The College of Saint Rose Academic Convocation

August 27, 2011, Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium

Welcome from Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, David Szczerbacki

Academic Convocation is an opportunity to do two things. First, we welcome the newest members of our community – our new freshman and transfer students. We also welcome 18 new tenure track faculty who are starting their first year at The College of Saint Rose.

Our new faculty and this class, the Class of 2015, are part of our 91st entering class. Founded in 1920 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, we continue to aspire to the values of our Founders: academic excellence, service and social justice, caring and love of neighbor; and a wholistic commitment to students. We value inclusion and diversity and the simple notion that all can achieve excellence in a community where high standards, integrity, interdependence, respect and civility are the norm. I am confident that these same values will provide both foundation and framework for your success. Today’s program speaks to these values and to our College’s Mission.

Our intent this afternoon is to create a sense of mutual expectation and shared responsibility relative to how we live our mission and our values.

Before I introduce the other presenters, allow me to address this theme of mission-centric expectation and responsibility.

First, we value your intellectual growth and we seek to engage you in “rigorous educational experiences.” Expect to be challenged – early and often.  

As you enter our community, know that your academic responsibilities come first. This theme can be seen in the comments of one of our current students Myles Thomas:
 

Second, as noted a moment ago, the legacy of this institution is one of service and social justice in and out of the classroom. Yes, our academic community does deal with theory and abstraction – as it should! But we also strive for societal and career relevance given contemporary issues and challenges. Know that it is never acceptable to be blind to injustice and intolerance, poverty, starvation, homelessness, or environmental degradation. Get involved in service activities. You will be creating opportunities for leadership, growth and development, meet interesting people, and in the process add your talents to the richness of our community as an engaged urban campus. You can be the Saint Rose Difference!

These ideas resonate in the comments of another of our students, Colleen Cavanaugh:
 

Finally, expect that achieving excellence will require discipline, resilience and setting priorities. Academic excellence and the rewards that stem from achievement are the result of hard work.

For example, as another of our students Kajanna McKenzie notes, pursuit of academic excellence requires disciplined time management:
  

Students like Kajanna, Colleen and Myles are successful no doubt because they practice the following discipline which I recommend to you and the good news is that you can begin to implement this list today!

“Begin with the end in mind.” How would you like to describe your first year at Saint Rose to your families and friends when May 2012 arrives? What sort of person do you hope to be when you graduate? In 5 years? 10 years? In visualizing the future – “in beginning with the end in mind”, your priorities for the short term begin to fall into place.

In the short term:
•Go to class;
•Understand fully the expectation of each course as defined in the course syllabus;
•Commit to spend 2-3 hours outside of class for each hour in class;
•Know the rules regarding things such as graduation requirements, course registration, academic integrity, student conduct and the grading policy;
•Know your advisor, department chair and Dean;
•Assume responsibility for your success and expect us to work as hard as we can to provide the very best academic experience possible;
•Be engaged in our community.

Be guided by the words of Confucius some 2600 years ago:
I hear and I forget
I see and I remember
I do and I understand

Seek out a mentor or two; make friends; realize that personal, professional and leadership development are not spectator sports.

Finally, Think Big – Think Positive – Think Excellence – Aim High. You have probably heard this statement: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right.” Be one of the “I think I can students.” You will be rewarded for this.

Good Luck!