UMass Boston - Winter/Spring 2007-2008 - (Page 13)

Back in 1964, the city of Boston was ninety percent white, about nine percent African-American, and just one percent Asian and others. In 2007, Boston is more than fifty percent people of color. The younger generation is even more racially and culturally diverse. New immigrants have been our sole source of growth. More than twenty-five percent of Bostonians are foreign-born. Proudly, as the first person of color to lead our beloved campus, I tell you today that the University of Massachusetts Boston has embraced this changing world. In returning, I have gained an even clearer view of the impact we at the University of Massachusetts Boston can—and must—have on future generations. The great issues facing our community, issues on which we must help lead the battle, are issues shared with other communities, other peoples, in the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world. Many of these challenges center around disparities, be they in education or enlightenment, in healthcare, in income, in due regard for the elderly or children, or in environmental quality…. We renew our urban mission when we respond to competitive challenges in the global economy, by being less parochial in our approach to the world around us, by making global linkages, benchmarking ourselves against the best practices anywhere, and by investing in our intellectual capital as a regional security imperative…. Return and renewal also signify a journey toward reconciliation—reconciliation between the research and teaching missions of the university. Some universities are known for their great research; others, for great teaching. We shall be known for both, with our expertise in both areas contributing in an interdisciplinary way to serve our local, national, and global constituencies. We are—and will be—the research university with a teaching soul. All of you have had your journeys. Part of your journey has brought you here. My task is to help join our journeys in the service of our students, faculty, and staff—those who are here now, those who preceded us, those who are yet to come—and the many societies to which we collectively belong. Massachusetts is home to some of the best private institutions of higher education in the country. Our goal is to make the University of Massachusetts Boston the nation’s most outstanding urban public university. We are poised on the brink of greatness, looking out to the world and deep within ourselves. We have the vision, we have the tools, and collaboratively we must stay focused and committed. I stand before you as an example of how one can reach from humble beginnings and achieve in ways our parents never imagined. I pledge to our students that they too will have that opportunity. I pledge that the lessons that I’ve learned from others—neighborliness, civility, intergenerational respect, and academic excitement—will be a daily mantra here. I pledge an administration committed to setting and exceeding stretch goals for excellence, innovation, transparency, inclusiveness, and humanity. A world-class institution is a dynamic institution. A dynamic institution provides access. A dynamic institution is accountable. A dynamic institution is inviting. A dynamic academic institution is welcoming in all parts—teaching, research, and service. A world-class university is about universal learning. A world-class university is about universal participation. A great university is about building community. That is where you find victory. That is where you find triumph. Triumph comes when we become one. I’ve come home, with fresh eyes and a renewed commitment. With the help of everyone here and the people of our Commonwealth who support public higher education, we shall move the University of Massachusetts Boston to a great and rewarding future. To see a video of the inauguration… and the complete text of Chancellor motley’s inauguration address, as well as photos and details about inaugural events, please visit www.umb.edu/inauguration. umass boston n http://www.umb.edu/inauguration

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of UMass Boston - Winter/Spring 2007-2008

UMass Boston - Winter/Spring 2007-2008 Contents U News Values and Vision, Bricks and Mortar An Inauguration to Remember An Expedition to Iceland An American Original Reciprocal Dedication About Alumni Alumni Calendar A Report on Private Giving Generous Friends

UMass Boston - Winter/Spring 2007-2008

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