This weekend the University of Rhode Island welcomed over
3500 new students to our community. Over the summer, dozens of new faculty and
staff also joined us. It is the nature
of universities – every year we say goodbye to many of our company, and then
welcome those who arrive. Even though
our members regularly change, the values of our community, and our
responsibilities to one another, remain consistent.
At times, and all too frequently it seems to me, we are
forced to part with members of our community far too early, and far too
tragically. So it was again this summer,
with the passing of Mario Rousseau – a truly remarkable young man who, through
his leadership in BOND and in numerous other ways, had made a significant
impact on the lives of many members of the URI community, and on the university
as a whole. His life mattered. His life
still matters.
Events across America and across the world these past
several months speak more forcefully than ever about the necessity and the urgency
of building communities that span our differences. I remain convinced that America’s public
universities present outstanding opportunities to accomplish this, and building
a diverse community that cherishes equity is one of our most important priorities
at the University of Rhode Island. In essence, our goal is to build a community
where we all say to one another: “Your life matters.”
I hope that everyone here will endorse the centrality and
importance of this endeavor. Our world
is torn by terror, mired in prejudice and mistrust, poisoned by politics, and
consumed by self-interest. But I believe
that it is possible to see the world, not as it is, but as it could be.1
Imagine URI as place where each of us lived out the simple, straightforward
tenet that: “your life matters.” I cannot
think of a better foundation upon which to build the community we aspire to.
1This
is something I’ve long believed. You can find versions of this sentiment in the
manifesto of Acumen (a global leadership development non-profit, see
acumen.org) and at the conclusion of Disney’s 2015 Cinderella, and likely
elsewhere.
