Madam Chair, Mr. Vice Chair, members of the faculty, the student body, the administrative staff, and the university’s alumni...

It may be the constant talk of the new millennium, or it may be the knowledge that I have just reached a significant milestone of my own, my ninth anniversary as president of Rutgers, but I have been thinking lately about the importance of a historical perspective in our lives. I would like to begin today by reminding us of the importance of having a sense of our own history as we pursue the work we do on behalf of the university.

The flow of history, the progression from Rutgers’ origin as one of the first institutions of higher education in America to our modern status as a great state research university, offers us a sense of perspective that is a strong anchor for the work each of us does. Having a sense of our history also means celebrating the contributions to the identity and stature of Rutgers that have been made by thousands of people, from those who founded the original college to those who will graduate early in the new century.

We at Rutgers are in a select group of institutions that can measure their impact over centuries and have formulated the basis for American higher education. We have a special responsibility to preserve the values we treasure, and to see that those traditions are maintained through the curricula of the modern colleges and universities we have become.

The intersection of our historic traditions with our daily focus on the present and the future represents a chance for us to reexamine our progress toward meeting our goals as a university. As we enter the first decade of the new century – the decade in which we will meet the long-range goals we have set for ourselves – each of us must have a thorough understanding of how the ideals and actions of each and every one of us contribute to the mission of the university.

It has now been more than four years since the Board of Governors endorsed the university strategic plan we created together to advance our institution, and we have made progress toward the goal of reaching the top echelon of North America’s public research universities. Today I would like to spend my time with you discussing that progress, and what it means as we strive to reach our goal.

Together we have established a vision for Rutgers as a pre-eminent public university, one of a very small number of research institutions both committed and prepared to exercise national leadership for American higher education. We are dedicated to a standard of quality that makes Rutgers a preferred choice for students, a first-rate intellectual environment for faculty, and an outstanding place to work for staff. We strive to create knowledge and ideas for the improvement of the human condition. We prepare students to meet the needs of a changing society and encourage their personal and professional growth. And we advance the well-being of our communities, our state, and our nation. That is our vision, to be one of America’s very best universities.

With that vision there is a set of values to which we should all subscribe. We are committed to the highest standards in learning, discovery, an engagement with our constituents. We are engaged in actively serving our communities, our state, our nation, and the international community. We advance scholarship and intellectual vitality in our academic disciplines, and attract, welcome, develop, and retain outstanding students, faculty, and staff. We encourage the open and respectful exchange of ideas and perspectives, and provide superior curricular and co-curricular opportunities for students at all levels. We seek to educate exceptional leaders and citizens for future generations. We foster a supportive and collaborative social environment, and a community dedicated to respecting and valuing diversity. We maintain a safe, clean, and attractive physical environment, and accessible, responsive, and cost-effective programs and services. And we dedicate this learning community to ongoing self-assessment and unceasing improvement of all that we do. Through those shared values, each of us can play a role in the success of our university community, and take pride in being part of a highly effective team.

My view of our vision and values has had the benefit of some additional perspective through my work on national higher education issues in recent months. Over the last two or three years, I have been fortunate to have the chance to participate in the activities of a few national organizations whose work has added to my appreciation of some of the major issues that affect our environment, and has kept me informed about the approaches of some of our peer institutions to the challenges we all face.

Most recently, in my work with the Kellogg Commission on the Future of Land-Grant Universities, I drafted the recently issued Kellogg report on the importance and the challenge of making lifelong learning a reality in our society. An earlier Kellogg report on the new meaning of the engaged institution impressed me as advocating precisely the values that ought to be espoused in today’s land-grant institution, values that reflect those we have since embraced. It is clear to me that the direction upon which we have embarked will enable us to play a leading role nationally in redefining the approach of the land-grant university to those challenges.

We began the implementation of our long-range plan from a position of strength. Rutgers has had a long tradition of service to the schools, to business and industry, to our urban populations, and to the farmers of our state. But through the tireless efforts of our outstanding faculty, we have put into practice a strategic plan that has built rapidly on that foundation. It focuses our efforts on strengthening our academic programs, and it emphasizes excellence in instruction, scholarship, and service. It reaffirms our role as a generator of new knowledge, and it recognizes the importance of diversity, access, and affordability. It fosters community and collaboration in academic matters across disciplines and campuses. It also values the identification of and response to emerging needs in the state and the nation. It acknowledges the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, recognizes the value of international perspectives, and affirms the need to integrate technology into all academic endeavors. It places strong emphasis on our public service mission. In sum, it embodies the principles described in the recent national reports on the learning society, and on the engaged institution.

Though our collective efforts we have focused on new partnerships and alliances, both internal and external in nature. Today I would like to briefly share a summary of the results we have achieved so far. Our efforts have been designed to position us for success with the primary mechanisms that will help us achieve our goals: the support of our initiatives through state, federal, and private funding sources.

[A multimedia presentation followed.]