“Greater with the New Day”
Enhancing the TCU Experience

Chairman Roach and members of the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Moudy and Chancellor Tucker, Mayor Moncrief, members of the faculty, staff members, students, alumni, family and friends:

I am deeply honored to serve as the 10 th Chancellor of Texas Christian University.

I want to thank Chairman Roach and the Board of Trustees for their confidence in me. On my first meeting with Trustee Denny Alexander, we walked around Normal, Illinois and talked about the TCU experience. I sensed that he was describing a special place.

It even crossed my mind that this was almost too good to be true. So I came to Fort Worth to see for myself. It was all true. . .and more. Every day I learn something new about this splendid university. I find more to admire, more to love. I firmly believe that TCU is an extraordinary place, too good not to be even better.

TCU is a place of academic challenge and intellectual excellence. Our faculty are changing the future with their scholarship and creative activity. They are changing the lives of our students as teachers and mentors.

TCU is a place of ideas and ideals. Where social responsibility and ethical behavior are the core of our mission and the center of our daily lives.

TCU is a place that provides a total college experience. Where learning extends from the laboratory and studio to the residence hall and playing field. This is a vibrant place where students are prepared to lead.

TCU is a place whose distinctive buff brick and architectural integrity reflect our strong sense of community. This is a place that connects with Fort Worth and with Texas not just geographically, but as a vibrant partner for progress.

TCU is a remarkable place whose achievements are exceeded only by its opportunities.

On behalf of my wife Megan and our four children,

I want to thank all of you for welcoming us to the TCU family.

I am thrilled that today’s program includes selections from one of my favorite symphonies, Dvorak’s ninth, “From the New World.”Dvorak was inspired to write it by all he saw on his visit to America in 1893. He embraced America’s spirit and welcoming nature, feeling that everything was larger than life.

That’s how I felt when coming to my new world, Fort Worth, Texas.

My early Texas education came from the stereotypes of John Wayne and Larry Hagman, from “Lonesome Dove” and “Urban Cowboy.” Boots and belt buckles. Honky tonks and cowboys. Hats…and Bigger Hats.

The Boschini Family has joined a community that cares deeply about TCU. Fort Worth has been warm and welcoming to us. Its spirit of collegiality and shared adventure is part of the heritage of this region and state.

To learn more about our new hometown, I consulted The History of Texas co-authored by Dr. Gregg Cantrell, the very distinguished historian who holds our Erma and Ralph Lowe Chair in Texas Studies. I learned that this state gets its name from a Spanish variation on the Hasinai Indian word for “friend,” the word “Tejas.” Texans are friends, literally and by their actions.

I am so pleased that this occasion brings together my wonderful family, dear friends from the past, and new “old friends” we have made here.

I want to especially thank the many representatives of student organizations, learned societies, and other colleges and universities who, by their attendance, honor Texas Christian University. After all, today is not about VJB; it’s about TCU.

I have been blessed to work with many great professors and administrators over the years. I’d like to particularly mention several who are here today: My dear colleague from Illinois State University, their 17 th President, Dr. Al Bowman; my great old friend from my days at Butler University, their former president, Dr. Gwen Fountain; a colleague 20 years ago at Western Illinois University, their Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Garry Johnson; and my favorite professor of all time, the Chancellor’s Professor of Higher Education at Indiana University, Dr. George Kuh. I would like for them to stand while you give them a warm TCU welcome.

I’d like to thank the members of our Board of Trustees for making my family feel right at home in Fort Worth. From helping us identify a great pediatrician to introducing us to Fort Worth’s amazing cultural institutions, Board members eased our transition.

The first ten days we were here, we were up to our chins in boxes! Very thoughtful Board members and supporters of TCU brought us dinner each night while we unpacked.

It was a sort of “gourmet Meals on Wheels” operation, and it was greatly appreciated.

Board members generously spent time introducing Megan and me to people all around this great city. We could not have had a better orientation than what they provided for us.

I feel particularly blessed to work for this exceptional group of Trustees. They love and support this university and encourage and inspire me. I marvel at the time they so willingly give to me and to TCU.

I offer a special thank you to the many graduates of TCU who have welcomed me, my wife and family with open arms. From the first moment I met our national alumni association president, Pamela Roach Thomas, to my visits with graduates from Manhattan to Midland, I have felt a part of the team. Even before coming to Fort Worth, members of the Chicago alumni club hosted me for lunch and gave me a crash course in all things “frog” and “purple.”

What else have I learned from TCU alumni? That this campus, this place, shaped their lives and changed their futures. That they love TCU and want it to be even stronger in the future.

When TCU’s first president, Addison Clark, left office in 1899, on the eve of the 20th century, he said: “Let the institution grow greater with the new day.”

As we entered the 21st century, Chancellor Michael Ferrari appointed The Commission on the Future of TCU to prepare us for new days ahead. Chancellor Ferrari challenged TCU “to be among the leading independent universities in the nation,” and asked the Commission to chart such a course. Its work raised our expectations for greatness.

Where are we now? I appointed a Strategic Planning Commission in September to assess the current status of the university today and to make recommendations for its future. The group is called Vision in Action – a name as dynamic as their charge, and I want to thank Dr. Nowell Donovan and Dr. Leo Munson for chairing this significant initiative.

Vision In Action has prepared a report card on the success of The Commission on the Future. The remarkable conclusion is that some 70 percent of the Commission’s 386 recommendations have been realized or are proceeding, which means planning is in an advanced stage and a deadline for completion is set. Achievements range from $150 million dollars in new facilities such as the Tucker Technology Center and Smith Entrepreneurs Hall . . . to improvements in key programs such as pre-medicine, the MBA program, and piano and orchestral studies . . . to building a technology-rich learning environment.

We will launch a revitalized core curriculum in summer 2005. We are expanding service learning and internships. And, we are increasing interdisciplinary programs across the curriculum.

The work that has been done to make TCU a great university is remarkable, and those of you who stand behind these achievements are to be applauded.

Is there more to be done? Undoubtedly!

The VIA group is examining our aspirations in the context of today’s realities, so that we can refine our focus and set goals that match our character with our capabilities. In short, we are setting a new strategic agenda for TCU that truly puts our Vision in Action.

I encourage all members of TCU’s extended family to participate, whether in town hall meetings or by directly communicating with the Vision in Action team. The timetable for their work is relatively short and it is action we are after. Nobel Prize winning novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez has said “he who waits much can expect little.” We cannot wait, because the future is now for the students of TCU. The graduates of 2007 already are here. I want their TCU experience to be enhanced by our strategic decisions.

We will grow greater with each new day. I accept the challenge made by Addison Clark more than 100 years ago.

My confidence is buoyed by the loyalty of TCU’s many friends and supporters. The first phase of the Our Time, Our Future campaign was what the fund raisers call the “quiet phase.” Well, there isn’t anything “quiet” about the more than $110 million dollars given in this campaign to support TCU priorities. It is Our Time. Furthermore, the high percentage of our graduates who give back to their alma mater -- at the second highest rate in Texas -- affirms their commitment to Our Future.

I recently came across a quote from Benjamin Franklin that said “if a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” The return on investment in TCU is bright, capable graduates; new knowledge and creative activity from our distinguished faculty; a significant economic impact on the city and region; and ethical leadership for a troubled and changing world. Our friends believe in TCU and are eager partners in enhancing our university.

Enriching our Academic Life

The 1887 catalog described the college the Clarks founded as a “tree of unperishable riches.” Transplanted a few times, it took root here and is strong. But it is not “unperishable.” We must nurture the excellence of the academic enterprise and advance the teacher-scholar model that is the cornerstone of education at TCU.

A great strength of our faculty is their commitment to student engagement in research and their passion for teaching and learning. I saw this for myself on the day of “The Big Switch” when freshman Matt Chisholm and I traded places for the day. I’m afraid Matt got the worst of the exchange. He went to a lot of meetings! I had the privilege of attending classes in Sales Marketing and in Microeconomics. They were wonderful. I have repeatedly heard from TCU graduates about faculty mentors and advisors who were helpful to them as they navigated their university years and beyond.

These days, the challenges and opportunities for intellectual activity are enormous. We see photos of Mars that are clearer than anything I take of my kids. We learn that two new elements may be added to the Periodic Table and a new planetoid has been discovered at the edge of our solar system.

TCU has much to contribute to new knowledge. Our faculty research benefits our environment, results in more effective treatment for women with heart disease, improves impaired vision through nanotechnology, and much more.

The answers to serious 21st century problems increasingly require interdisciplinary solutions. The provost-elect, Dr. Nowell Donovan, described a great university to the search committee as “a genius loci where conversations of value reflect the integrity of the community and lead to engagement with problems of significance and the creation of good and beautiful ideas.”

That, ladies and gentlemen, is a vision I share with Dr. Donovan – a vision for a university where education transcends career preparation -- although preparing for a career is important too. I want TCU to be a place where the search for meaning is part of the academic fabric, where first principles matter.

To quote Dr. Donovan: “If we succeed in creating such a university, then our ideal student will be an informed and creative iconoclast, possessing the skills and insights necessary to affect change where change is necessary, and yet aware of the value of our greatest traditions.”

Under Dr. Donovan’s leadership as our chief academic officer, I am confident that TCU will become that Great University. That is why I am so excited to work along side Dr. Donovan as we examine vital issues such as graduate education, curriculum, faculty needs, and community engagement. TCU has one of the top entrepreneurial studies programs in the nation, and I encourage our faculty and staff to model its entrepreneurial approach as we elevate our academic standing and help our students succeed.

Whatever we accomplish as an institution will be a reflection of the strength and commitment of the exceptional people who define TCU. I have been inspired by the commitment of our faculty and staff and thank all of them for making my transition to TCU so easy.

Lunches and department meetings have allowed me to listen and learn. I spent an engaging afternoon walking in amazement through the Sid Richardson Physical Sciences Building, and I learned more than I ever imagined about robotics. Wherever I went, everyone talked to me about parking! And Mary Ann Jones in our housing office showed my family and me how to make the Horned Frog sign!

TCU’s retired and emeritus faculty members have a rich reservoir of knowledge about how this place works, and when it doesn’t. Several have been very generous with their time, tutoring me on the bits of university history that don’t make it into books. They have played an important part in my orientation and are valued members of the TCU family.

The warmth and openness of this faculty has made me feel a part of the campus more quickly than I thought possible. That, and ten gridiron wins in a row, can make a person a truly passionate Horned Frog!

To attract and retain first-rank faculty and the most able students requires physical facilities that support learning and encourage exploration. We are moving forward with several physical improvement projects that will enhance TCU.

The school of education facilities are in great need of renovation. Newly minted education graduates who will be teaching in the classrooms of the year 2020 are being trained today in classrooms from the 1950s. Our school of education is changing the way young people are taught. It is past time to change the learning environment for this important teacher preparation program.

The old gymnasium, built in 1921, is home to our superb department of ballet and modern dance. Over the past eight decades, studios, classrooms, and related spaces have been carved out of swimming pools and basketball courts. This old jewel needs a complete renovation to match the creativity and energy of the program’s faculty and students.

In addition to classrooms, labs, studios, and offices, it is important that we provide spaces that promote interaction so that all of us can benefit from the diversity of our rich academic community.

The new University Recreation Center is a wonderfully democratic place, where students, faculty, and staff -- of all shapes and sizes, I might add -- climb, walk, run, lift, pedal, dance, dribble, swim, train, and sweat together.

The University Center should be that kind of place. A place where faculty and staff can interact across disciplines and departments. Where students can get to know advisors and mentors. A gathering place for graduates and friends. A place students can apply their educational experience beyond the classroom. Where diversity isn’t just a word but a program, a person sitting beside you, a lively debate over coffee. Where service thrives and leadership grows. Our university community deserves exactly that kind of University Center.

Thanks to our creative students and an energetic staff, there is always something interesting going on at the Brown Lupton Student Center, from “Jam Before You Cram” to Super Frog’s Birthday. But the aging facility is limiting our ability to meet the needs of today’s students and, especially, tomorrow’s. A look at our peer institutions reveals a great need for a new Student Center that is truly at the center of a student’s TCU experience.

Enlarging Student Opportunities

What makes the TCU experience unique? On the occasion of his inauguration as TCU’s 8 th Chancellor, Dr. William Tucker spoke of, quote, “the unusual concern for individual students which really sets TCU apart among universities of comparable size and quality in the nation.”

This is, indeed, the hallmark of this university: concern for the individual. We are committed to the personal development of all members of our TCU family.

To further enrich the TCU experience, we must provide a curriculum and community that strengthen the capacity for leadership in a diverse world. At his inaugural in 1980, Chancellor Tucker quoted John Cardinal Newman’s Idea of a University, in which he says of a university, quote: “Its art is the art of social life and its end is fitness for the world.”

If our graduates are to be fit for the world, they should be challenged with competing views, informed by differing life experiences, and educated with a core in the liberal arts. Newman described the university as a place “in which the intellect may safely range and speculate.” This is the general nature of a university. It is the specific promise of this university. We are educating tomorrow’s leaders with a new core curriculum that embodies TCU’s heritage, mission, vision, and values. It is a curriculum that serves and educates each student and family for a lifetime.

Today, I want to give special recognition to our students. Jay Zeidman is here representing the more than eight thousand graduate and undergraduate students who live, study, work and, yes, play on campus day in and day out. The high caliber of our student body is reflected in this year’s entering class: the biggest and smartest ever.

Our students are so talented they can make a blizzard on a 60-degree day! One of my favorite places on campus is Frog Fountain. The day the Programming Council had snow brought in around the fountain was fantastic…and not just for students. I saw a few “kids” out there throwing snowballs who looked a lot like they had escaped their offices and labs!

Whether taking part in a classroom discussion, participating in a service project, planning events with a student organization, or contributing to a university committee, students develop leadership skills. Leadership is part of our mission and our obligation. TCU takes seriously its responsibility to model and nurture ethical leadership while holding our students to the same high standard. From the TCU experience students both widen and deepen the context for their choices here and throughout life.

The students of TCU have been phenomenal about taking us in and making us a part of their lives. I can assure you, the Boschinis have some of the best and brightest babysitters in America working with our family.

Megan and I love having students come to our home. A few months ago, we invited photographers from the student newspaper, The Skiff, to the house for dinner. Afterward, one of our kids commented now nice they were . . . “for newspaper people.” I guess even the youngest kids are a little skeptical of the media!

TCU is unapologetically student centered. Our students are the source of our energy and the reason for our efforts.

In our history and by our nature, we are a residential college. The second building on the Fort Worth campus was a residence hall. Today, fewer than half of our undergraduates live on campus. We need to provide more residential opportunities for students in order to enhance their collegiate experience. Programs, services, and places that bring us together intentionally and spontaneously will build an even stronger spirit of community.

Elevating Institutional Prestige

TCU truly is a remarkable place. Not because of what we have but because of who we are. TCU’s 7 th Chancellor, James Moudy, said at his inaugural, quote: “If there is any magic in education at all, it is in its people, not in its process.”

Over these past months, I have met many people who are part of TCU’s past, who define its present, and who are shaping its future. I said when I got here that I would hit the ground listening. Well, I have heard a torrent of wishes, dreams, hopes, issues, ideas, ideas, and more ideas -- all born of the passion that people feel for TCU.

From Chancellors Moudy, Tucker, and Ferrari to the newest first-year student, there is a purple and white filament that is charged with energy. It sends a current through the campus to the communities worldwide that are touched by TCU.

There is a spirit here unlike any I have ever seen. It is evidenced in our “can do” culture. Staff, students, and faculty do little things that make a big difference. They do great things that change people’s lives. The people of TCU take enormous pride in our university and seek ways to advance TCU through their hard work and innovation.

We are a private university with a very public commitment to serve and to lead. Our campus is bounded only by our imagination and our spirit. It is on this broad stage that TCU must increase its visibility.

Our national and international stature does not match what I have come to know of this place. TCU has a reputation for excellence. We attract very distinguished faculty, talented students, and dedicated staff because of our record of achievement. They stay because of the climate of caring and the culture of excellence. We need to do a better job of telling that story in order to raise our standing in an increasingly competitive higher education marketplace.

In the national discourse about our society and our world, there is a renewed focus on civic values. TCU is a place that never lost sight of them. We embrace our institutional values and seek to live them every day.

“To educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community.” This is the mission of TCU. It is both a promise and a reality. It sets a standard for all of higher education today.

This is our time to assume a higher place in the national pantheon of universities.

On this day for celebrating TCU, I assure you that we will get better with the new day. As individuals, as an institution, as a community.

I accept this challenge with both humility and pride.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
For the strength of your support.
And, for the depth of your affection
for Texas Christian University.