Thank you, Dr. Ferren, for convening this Fall Convocation, and I join in welcoming all of you as we embark upon another school term at Radford University (RU). Greetings to you, the faculty and staff, and especially those who are new members of our University family. These greetings extend, of course, to the leaders of our Student Government Association, to our alumni and friends, and to the representatives of the news media present here today. Welcome to what promises to be an eventful year in a new century, filled with challenge and opportunity!

This Fall, RU will celebrate its 90^th year of continuous progress and exemplary service. So today’s occasion offers an opportune time to take stock of where we are and where we are going. I promise that this Fall Convocation address will not attempt to review the last nine decades because, as I have said before, brevity is a virtue, and today I intend to be virtuous. But another anniversary comes to mind for me. It is five years since I first stood at this lectern to address you at a Fall Convocation. Perhaps we could take a few minutes for brief reflection on some of our accomplishments during that interval. I emphasize "we," not "I," because the notable accomplishments of the last five years have not been mine, but ours—and in many respects yours, with me cheering you on.

I’m reminded of the proverbial flea on the elephant’s back. This huge elephant was walking through the jungle when he came to a river with a turbulent current. High above the rapids was a swinging bridge made of ropes and vines. The elephant pondered his plight for a few seconds, and just as he proceeded across, a little flea lit on his back. With each stride by the elephant, this bridge swung perilously from side to side. And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he arrived at the other side with the flea perched on his back. When the elephant turned his head to look back at his passenger, that flea, wearing the biggest grin and bursting with pride said, "Man, didn’t we shake that thing."

I can identify with the flea because, thanks to your hard work, we’ve crossed a few bridges together. And I’m proud of you.

Five years ago, RU had no strategic plan. We were journeying into a new century without a road map. Now, we not only have such a plan, but we update it regularly, extend it, act upon it, with all the major constituencies of the University embracing it as their own. The Strategic Plan is neither an end in itself, nor a mere bureaucratic exercise. It is an essential tool for grasping our present situation, and for shaping our future. We can ill afford to ignore or abuse it, as we work cooperatively to strengthen this dynamic, emerging university.

Five years ago, the major components of today’s internal governance system at RU—the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and Administrative Senate—were concepts which had not been operationalized. Today, these features of our University’s shared governance are paramount, fully realized elements which influence our University’s plans and progress. They monitor, deliberate, and advise on its entire range of policies and programs. I applaud the positive leadership of all of you who have served as duly elected Senators on these representative bodies, each of which is so essential to sound institutional governance.

Five years ago, we were still pondering the reform of our General Education Program. Today, we have done it. RU’s General Education Program is more coherent, rigorous, and integral to our students’ educational foundation than ever before. Far from permitting general education to be watered down, we’ve made it more focused and more sensible—a foundation in inquiry, and in critical thinking and creative skills, that serves our students well as they prepare to advance into their major courses of study. And it’s no static program, but a dynamic one, undergoing assessment that can lead to well-considered changes in the future.

Five years ago, RU struggled with a pattern of declining enrollments. That unfortunate trend has been reversed. Overall enrollment, including first-time freshmen, continues to rise, as does the entering students’ level of academic preparedness. The retention and success of students have improved markedly as well, thanks to programs such as University 100 and Supplemental Instruction. This institution is growing, and helping students succeed while raising academic standards and enriching academic programs. That’s not happenstance. It’s the result of self-determination and hard work on your part, and that of our students.

Five years ago, RU had never embarked upon a Capital Fund Campaign. Now our first ever, the "Investing in Lifetimes" campaign, has concluded in triumph. Conceived initially with a $14 million goal, the Campaign later raised its sights to a $21 million goal, and then surpassed even that, bringing in well over $26 million. The Campaign was a resounding success, owing to the diligence and generosity of countless benefactors, including those among our students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends. Financial and material resources for serving our students and the Commonwealth have multiplied. Likewise, we have acquired many new friends along the way, while inspiring old friends to rededicate themselves to the University’s advancement.

These several examples of institutional effectiveness are significant by any yardstick of an organization’s progress. And they don’t begin to exhaust the full range of noteworthy accomplishments. Sometimes, in retrospect, these five years seem like a blink of the eye—yet when measured by such achievements, it is remarkable that our University has overcome so much, achieved so much, and advanced so far in that time. Your contributions, individually and collectively, have been invaluable, and remain vital to its future. Big things grow out of a multitude of small things kept in their proper perspective. Big things happen, therefore, when we pay attention to detail, when our energy is high and our purpose coherent, and when we work together, focusing our combined efforts on the things that matter most to us…those that we identify as our priorities.

I’d like to review a few of the signal events of the 1999-2000 academic year…events that illustrate our commitment to the University’s continued growth and prosperity. Many more details will be shared in the Annual Report to be published in a few weeks. But for now, let’s recall some of last year’s highlights.

Let’s begin, as is fitting, with our faculty and academic programs. Again—for the sixth time—a RU professor was selected by the State Council of Higher Education to receive the Commonwealth’s Outstanding Faculty Award. Selected from among 71 nominees, Geology professor Robert Whisonant was one of 11 faculty statewide to receive this award. His distinguished service at RU extends over 29 years (and counting). Dr. Whisonant helped build the Department of Geology, which he chaired for 15 years, into a nationally-recognized program featuring applied geology. His recognition beyond the boundaries of our campus confirms what we knew already: that he is an uncommonly dedicated teacher, even by the high standards set by this University.

RU’s faculty members are not self-aggrandizing "prima donnas," but colleagues working diligently and collaboratively to improve student learning at every level. All the faculty in the science departments assembled last year in workshops to discuss the strengthening of teaching and learning in General Education courses. And the recently created new area in the General Education Program, the International and Intercultural Studies area, is off to a great start—broadening students’ perspectives, making a positive impact on Foreign Language enrollments, and demonstrating the University’s dedication to the proposition that a liberal education is not a parochial one.

Existing academic programs and facilities, new ones, and still more on the horizon, all show this institution’s devotion to student-centered learning, and to student success after graduation. Internship programs are increasingly available to students across the curriculum, and the Center for Experiential Learning has compiled a database of more than 200 employers willing to offer practical, reality based work experience for RU interns. Recently, we signed the first partnership between a university and the United States Census Bureau, providing a variety of internships.

"Project FUTURE" in the College of Education and Human Development, funded by a three-year federal grant of nearly $400,000, supports 620 teacher interns. These internships will include a clinical experience that infuses technology into teaching and learning in the public elementary and secondary schools of our region. And the General Assembly has appropriated $750,000 in seed money to launch our new College of Technology and Information Sciences. It’s aimed at ensuring the technology competence of our graduates and enabling them to take fuller advantage of new career opportunities in today’s job market. Creating the new College is a major challenge for us during the coming year.

However, our faculty, staff and students already make extensive use of computer-based, multimedia educational technology to enhance learning. Many faculty members are using telecommunications to complement in-class teaching and to deliver instruction to distant education sites. Faculty workshops have assisted many of our faculty in achieving higher levels of sophistication in the application of educational technology. The new College will also position RU to play a major role in workforce training throughout Southwest Virginia, and to address the growing manpower needs of the Commonwealth’s technology-based industries.

The services of the new Multimedia Center in McConnell Library are also available to students, as well as faculty and staff. Last spring, this Center had already conducted 100 workshops with 662 participants. For example, it organized and sponsored a Copyright Symposium to increase awareness of important copyright issues affecting teaching and learning in a high-tech age. Establishing the College of Technology and Information Sciences is clearly a logical and appropriate next step in this University’s development.

Adding to the distinctive character of our institution, the Selu Conservancy recently opened yet another facility that will enhance student learning and research opportunities. "The Barn," a 5,100-square-foot structure funded primarily by a $500,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation, contains laboratories for field research, and a 40-foot-tall "silo." This silo houses an observatory capable of transmitting computer-enhanced astronomical images to a classroom below, to the planetarium on campus, or directly to the Internet. Those of you who have not yet toured Selu now have yet another reason to pay the Conservancy a visit.

Our campus facilities are also being upgraded and augmented year in and year out. The recently completed Waldron Hall now houses all three schools (Nursing, Allied Health, and Social Work) which comprise the College of Health and Human Services, bringing a new unity to its instructional, research, and public service activities. The College’s outreach programs will be extended by a mobile health clinic, supported by a $300,000 federal appropriation announced this year by Congressman Rick Boucher. The clinic will deliver health care and human services to rural, medically underserved communities in the region, and provide invaluable training for our students as well.

As we make an old building new again, the renovation and expansion of Peters Hall will bring together, in one specially designed facility, the various departments of the College of Education and Human Development. Built in 1953 as RU’s physical education building, Peters Hall will become a 115,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility for teacher training, thanks to a $9.6 million appropriation in the last session of the General Assembly. While we must sacrifice the availability of this building while renovation is underway, we anticipate that, upon completion, this improved and enlarged facility will represent a valuable addition to our physical plant and greatly enhance our academic program.

Our friends in the business community may refer to RU as a "labor intensive industry." And indeed, we are in the business of developing human talent. Furthermore, in my humble opinion, we do that with a wealth of experience, exceptional ability, and boundless enthusiasm. We are mindful of the fact that the educative process is not primarily bricks and mortar, labs and computers. But neither is it possible for us to keep pace with instructional innovation and growth in our programs without the thoughtful, systematic upgrading and maintenance of our facilities. So we take seriously the periodic need for utilities system improvements and renovation for adaptive use. Quality assurance relative to academic programs and development of superior academic facilities are interdependent, the former providing an optimal learning experience, and the latter a conducive learning environment.

As we build strength upon strength in pursuit of academic excellence, it comes as no surprise that RU is becoming attractive to an expanding, more diversified constituency. This observation is evidenced by the growing numbers who choose to visit and identify with our campus! In Fall 1999, overall enrollment grew by 2.5 percent over the previous year; graduate enrollment increased by 3.5 percent; and most impressive of all, the freshman class was 9.4 percent larger than in 1998. Steady growth of this magnitude is a credit to the tireless efforts of our Admissions Office….efforts that are reinforced and complemented by the many faculty, staff, and students who participated in Open Houses, Highlander Days, and phonathons contacting admitted students.

Once new freshmen and transfer students arrive, our University’s faculty and staff strive to see that they succeed, before and after graduation. Last year, for instance, 90 percent of new freshmen enrolled in University 100, and that number has reached 94 percent for the semester about to begin. And our survey data from the Career Services Center show our recent graduates reaching new heights of success: six months after graduation in 1999, 96.6 percent of RU’s newest alumni were either employed or attending graduate or professional schools.

Campus life grows ever richer for our students and for ourselves. Successful scholar-athletes are a great source of pride. Artistic and cultural events draw many visitors to the University. The Highlander Festival has become a fixture on the regional calendar and represents a perennial attraction to our campus. Programs to stem some of the all-too-typical problems of student life are also succeeding: recently revamped drug and alcohol enforcement policies continue to reduce substance abuse among students. And innovations, like the police bicycle patrol, are making the campus safer than ever.

You, who work daily with our students, know that the RU experience works. Yet it’s gratifying to see our virtues documented by professional judges of higher education from outside the University. The Washington Post Company’s Kaplan/Newsweek College Catalogue 2000 listed RU as a top school in several major categories: Schools with the Best Range of Extracurricular Activities; Schools Offering the Maximum Amount of Individual Academic Attention; Schools for the Student Who is Learning Disabled; and Schools that are Hidden Treasures. These distinctions are documented in a survey of guidance counselors in public and private schools across the country. The study noted that "counselors like this school for its small class sizes at all levels, and its clean, well-kept campus." US News and World Report, another influential publication that evaluates colleges and universities, has ranked RU in the top 25 percent of comprehensive colleges in the South.

We could cite many additional examples of our University’s continuing effectiveness and changes in a positive direction. Likewise, we could point to a number of reasons for its steady advancement in recent years. Personally, I believe that it’s due, in large measure, to the spirit of cooperation and mutual helpfulness that pervades our University. And it surely has much to do with our relentless pursuit of the priorities set forth in the University’s Strategic Plan. The Plan provides a context for our eight priorities. As reflected in my remarks today, they have commanded our undivided attention over the past five years and will challenge us to redouble our efforts in the foreseeable future. As you recall, they include:

1. increasing student enrollment, progression, and graduation;
2. enhancing the quality of student life and stimulating social development;
3. strengthening existing academic programs and promoting scholarship;
4. expanding the curriculum to provide innovative academic programs and activities;
5. upgrading and maintaining physical resources and facilities;
6. ensuring careful fiscal planning and thorough, efficient management;
7. increasing financial support through fundraising and conservation of resources; and
8. enhancing internal and external relations.

With these priorities in mind, I hope you will agree that the year 1999-2000 was an active, productive period, punctuated by hard work and notable achievements. But that punctuation mark is an "exclamation point" and a "hyphen," not a "period". Our work is far from complete, so we must stay the course this year and in the coming years.

I’ve observed that the best universities are those whose people believe their institutions are more than they really are. Conversely, the worst universities are those whose people believe their institutions are less than they really are. They either rise to or regress to their levels of expectation. Those with preconceived convictions of inferiority will rarely dream big, scarcely plan big, and never win big. They don’t trust their ability because they dare not. They don’t believe in themselves….they lack confidence in their capacity for success. At RU, let’s not become preoccupied with self-doubt….let’s not become consumed with self-criticism and low expectations.

According to South African leader Nelson Mandela:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world, there’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

We are privileged to lead and serve RU at a critical time….a time that bridges the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. I believe that leadership isn’t merely a product of intelligence of circumstance. It’s, substantially, a function of vision and courage. Vision is the seed of an idea, and courage is the nutrient (the life force) that causes it to become fertilized, causes it to take root and grow, to blossom and come to fruition. Nature can’t regenerate itself without giving the seed time to flower. Nevertheless, in the time afforded us, our challenge requires taking this university of superior quality, with its talented dedicated people, and actively engaging ourselves in a vigorous, concerted effort to elevate it to a higher level of attainment and prominence. So, together, let’s make this year at RU an affirmation of that endeavor and, at the same time, renew our shared commitment to excellence.

Official Papers of Douglas Covington