AASCU > Meetings > Professional Dev elopment of Higher Eduication Leaders

Youngstown State University
Commencement
May 16, 2009

President Sweet, distinguished platform guests, faculty and staff, friends, and especially you, my fellow 2009 graduates of Youngstown State University.

Let me express my deep gratitude for the honor to be bestowed on me today. This honorary degree is very meaningful, as is the opportunity to visit this active and attractive campus and to be part of these Commencement exercises.

Several years have passed since my last visit to the “Steel Valley University,” and I must tell you that the growth and physical expansion of Youngstown State are remarkable, while the scope and reputation of its academic programs should be a source of great pride to all.

What has always made your university stand out has been its engagement with the city of Youngstown. From its outgrowth from the community YMCA to its programming a century later, this University has a rich tradition of interacting with the community and its region, and in forging partnerships that both enhance the learning experience of students and improve the quality of life for those who here live and work. Congratulations on your exemplary work in what we call being a “steward of place.

You graduates have been part of this University for four years, five years—maybe even six or seven. But the hour has come to take your leave. I shall not detain you long. I promise.

Commencements bring to mind Homer’s tale of the mighty Odysseus, who left his family and home in Ithaca to fight in the Trojan Wars. Victory was transformed by wrathful gods into a twenty-year odyssey, where our hero and his warriors were detained by the nymph Calypso, captured by the one-eyed Cyclops, lured by the Sirens, subjected to the perils of Charybdis and Scylla, until at long last and alone, Odysseus returned to Ithaca.

Today you commence your odyssey – an odyssey hopefully not as perilous as that of Odysseus, but clearly into the unknown. This is a far different world than that in which my graduating class ventured over four decades ago. Then we chose whether to return to where we had lived or to migrate to Cincinnati or a larger city where opportunities were more plentiful. Tomorrow, your wanderings are likely to take you anywhere in the world. Ours was a mono-cultural world; yours, one noted for its diversity and multiculturalism. We have entered a new era characterized by quantum technological change, a globalized economy where capital and labor freely flow across national boundaries, the massification of higher education, and the near-universal adoption of the English language. These significant changes have been punctuated by three ominous developments: the possession of nuclear weapons by a growing number of nations, the ascendancy to power of religious extremists of all faiths, and unnerving and bloody ethnic conflicts. The 21st century is a far more dangerous time than that which my generation, even with the Cold War, experienced. It is in this new world, both exciting and dangerous, where you must now find your rightful place.

And you begin your journey in the most inauspicious of times—in the midst of global recession and with fewer career opportunities than awaited classes before you. Be not dismayed, nor discouraged. Our economy is a resilient one; our country remains the focal point for innovation and commercialization, and we have engaged and enterprising national leadership working to reenergize our economy and to renew opportunity for all Americans. I believe, and I hope you do, too, in the words of our late President Reagan, who said, “America’s best days lie ahead.”

Irrespective of your political affiliation or preferences—and goodness knows, Ohio has been in the limelight in every election this century—we should all support our country making investments in scientific research, in developing clean energy technology, in strengthening and expanding the nation’s infrastructure—both physically and digitally—and in the process revitalizing our educational prowess and our manufacturing capabilities. What is becoming increasingly clear is that our future economic prosperity will come, not through Wall Street or even Main Street, but via University Avenue.

While many of you will pursue graduate and professional degrees, all of us will need to be engaged in continuous learning—preparing for the new opportunities in the 21st century—not knowing where those opportunities may lead us or what new careers will unfold. Remember the most important knowledge you take from Youngstown State is not the content embedded in the degree you have earned, but an understanding of what is left to learn.

And learn we must. We must better adapt to change. We must better understand other peoples, their cultures and religious beliefs, and their hopes and aspirations. It should be clear to us all that we have become economically, politically and societally interdependent. Events virtually anywhere in the world impact our safety and economic prosperity. In this new world order, our challenge is better to understand other people, their values, cultures and motivations. Unlike the era of European colonization in the 19th century and the aftermath of World War II in the 20th, today no nation has the military power, economic prowess or moral authority to determine what happens elsewhere in the world. That is a lesson that our experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have painfully taught us. Your generation must succeed far more effectively than mine in solving those intractable global problems which increasingly threaten our future.

We must, as well, assume personal responsibility to insure that our democracy survives and thrives. Our democratic traditions will not long endure if each of us does not assume responsibility to engage with our neighbors, contribute to our communities, and participate in our electoral process.

At the end of the Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin was asked, “What kind of government will we have?” Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Over two centuries we have sought to keep our republic and to protect it from foes abroad. Today the greatest challenge may be the apathy of our own citizens. especially prevalent among the youngest, yet best educated. Over the last half century, among the 172 nations holding democratic elections, the USA ranks 139th in voter participation. We are in the bottom 20%. In the 2004 presidential election, with its widespread interest and increased voter turnout, just over 50% of the voting age population went to the polls. And young citizens trailed those numbers. This last election, the 2008 Presidential contest, we as a people did much better, but still we were below 60% voting participation. Graduates, remember that in these elections, the percentage of college students and graduates age 25 and under who voted was less than the percentage of high school dropouts 65 and older.

You can do better. We must do better. Citizenship entails taking the time to understand the policy issues facing our states and nation. It means discussing those issues—seeking to uncover greater truths and determining where wisdom leads.

When apathy and indifference prevail, citizenship is enfeebled and the power of vested interests—especially moneyed vested interests—predominates, and the common good is compromised. If we are to affirm our democracy, you, me, all of us must do our part.

So on your journey, wherever you may go, and whoever and whatever you encounter, remember the importance of better understanding people different from you, while at the same time fulfilling your obligations as a citizen in your community, your state and nation.

Just as the mighty Odysseus after two decades abroad returned to his home in Ithaca, so, too, should you return to this, your educational home—YSU. A former mentor of mine frequently declared that alumni were indissolubly linked to their alma mater. If he were here today, he would tell you there are many things in life you can change. If you do not like your work, you can change careers; if you do not like where you live, you can move; even if you are unhappy with your marriage, you can change that–but you cannot change your degree.

You will always be known as a graduate of Youngstown State University. If its stature is enhanced in the years ahead, so will your standing be enhanced. If its reputation is sullied and its programs degraded, so will the value of your degree depreciate.

Each of you has a personal interest in seeing that your University continues to grow and prosper. It is a public institution with both a rich heritage and deep commitments to students, and to the community and region which it serves. It is a place of public purpose engaged in improving the health, education, welfare and economic prosperity of the people. It deserves your personal and the public’s collective support.

And on that note, let me again congratulate you, the 2009 graduates. I wish each of you fulfillment and great joy. I leave you with words expressed centuries ago by the Roman Emperor Julian:

I join President Sweet, the faculty and staff in regretting you must leave, but wishing you good luck and Godspeed.

Youngstown State University Commencement May 16, 2009

Youngstown State University
Commencement
May 16, 2009