The Work Is Its Own Reward

I have been working in higher education since 1978 – at Amherst College, Montana State University, and the University of Rhode Island. The current climate for higher education is the most challenging I have experienced or observed, especially for public colleges and universities. With public higher education caught between declining state support and escalating demands to restrain tuition increases, the financial climate is increasingly difficult. Expectations for access, accountability, and innovation are expanding for many private as well as public institutions.  The sustained budget impasse in Washington is taking a toll, constraining research funding at a time when the nation, and the entire world, needs America’s research universities to do more, not less.

These factors, and many more, contribute to a growing set of issues around adaptation, flexibility, and governance.  Governance questions associated with the role of shared governance on the campus, and the role of governing boards and government off the campus, have become especially pointed and problematic. In short, problems are multiplying, resources are diminishing, expectations are increasing, and stress is high.

So, why are so many people still interested in academic careers, especially on the faculty, and why do people with desirable options outside of academe choose to stay?

I like to read Yankee Magazine. Lynn indulges me by maintaining our subscription. Several months ago, Yankee ran a story on a person who trains border collies.  One of the memorable quotes about border collies was that, for them, “The work is its own reward.”  I believe that is true for many people – staff, faculty, and administrators – who devote their careers to higher education.  Simply stated: the work we do is very rewarding. Higher education makes a profound and extremely positive difference in the lives of people, in the societies in which they live, in understanding the universe, and in sustaining the hope that we can build a brighter, sustainable future.  The work we do is good work, in two common senses of the word: it is, in my judgment, far more frequently than not, of high quality, and it is virtuous. 

That’s good, because the work is not easy and the preparation required to carry it out can be lengthy and arduous, especially for faculty.  For many of our staff, the work can be physically or emotionally demanding, and the compensation relatively low.  Consequently, although it is true that “the work is its own reward”, that should not be the only reward.  Many full-time faculty at the University of Rhode Island are significantly less well compensated than their peers, and this problem needs to be urgently addressed.  The University also needs to improve the working conditions for part-time faculty and decrease its reliance on such appointments, in part by increasing the number of full-time and tenure-track appointments.  We need to increase the number and compensation of our staff in critical areas as well.  None of these steps will be easy and, given the constraints on tuition increases, will require increased support from the state of Rhode Island.  But it will certainly be rewarding if we succeed.

It is May and Commencement is approaching.  Commencement provides an excellent opportunity to celebrate the good work of the students, of the faculty, and of the entire university community.  It is a time of achievement, a time of promise, and a time of hope.  The celebrations of the students and their families remind all of us that the work we do has tremendous rewards.

Dialog

I confess that I remain a big Simon and Garfunkel fan, and that, in my opinion, Paul Simon was one of the most gifted songwriters of the 20^th century.  Two passages of his have particular relevance at this time, I think.

From “The Boxer”: Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.

And from “The Sound of Silence”:  People talking without speaking

                                                   People hearing without listening

Although these lyrics were written in the 1960s, they remain poignant – and accurate, it seems to me.   Far too much of our current political discourse, and far too much of our media coverage, can be aptly characterized as “talking without speaking”, or “hearing without listening”, or simply disregarding everything except what you want to hear.  Moreover, if you are deliberate in your selection of cable channels, radio stations, websites, and media, you seldom have to hear or read anything that you do not already believe.  Consistent, frequent reinforcement of one’s convictions and biases makes it easier to disregard anything different.

To make matters worse, the contemporary tone of much of our public discourse, analysis, and commentary is often vitriolic and, all too seldom, measured and civil.  Those who disagree are not merely wrong or uninformed; they are evil, unpatriotic, sinister, fascist, traitors, bigots, Yankees fans, or worse.  “Facts” are fungible and inconvenient data, no matter how reproducible or extensive, are suspect, or dispensable, or considered as the product of some conspiracy.

In such a climate, we must be attentive to creating environments where dialog and discussion are robust, honest, even pointed, but civil and mutually respectful.  This is part of the mission of all of America’s colleges and universities – or should be.  Such an environment principally depends upon a community-wide commitment to civility, reason, mutual respect, and the quest for truth. Diversity in that community is a substantial source of strength; it is an extremely desirable asset that should be vigorously pursued.  If our community is too homogenous (composed mostly of people who look like us, think like us, and share our assumptions and worldview), then dialog and debate may be constrained, and our intellectual growth stunted.  Colleges and universities can provide excellent settings in which to build diverse communities that foster meaningful debate and dialog.  In this context, all forms of human diversity are valuable: political, economic, racial, social, ethnic, religious, origin, orientation, and more.

Deep engagement with the thought and perspectives of other periods of history, and across the breadth of human culture, is also essential.  This is one reason that all students should pursue the study of the liberal arts.   It is mere prejudice to believe that contemporary thought or analysis is inherently superior to that of the past.  Of course, all areas of knowledge build upon the past, and this is particularly evident in the sciences. Our understanding of the universe and all of its laws is far more advanced and comprehensive now than at any previous time. But this should not blind us to the wisdom and truth revealed or discovered by our predecessors.  Measuring our understanding and assumptions against the insights and conclusions of previous civilizations and cultures can be both very challenging and very illuminating.

To succeed in building communities that are diverse, welcoming, and supportive on one hand, and intellectually challenging and demanding on the other, is not easy.  A certain degree of institutional fortitude is also required because both internal and external criticism will surely come.  But higher education must persevere in this. It has never been more important, not only for the reasons cited above but also because our students need the wisdom and skills that can only be gained by living and participating in such an endeavor.

Athletics

There are multiple questions that swirl insistently around higher education in America: questions of access, affordability, priorities, focus, quality, completion, transparency, and more.  This is to be expected as the costs of higher education escalate and both governments and families seek solutions to the issues and proof that the return on the investment in higher education will justify its cost.  In this climate another question emerges with growing intensity: how can we justify the presence of intercollegiate athletics, and its associated costs?

It is a reasonable and fair question. There are very few colleges and universities where intercollegiate athletics pays its own way.  The difference between revenues and costs must therefore come from tuition or state support, or both. So the question posed above really is one of what benefits does athletics provide that justify the investment of tax revenues or tuition?  A common answer posits that athletics is the “front porch” of the university, that it invites and encourages the engagement and support of alumni, the community, and the private sector. Many believe that athletics promotes and strengthens the brand of the institution. It is frequently asserted that individuals or entities that support athletics at a college or university will support academic and student programs as well.  All of these ideas may well be accurate.  And they may provide a sufficient justification for athletics to some, but certainly not to all.  

There can be little doubt that athletics is deeply, and probably irreversibly, integrated into American higher education.   Some might wish this was not the case, but we have to deal with the world as we find it, and not as we wish it to be. Given this reality, are there attributes of athletics that make it a valuable part of colleges and universities?  At the University of Rhode Island I think the answer is yes. 

Excluding facilities for the moment, scholarships are the largest single component of athletics budgets at URI and similar institutions: not coaches’ salaries, not travel, equipment, or operations.  This is important because, in essence, scholarships are direct investments in the student-athletes. Therefore, when we examine the value of athletics to a campus, we need to assess the value of these young men and women to our endeavors and our community. At the University of Rhode Island, our student-athletes are overwhelmingly a positive force on campus.  They tend to perform at a high level academically, have substantially higher graduation rates than the rest of the student body, are engaged, and are leaders. About 35% of them are on the Deans’ List.  They set a terrific example for other students with regard to dedication, time management, engagement, and commitment. Most of these outstanding individuals would not be here if they were not able to compete while pursuing their education, and URI would be diminished by their absence.

Our student athletes bring important diversity to our campus. Diversity is an asset, an advantage, for our student body and for our community as whole.  America is an increasingly diverse country, and obviously part of a diverse global society. Facilitating understanding of the nature, history, sociology, values, and perspectives of diverse cultures, ethnicities, world-views, and orientations is educationally valuable and, I would argue, critical to our students’ success in a global economy and global society.

One notable attribute of global society is its fascination and devotion to athletics and sports. The Olympics, the World Cup, March Madness, the proliferation of professional sports across the world, all are clear indicators of the human fascination (some would say “obsession”) with athletic competition.  Yes this fascination can be divisive, even violent. But it can also play a central role in building the fabric of community, in bringing people together, and bridging difference.  Hollywood has captured and portrayed this aspect of sports in compelling ways (e.g in the movies Mandela and the upcoming 42) and in quirky, amusing ways (e.g Silver Linings Playbook).

Intercollegiate athletics can assist campus communities in bridging differences, in finding common ground, in building relationships. In short – athletics can, and frequently does, foster community.  It connects the campus community at any given moment to a wider community of alumni, constituents, and supporters of the university. Our athletes participate in all aspects of campus life, often in leadership roles. They are great representatives of URI in the wider community, and with alumni and friends of the university.  They give back in manifold ways, such as supporting Habitat for Humanity, serving as Peer Advocates (see our homepage for the story), or saving lives by donating bone marrow. 

Of course, there are times when athletics programs and student-athletes fall short. Intercollegiate athletics, especially in Division I, has suffered both chronic and episodic problems that are serious and troubling. It appears that the cultures of athletics on some campuses may be deeply damaging to the institutions. But both minor and serious problems occur in practically all endeavors that involve people. At URI the athletic leadership and coaches are committed to building a culture of excellence – in competition, in academics, and in service. It is also a culture that embraces diversity, instills pride in oneself and in URI, and that develops leadership, and thereby strengthens the university. Moreover, athletics can enhance a university’s brand, its reputation, and even its funding.  In the final analysis, however, I think the presence and qualities of our student athletes, and the tremendous positive contributions they make to the life of the URI community, justifies our investment in them and in athletics.

Nemo Found Us

The campuses of the University of Rhode Island, especially in Kingston, took a bit of a pounding from a serious nor’ easterner (named Nemo, of all things) this past weekend.  Big Chill, our annual gala fundraiser for scholarships was postponed until March, classes were canceled (along with many other events), and our emergency management systems and procedures experienced a severe test.  We passed. As I sit in my office late on Sunday afternoon, power has been restored to most of the campus and our crews are still hard at working plowing, snowplowing, shoveling, cleaning up, and providing essential services.  All of us in the URI community owe them a lot of thanks. They got very little sleep for 48 hours and many worked in severe conditions to repair power systems, keep the roads passable, and take care of our students.  I cannot say that our management of all this was perfect, and we will thoroughly assess what went well and where our efforts were less than satisfactory. We will learn from this and improve.  For those who contacted us to share your concerns and frustrations, I thank you for your comments – your input will help us get better.

There were some memorable moments that were very positive, however.  After 24 hours without power ourselves, we were delighted to welcome, shortly after our power was restored, five refugees from Xi Omega to our house on campus when several of our fraternities and sororities needed to evacuate their buildings owing to power outages. 

Here they are, along with our niece Emily, who is a pharmacy student at URI.

And here is a picture of the Upper College Road branch of Xi Omega’s “common” room.

All I can say is that when everything gets back to (at least close to) normal on Monday or Tuesday, Lynn and I (and Rhody and Lily) will miss them.

Thanks again to all those who make the University of Rhode Island a special community: our students, our dedicated staff, and our faculty.  Let's hope all this snow melts expeditiously!

A Season of Grief and Hope

As the semester draws to a close and the holiday season approaches, I find myself reflecting on the tragic and immensely sad events of last week in Newtown, Connecticut. How can we respond in the face of such debilitating, devastating tragedy?

As much as we might want to find someone or something to blame, that is not what any of us truly need in moments like these. What we need, I believe, is first to grieve together, to mourn the loss of those who are precious and loved, and to acknowledge that little we do or say can alleviate that loss.
We continue to grieve with the families of Newtown. As we grieve, we cannot escape the realization that we live in a world that is full of suffering and pain. But we also live in the hope that by sharing with one another the tender mercies of grace, that our lives may yet have joy. By coming together in the vigils sponsored by our students, and by our faculty and staff, the URI community has helped in some small way to rebuild that hope, and all of us are grateful.

I wish you a peaceful holiday season with family and friends and a special time for reflection about all that is good and important in the world.

It Really Is About Students

As one of America’s research universities, the University of Rhode Island has a complex, multifaceted mission. Our mission includes a host of priorities including undergraduate education, graduate education, research, scholarship and creative work, economic development, technology transfer, public service and outreach, creating community, fostering diversity, consulting, workforce development, and much more.  And we have a multitude of constituencies, both internal and external:  faculty, and staff, all the people of Rhode Island, state and local governments, the federal government, businesses, NGOs, agencies, and more.  It is occasionally possible to overlook what is most important amid all the activities, the seemingly ever-increasing demands, and the multitude of constituencies. 

Three events this week illuminated the central truth that students are the reason we exist as a university.  Each captured a different moment in the life of URI, and each reaches beyond that moment. 

On Tuesday night the Honors Colloquium featured Stephanie Chafee, a nurse and a passionate advocate for affordable health care.  Lynn and I hosted a dinner for Ms. Chafee, students, and faculty, which her husband Governor Lincoln Chafee also attended.  To observe our students energetically and enthusiastically engaging Ms. Chafee and the Governor was simply inspirational and a cogent reminder of the quality and ability of so many of our students.  

On Thursday we celebrated our international students with the official opening of the flag display in the Memorial Union; see the story at (http://www.uri.edu/news/releases/?id=6467).  The event was part of International Education Week 2012 at URI.   This was in many ways a straightforward acknowledgement of the growing diversity of the University of Rhode Island community: flags from 99 countries were displayed, representing the homes of the students at the university – with room for more.  But as Alice Odhiambo ( class of 2011, and currently pursuing a master’s degree at URI) so beautifully pointed out, the flags also symbolize that the University of Rhode Island is a second home for our international students.  It is important, even critical, for all of our students, not just those from abroad, that URI become a more internationally focused university.  In order for our students to succeed they must be prepared to participate and lead in a global economy, and an increasingly globalized society. 

Also on Thursday, a committee of our faculty presented a thoughtful, thorough report to the Faculty Senate on how the University of Rhode Island can improve undergraduate academic advising for students, especially undergraduates.  In my view, excellent advising is an intrinsic component of excellent teaching.  A consistent theme expressed by our alumni and many current students in regard to their academic and career success is the commitment of our faculty to advising and mentoring them.  Strong advising can be as important to undergraduate education as the curriculum itself. To the faculty who are actively engaged in improving advising I say, “Thank you very much” for your good work on this critical element of our teaching.  I look forward, as I am sure our students do, to the implementation of your recommendations. 

Yes, the research and scholarship conducted at the University of Rhode Island is also part of our core mission. It also greatly benefits students. Student engagement in research and creative work is more important than ever, for both graduate students and undergraduates alike.  As we work to increase research, scholarship, and creative work at URI, as we seek to help rebuild the Rhode Island and the national economy, and as we strive to serve the people of our state and nation, we must remember that, in the end, all that we do really is about our students and their future.  Their future is the world’s future, and higher education and the University of Rhode Island have always been about creating the future. 

Of Hurricanes, Halloween, and Achievement

The last week was an eventful one for the University of Rhode Island.  In many ways we were much more fortunate, by virtue of our location, than many of our sister institutions of higher education in the northeast.  We also benefited substantially from the careful and thorough planning by our emergency management team, the leadership and staff of our Housing and Residence Life unit, the communications staff, academic staff, and, especially the dedicated people of URI’s Facilities and Grounds unit.

Thanks to all these people, the University of Rhode Island and our community came through the storm and its immediate aftermath extremely well. See http://www.uri.edu/news/releases/?id=6448 for a summary.  We didn’t do everything perfectly, and some parts of campus still are without power, but all of us can be thankful for the efforts of those at URI who worked in advance of, and then throughout the hurricane itself to protect our students, staff, and the campus. 

Our students handled the storm and its aftermath extremely well, although some of our students living off campus are still without power, as are some of our staff. But we must remember that the University of Rhode Island community now extends across the United States and the globe.  Many of our students come from parts of the northeast that suffered severely in the hurricane. Our hopes and prayers go out to all those who suffered damage to, or loss of, their home or business, or, more tragically, injury to or loss of a family member or friend.. 

Collectively these events again remind me of the value and importance of community: of working together, supporting one another, grieving together, and celebrating together. This year, Halloween (which can often pose some minor challenges) coming immediately after the hurricane, provided a much-needed time for our students to unwind and enjoy themselves. The LGBTQ Center and Uhura Sasa sponsored a party and eXposure another. Both were well attended and reportedly enjoyed by all.  It is worth noting, I think, that all of these student groups were founded to foster and support diversity and community on the campus.  I am also aware that our faculty, advisors, and support staff are reaching out to students to offer their support and assistance in dealing with the toll of the storm and its aftermath. 

Building community together, developing friendships and relationships, and experiencing the joys of both giving and receiving support, are some of the most valuable parts of an education at the University of Rhode Island.  We recently celebrated some of our most distinguished alumni in our Distinguished Achievement Awards ceremony.  All of them spoke eloquently of the importance of the friendships and relationships formed at URI that had made, and still make, a difference in their lives.  When we calculate the value of a college education, we should not forget the enormous and tangible positive contributions that being a part of a university community really makes.