Thank you, Provost Donovan. And thanks to the TCU Concert Chorale and Women’s Choir… You again have provided a world-class performance!

We come together today to recognize the beginning of Texas Christian University’s 135th year and to celebrate the vibrant academic life of this university.  Today, we pause to look back upon the past year and forward to all the promise of a new one.  We also will recognize the outstanding teacher-scholars and mentors who so define Texas Christian University.

But first… I’d like to extend a special welcome to our new students, new faculty and new staff.  Welcome to the TCU family!

I’d also like to say “welcome” and “thank you” to three very special guests from our Board of Trustees.  At this time, I’d like to introduce them to you and ask that they stand:

• Rev. Dani Loving Cartwright
• Mr. John Davis
• Mrs. Joan Rogers

One of our seniors, Luda Chuba, who served as a student liaison with the Board, commented: “I was honored to present numerous issues that concerned TCU students to the Board of Trustees. It was rewarding to see the members take our presentation to heart and act upon it — hence the campuswide wireless Internet that is [so near completion].”  TCU Trustees, thank you for your leadership, service and generosity to the University in many, many ways!  And thanks, too, for that wi-fi network!

It is exciting to begin this transformative year with so many dreams realized and so many aspirations well on the way to fulfillment.  Without a doubt, TCU is moving ahead of the curve!  Through Vision in Action, our strategic planning effort, we have committed ourselves to creating a world-class, values-centered university experience for our students. The strides we have made in the past year are truly remarkable.  The energy on campus is striking.

As I review our recent accomplishments and current initiatives, I’d like to put them in the context of the five overarching goals determined through Vision in Action:

• To recruit and retain students, faculty and staff who can achieve their full potential at TCU.
• To design a vibrant learning community characterized by distinctive curricular, co-curricular and residential programs.
• To sustain an environment in which rich personal interaction is enhanced by outstanding facilities and appropriate technology.

• To accelerate our connection with the greater community:  Fort Worth, Texas, the nation, and the world.

• And to couple wise financial stewardship with a well-planned entrepreneurial approach to academic opportunities.

Whew!  What a demanding agenda!

First, let’s consider our outstanding students, faculty and staff.For well more than a half-decade, TCU has seen the number of applicants grow, while their qualifications have become increasingly competitive. Members of the Classes of 2008, 2009 and 2010, you can be confident that the Class of 2011 and our 414 incoming transfer students uphold your high standards and continue our tradition of attracting talented students who can best benefit from a TCU education. Chosen from nearly 12,000 applicants, the 1,644-member incoming freshman class boasts high SAT scores … a male-to-female ratio that brings TCU to the national college average … and more students of color and more international students than in recent years.

Annually, Beloit College in Wisconsin releases the Beloit College Mindset List — a look at the cultural touchstones that have shaped the lives of today’s first-year students.  I’d like to share with you a few characteristics of this year’s freshmen — most born in 1989 — in schools across the nation:

• Thanks to MySpace and Facebook, they make autobiography happen in real time.
• They learned about JFK from Oliver Stone, and about Malcolm X from Spike Lee.
• For them, Time has always worked with Warner.
• Avatars have nothing to do with Hindu deities.
• And virtual reality is always available when the real thing fails.

In fact, many of this generation already are starting on their “Second Life” before they reach the second decade of their first one.

To help us continue to recruit and retain truly outstanding students, I’m delighted to report that TCU’s alumni and friends contributed $3.6 million for student scholarships last year.  
The teacher-scholar model and strong, mentoring relationships are hallmarks of the TCU experience.  Later in the program, we will have the opportunity to honor some of these special mentors and teacher-scholars.  But now I’d like to point to some achievements that will truly have a positive impact upon our entire TCU community.

We begin the fall semester with 20 new faculty positions.  In fact, over the last three years, we have added a total of 59 new faculty and instructional positions, improving the already low 14-to-1 student-faculty ratio. And we are committed to further lowering this key measure of educational excellence to 13-to-1 in the future. 
Endowed chairs and professorships are another mark of academic distinction. TCU has added four new endowed positions in the last year.  I ask them to stand now and be recognized.

• The J. Vaughn and Evelyne H. Wilson Professorship in Accounting, held by Dr. In-Mu Haw;
• The J. Vaughn and Evelyne H. Wilson Professorship in Marketing, held by Dr. William Cron;
• The Betty S. Wright Chair of Applied Ethics, held by Dr. Richard Galvin; and
• The Hal Wright Chair of Latin American Economics, held by Dr. W. Charles Sawyer.

A second Vision in Action goal toward which we have made significant strides is building a vibrant learning community, characterized by distinctive curricular, co-curricular and residential programs.
    
From the symposium on energy sponsored with Oxford University to recognition of Prof. Ed Kolesar for research on the human eye…

From the first MBA/Ed.D. degrees conferred through the Educational Leadership program to our support of the Fort Worth ISD in math, science and technology…

From Image magazine’s recognition as the No. 1 student magazine in the country to the advertising campaign team’s top-10 finish in national competition…                      

From leadership in community disaster preparedness and awareness to the eight-year-accreditation of the social work program… 

From high rankings in BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Fortune to an international entrepreneurship conference…

From the premier PianoTexas and Mimir Chamber Music festivals to Internet2 music classes connecting TCU and London’s Royal Academy...

From the upcoming tour of historic Texas maps to new student internships in civic organizations…

From the “State of the Black Church Summit” to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)’s national General Assembly this summer…

From our nationally recognized leadership programs to the upcoming theme semester focused on the three R’s of “Rights, Responsibilities and Respect”…

TCU is truly providing world-class programs that also benefit our society.  I thank each member of our esteemed faculty and staff for making these extraordinary programs possible on our campus.

But without a doubt, during this transformative period in the life of Texas Christian University, the Campus Commons is taking center stage.

We know that the greatest universities are residential universities.  One of the most significant directives growing from Vision in Actionis to ensure that our students benefit from the full residential experience.  In recent years, fewer than half have had that opportunity. 
This fall, with two of the four Commons residence halls open, the GrandMarc at capacity, and all sophomores now in campus housing, we draw ever closer to achieving our goal of two-thirds of TCU undergraduates living on campus.

In the Campus Commons, students in the Amon G. Carter and the Kellye Wright Samuelson residence halls are adjusting to the “suite” life.  That’s spelled S-U-I-T-E — though S-W-E-E-T is appropriate too.  The remaining two residence halls — the Teresa and Luther King Hall and the Mary and Robert J. Wright Hall — are on track to open for the spring semester.   Both the Kings and the Wrights are generous and loyal trustee families of our University from a nearby town called Dallas.

In addition, the new Brown-Lupton University Union is on target to be completed by next summer.

When these phases of the Commons are finished, we will begin to renovate the current student center for academic and student services space.  The transformation will be so extensive that the building will be renamed Clarence and Kerry Scharbauer Hall in honor of yet another loyal and generous trustee family from Midland.

When the Campus Commons is complete, we will have realized our dream… we will have created an environment rich in personal interaction… a place where intellectual vitality and social engagement intersect… a place where students of different cultures and values can learn from each other.  In other words, we will have created a place where all the elements of living and learning at TCU will come together… 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  We truly will have elevated the TCU experience!

The Commons is the most dramatic campus transformation, but there are a number of other initiatives that are helping us sustain an environment rich with personal interaction and enhanced by outstanding facilities and appropriate technology.

On the corner of University Drive and Bellaire Drive North, College of Education faculty and students began the semester in the wonderful new Mabee Foundation Education Complex, a dream come true after many decades of waiting.  The complex includes a total renovation of the Bailey Building and construction of Betsy and Steve Palko Hall.  As a member of the education faculty, I can speak to the excellence of this new facility firsthand.  It’s truly a fabulous place to teach and learn.  And at last, the College of Education has a facility that equals the distinction of its programs!  I do hope you will visit the facility soon.
On the other side of Stadium Drive, the new Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility is providing a place where the Horned Frogs can stay on track — no matter how bad the weather.  I’d like to add that the Frogs are among the leading teams in the nation in terms of academic achievement, as well as gridiron prowess, ranking in the top 20 for the latest graduation success rate.

Construction also is well under way on the new 34,000-square-foot TCU Barnes & Noble Bookstore, scheduled to open sometime during your lifetime — actually, during the spring semester.

These new facilities and other campus improvements add up to $150 million of construction currently under way or completed in 2007 — all in addition to the $300 million investment in the campus in recent years.

A fourth Vision in Action goal is to accelerate TCU’s connection with the greater community:  Fort Worth, Texas, the nation and the world.

Let me mention just three ways TCU is making that connection.

This fall, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences welcomes the inaugural class of the Doctorate of Nursing Practice program.  The two-year program is designed to prepare experts in advanced nursing practice for clinical leadership in healthcare, business, government and education organizations.      

The College of Education’s Center for Urban Education is focusing on another vital societal need: the critical shortage of expert teachers for under-achieving urban schools. The Center for Urban Education is teaming with school districts and businesses to launch the Aspiring Educators Initiative to target potential teachers while they are still in high school.
Today, Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, are reporting to the Congress about what may be the key issue of the year, the progress of the “surge” in Iraq and the efficacy of the Iraqi government. And on September 18, the annual Jim Wright Symposium will bring the Honorable Lee Hamilton — co-chair of the Iraq Study Group, vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission and adviser to the President — to inform the members of our own campus and surrounding community about the situation in Iraq.

Finally, Vision in Action directed us to couple wise financial stewardship with a well-planned entrepreneurial approach to academic opportunities.

The TCU Energy Institute — established by the College of Science & Engineering and the Neeley School of Business — is an ideal example of the entrepreneurial approach called for by Vision in Action.

TCU alumnus Ross Matthews, president of Sinclair Oil & Gas, has recently been named director of the Energy Institute. A new minor in Energy Technology and Management and a Petroleum Land Professional Program are among the institute’s many exciting initiatives.

The University’s proximity to the Barnett Shale formation, as well as our distinguished science, engineering and business faculty, uniquely position the TCU Energy Institute to become known as a global leader in cutting-edge energy research… education… policy analysis… and energy-related technologies.

TCU’s superlative new facilities, increased scholarship funding, endowed faculty positions and distinctive programs obviously cost many millions of dollars.  Fortunately, The Campaign for TCU is making stellar progress toward the April 3 kickoff of the public phase.  More than $123 million has been committed toward the working campaign goal of $250 million, thanks to extremely generous alumni and friends, our supportive faculty and staff, and our capable Advancement organization. Forty-nine percent of the goal already has been raised, with only 32 percent of the campaign time elapsed!

Our achievements are impressive and many.  But there is so much more to Texas Christian University.

This is more than a community with beautiful buildings… though we do have facilities that rival those at the greatest universities across the country.

This is more than a community with exquisitely landscaped lawns, thousands of flowers and a park-like atmosphere… though we do have those.

This is a more than a community that benefits from a solid financial foundation, a growing endowment, a successful campaign. These are the means to an end.

This university is about the people who teach and learn here.

We are a community that values each unique individual, and we savor the excitement of bringing 1,600 new, one-of-a-kind students into the life of this university each year.

We are a community that values a frank interchange and dialogue, a community that values different viewpoints. We are a community that does not tolerate racism, sexism or any of the other –isms so prevalent in today’s news.

We are a community that values the special relationship between teacher and student.

We are a community where students can refine their thoughts… define their character… and set forth to change the world.

We are a community that loves all things purple.  We look out for each other and we want the best for every member of the TCU family.

Before we recognize the mentors and teacher-scholars who contribute so much to this family, let me offer the observations of one of our 2007 graduates, William Dallas Flowers III: “I am so proud of the person I am today, and it is only because I have been surrounded with wonderful and inspiring people over the last four years.  I have come to realize that it is fine not being recognized for my every accomplishment. Instead I have realized that all I have done at TCU has helped shape me as an ethical leader and responsible citizen for any community I will ever be a part of.”

That is why we are here!

It is now my pleasure to present the 2007 Wassenich Award for Mentoring in the TCU Community.  Because of their own rich experiences as students, Mark and Linda Wassenich established this unique honor in 1999.

The Wassenich family is very important to TCU.  The late Dr. Paul Wassenich, Mark’s father, was a longtime professor of undergraduate religion and founder of the TCU Honors Program, and Mark’s mother, Ruth Wassenich, provided distinguished service to the Mary Couts Burnett Library.  We are honored that Mark and Linda Wassenich and Ruth Wassenich are with us today.

The Wassenich Award recognizes a member of the faculty and staff who has made a significant difference as a mentor in the lives of students.  This year, the awards committee selected four finalists, and the quality of the nominations bears testament that TCU is indeed a warm and caring community – a place that changes lives.

I am pleased to ask this year’s finalists to stand:

• Mr. John Singleton, Director of International Student Services;
• Dr. Becky Taylor, Associate Professor of Counseling, College of Education;
• Mr. John M. Thompson III, Instructor in Marketing and Intern Coordinator, Neeley School of Business; and
• Dr. R. Stephen Weiss, Professor of Engineering, College of Science & Engineering.

The 2007 recipient of the Wassenich Award believes that “showing respect to our students is the most important thing we can do as mentors.”  And he puts mentoring at the forefront of his professional responsibilities.  “I make a large amount of my out-of-class time available to my students,” he says.  “Students told me they could trust me with their thoughts and feelings and that they felt respected as individuals.  The more I was seen as being trustworthy and respectful, the more students would share their lives with me.  The more they shared, the more they asked for help and advice."

Here is the perspective of a 1982 graduate — now a successful business leader — who was one of the many beneficiaries of this professor’s help and advice:   “He taught me so much about the realities of the business world.  He fostered and taught the importance of a tremendous work ethic, exposed us to real world case studies and provided the beginning of a road map for [us] to follow in [our] journey beyond [our] days at TCU.

“Whether it was providing an opportunity to work with him in private business ventures during summer months or his unending support and counsel on future career plans, he demonstrated that he sincerely cared about making a difference in [our] lives.”
 During his 28 years in the Neeley School of Business, today’s recipient has made a difference in the lives of some 7,000 students.

I am delighted to present the 2007 Wassenich Award for Mentoring in the TCU Community — along with a check for $2,500 —to Mr. John M. Thompson III, instructor in marketing and intern coordinator for the Neeley School of Business.

Provost Nowell Donovan now will introduce the recipients of School and College Awards for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar.  Dr. Donovan…
It gives me great pleasure each fall to recognize and reward faculty members among us whose peers have recognized them as exemplary. This year’s group of nominees for the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar truly made me stop in my tracks with awe for what they have accomplished.  This year’s nominees also make me wish I were a student again, so that I might have the opportunity to take a class from each and every one of them.

I actually do take the time to read every single piece of documentation given me regarding each candidate for this award.  There were amazing testimonials about each person.  And all of the candidates were extremely articulate and engaging in their writings.  However, one comment truly struck a chord the moment I read it.  Let me share a few words from this year’s winner:

“On the first day of all my classes, I introduce the study of ethics by stating: ‘Ethics begins where problems start.  Our work together as ethical leaders will be to become the change we seek by naming, facing and striving to resolve problems.’

“It is essential that I prepare students not only to see it as necessary in life to confront controversial issues — however uncomfortable it is to do so — but also to open their minds to the reality that they, themselves, can develop individual courage, imaginative commitment and moral fortitude to confront and resolve the ills that plague society.  In this respect, my students learn at the outset that ethics is no mere intellectual exercise, but instead, a social imperative that impacts their lives and those of others — that is, ethics is measured by real outcomes.”

Without a doubt, this is teaching that changes the world!

Add this professor’s achievements as an adviser to seminarians… mentor to undergraduate and graduate students… speaker and preacher in demand across the nation… consultant for top-tier doctoral institutions and government agencies… advocate for people of color and women… investigator or co-investigator in 13 grants totaling more than $725,000… author of three books and dozens of journal articles… and a “passionate, creative, collaborative and unbelievably inspired teacher and scholar”… and you will see why Dr. Stacy Floyd Thomas — associate professor of ethics and director of Black Church Studies at Brite Divinity School — is so deserving of the 2007 Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Scholar and Teacher.