Conferences, seminars, public lectures, websites, and chat rooms are but a few of the vehicles we should use to make sure we are providing intellectual leadership to our students, to our community and to society in general. Community involvement is consistent with an aspiration of being national and international in scope. This involvement must be innovative, of the highest quality and impact, and integrated with our missions of learning and research. If it is, it will be a model for others to replicate around the country.

At a time when universities are shying away from controversial topics, there is an obvious opportunity for a university to fill the void and to become a reasoned and responsible voice for higher education. Let it be us. However, as we assume this mantel of intellectual leadership, let's make sure our approach is characterized by professionalism, information, and mutual respect for divergent views. All too often today, discussions of controversial issues become heated, irrational, emotional, fear-laden, and personal. Substance too often looms in the shadow of appearance, and whoever can talk the loudest, the fastest, and the most glibly wins the day. If we are to become a voice for higher education, let's do it in such a way that we not only draw praise from supporters, but we also draw respect from those who may not share our views.

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