Upfront: Second Impressions of Michigan State
SECOND IMPRESSIONS OF MICHIGAN STATE
My first impressions since graduating MSU are that much has changed and much has not. The University has made great strides during that period, yet the dedication to excellence in all things has remained intact. Much that is good has been kept, much that has been needed, both physically and philosophically, has been added.
I was a freshman in the 1950's when my first impressions were formed. I am now encountering my 'second impressions.' As President of MSU, I see things from a far different perspective than I did as a freshman. Certainly, I have changed over time. I have worked at the lowest and the highest levels of government and business. I have been shaped by these experiences, hopefully for the better! The world has changed far more. Who would have foreseen the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dismemberment of the Soviet Union, and the steady, yet dramatic changes in the rights of heretofore 'second class' American citizens?
MSU reflects these changes in our world and society at least as much as we MSU graduates. In part, we have responded to rapidly changing economic and political climates. In part, the growth of our efforts is due to the wisdom and foresight of previous and current staff and faculty leaders. The change is dramatic and for the good. I return to a campus to find students committed to serve. I return to an enhanced faculty at the cutting edge of education and research. It is a faculty willing to share far beyond the banks of the Red Cedar.
I also find a host of alumni eager to help our school grow even further. I find a group of administrators anxious to preserve those elements which make MSU great. Administrators who are also willing to make unpopular but necessary cuts in the spending these times require. These gains in the sensitivity of our university culture, the scope of our curriculum and the breadth and quality of our administrators, faculty, and student body are considerable.
This expansion has been matched by the growth of our physical plant. The Broad Business School, the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, and the Breslin Center for Student Activities are but a few examples of what has been added since my student days. Thus, my pride in our alma mater is greater than ever I imagined it could be. People here still care about their work more than themselves. Maybe that sounds naive to some. Yet, after years in government and business, I find it refreshing.
Obviously, there are a lot of hard-working public servants and honest, committed businessmen and women in our country. The percentage of dedicated Spartans here, however, somehow just seems remarkable. The pride we share, however, carries with it equal responsibilities. I must do whatever I can to ensure that future returning alumni can have an equally happy homecoming experience. This duty will not be easy. I ask for your help and understanding. We must combine preserve research and yet seek ways to get immediate returns on our scarce funds.
Above all, we must remember to act as a team. The thought I keep uppermost in my mind is the motto of the President of MSU who was here when I arrived. John Hannah told us, 'Only people are important.' How right and wise he was. I am convinced that, each and every day, I must and will continue to have 'new second impressions' of MSU. That is the way it is at this university. That is the way it always must be. As I said the day I became your President, 'It's great to be home.'
