(08/28/07)
Convocation Address 2007-2008  |
| Convocation Address was given by Christopher C. Metcalf, Lecturer of Accountancy and recipient of the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities' Excellence in Teaching Award.
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Thank you, Dean Cowan, for that fine introduction.
When I went out to get the papers this morning, there it was, beaming down at me in all of its glory, a full lunar eclipse. I looked up at it and said to myself, "Gee, that's pretty cool."
But its wonder and majesty made me pause. For a moment, it put things in perspective. How much I don't understand. How much I have yet to learn.
Dean Cowan, distinguished guests, devoted faculty and staff, students and friends, it is indeed an honor for me to address you this afternoon. Thank you for this opportunity.
When Dr. Sommers asked me to deliver this address, I was very excited, as I knew there were some things that I really wanted to say. But I told Jeff that it would not be your typical convocation speech.
I told him my speech would contain:
- No pithy quotes
- No intellectual musings
- No poems
- Just me - in my own skin - as the button-down accountant!
Jeff, however, was not the least bit discouraged by any of that.
And with that, I am delighted to join you in this grand celebration of our new academic year.
I love this time
I love this time of year.
It is a time of renewal, fresh starts and clean slates.
It is a time of promise, exciting choices and great expectations.
It is a time when energy levels are high, all things are possible and new friends are made.
There is the hustle and bustle of activity triggering the tension of an opening night play. A sense of urgency prevails. The bookstore is teeming with shoppers. Good parking spaces are at a premium. The facilities are spotless, gleaming and well manicured.
The faculty and staff are poised, chomping at the bit in anticipation of the year-long sprint. What lies beyond each curve on the course is unknown. But we have been known to go the extra mile, from taking pies in the face to jumping out of perfectly good airplanes!
So here we go, again! The gift of another new year.
Strategic Realignment
Over the past few months, it has become clear to me that MUM is now reinventing itself. MUM is experiencing a renaissance, a rebirth. Despite daunting budget hurdles, rejuvenation now flourishes on a number of fronts, two of which are community engagement and student success.
For each of us who is a part of this wonderful mosaic that we call our campus community, our success is measured by how much we improve the lives of others. To quote Dean Cowan, Miami's regional campuses "are exactly what the doctor ordered for bringing more people into the higher ed system, meeting them where they are, and helping them succeed."
MUM's evolving impact on the region is boundless. MUM is becoming a campus without boundaries. Our reach is defined by the need to serve others. Our limit is defined by our unending imagination.
MUM's community engagement efforts are extraordinary. As evidence of that, just focus your attention on this Community Center, a pantheon of possibilities. Coupled with the soon to be constructed Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester, these facilities represent tangible symbols of Miami's dedication to serving regional stakeholders.
MUM is also an innovator in developing programs to meet the changing needs of students and to help ensure their success. Our new summer time enrichment program, late start classes, SaturdaySelect program, Degree Power Schedule, on-line courses and bachelor's "completion" degrees are some of the innovative delivery programs that MUM has revved-up to maximize student access. MUM is, indeed, a gateway to opportunity.
Again quoting Dean Cowan, "This type of scheduling, responsive to students' needs and desires, is absolutely necessary to the 21st century campus."
Our rebirth has gained traction.
However, aversion to risk and tolerance of mediocrity will only drive us back to where we have been, not to where we now need to go. The business model that got us here will no longer get us there.
Vision and courage - bold and purpose driven - is now the order of the day. I see it in our leadership that stands before us today as a swift agent for change.
It has been said, "If you don't like change, yo're going to like irrelevance even less." Given the velocity at which this campus is changing, irrelevance is a distant place. We have passed it by. But we must be careful. It is also a place that lies before us. The imperative is clear: skillfully designed and executed strategic and marketing plans will ensure that we never arrive at that place.
While witnessing our rebirth, I have watched with keen interest the realignment of our management team. It has been my experience that the most effective teams are those forged during challenging times, bonding together to hammer out integrated strategy. Having left base camp, we now have the team to take us to the summit. We are a terribly talented lot.
Of all the organizations in my professional life, none have matched the MUM potential, promise and position to address change on such a grand scale. MUM is on the move. We are not waiting for our future to arrive. We are reinventing it now. And I feel the reassuring hand of history on our shoulder coaxing us onward.
Miami Middletown is not perfect, but by all relevant measures, it's awful good!
So, congratulations! You have hitched your wagon to a rising star. Hang on. Hang on and enjoy the ride!
Fire in the Belly
My ride at Miami started seven years ago after 26 years in the corporate world. My company had recently been sold. At age 50, my then current career options were, let's just say, not measuring up to my expectations.
Although I had no prior teaching aspiration, my wife, Pam, encouraged me to accept a teaching job on the Oxford campus in the Department of Accountancy.
Well, the fire was lit, prompting a mid-life career change with all of the uncertainty and insecurity that I could drag into that new job. I was scared about a whole lot of things.
I survived that first year. I grew, and along with me grew a passion. Call it a fire in the belly.
I have class this afternoon. Today's lesson is important. And I know when I first step into that classroom, I'll feel a rush, a rush heightened by the prospect that I'll connect with my students in a way that only a teacher can experience. Faculty here know what I mean. It is a special connection.
The greatest compliment a student can pay me is to say, "Thanks, Mr. Metcalf. I learned a lot in your class." I know then I connected.
True story. It was many years ago. I was a financial manager looking to fill an important staff position in our corporate headquarters. My boss and I were debating the merits of the final two candidates. I said, "Ed, if I had to choose between intellect and passion, I'd choose the candidate that demonstrated the most passion for the job." As I expected, Ed disagreed with me.
But to this day, I still feel I am right. Intellect alone does not produce greatness unless pushed onward by a passion.
Passion. Here's your charge: find yours. Find your passion. This is a university. Explore it and exploit it. Students, use this time of new beginnings to grow your mind and find your passion.
Education is our lamplighter, punching holes in the darkness created by ignorance, prejudice, fear and indifference.
As portrayed by the Miami lantern, this university is here to light the way and to open your eyes. So look. Listen. Learn. It is truly amazing to me to think of the vast bodies of knowledge that reside right here on this campus. Do not squander this opportunity.
It's in Your Hands
I love this time of year.
And I hope you will, too.
Make good use of it.
It's in your hands now. Choices count.
And may you surpass all of us in what you accomplish.
Good luck on your journey this year and Godspeed.
Thank you.
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