哈佛大学校长就职典礼演讲.docx

哈佛大学校长就职典礼演讲.docx

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哈佛大学校长就职典礼演讲

哈佛大学校长就职典礼演讲

Aspreparedfordelivery

Istandhonoredbyyourtrust,inspiredbyyourcharge.IamgratefultotheGoverningBoardsfortheirconfidence,andIthankallofyouforgatheringinthesefestivalrites.Iamindebtedtomythreepredecessors,sittingbehindme,forjoiningmetoday.ButIamgratefultothemformuchmore–forallthattheyhavegiventoHarvardandforwhateachofthemhasgenerouslygiventome–advice,wisdom,support.Iamtouchedbythegreetingsfromstaff,faculty,students,alumni,universities,fromourhonorableGovernor,andfromtheremarkableJohnHopeFranklin,whohasbothlivedandwrittenhistory.IamgratefultothecommunityleadersfromBostonandCambridgewhohavecometowelcometheirnewneighbor.IamalittlestunnedtoseealmosteverypersonIamrelatedtoonearthsittinginthefrontrows.AndIwouldliketoofferaspecialgreetingofmyowntomyteacherswhoarehere–teachersfromgradeschool,highschool,collegeandgraduateschool–whotaughtmetolovelearningandtheinstitutionsthatnurtureit.

WegatherforacelebrationabitdifferentfromourJunetraditions.Commencementisanannualriteofpassageforthousandsofgraduates;todaymarksariteofpassagefortheUniversity.AsatCommencement,wedonrobesthatmarkourtiestothemostancienttraditionsofscholarship.Onthisoccasion,however,ourprocessionincludesnotjustourHarvardcommunity,butscholars–220ofthem–representinguniversitiesandcollegesfromacrossthecountryandaroundtheworld.Iwelcomeandthankourvisitors,fortheirpresenceremindsusthatwhatwedoheretoday,andwhatwedoatHarvardeveryday,linksustouniversitiesandsocietiesaroundtheglobe.

Todaywemarknewbeginningsbygatheringinsolidarity;wecelebrateourcommunityanditscreativity;wecommitourselvestoHarvardandallitrepresentsinanewchapterofitsdistinguishedhistory.Likeacongregationatawedding,yousignifybyyourpresenceapledgeofsupportforthismarriageofanewpresidenttoavenerableinstitution.Asourcolleaguesinanthropologyunderstandsowell,ritualshavemeaningsandpurposes;theyareintendedtoarouseemotionsandchannelintentions.Inritual,asthepoetThomasLynchhaswritten,“Weactoutthingswecannotputintowords.”Butnowmytaskisinfacttoputsomeofthisceremonyintowords,tocaptureourmeaningsandpurposes.

Inauguralspeechesareapeculiargenre.Theyarebydefinitionpronouncementsbyindividualswhodon’tyetknowwhattheyaretalkingabout.Or,wemightmorecharitablydubthemexpressionsofhopeunchastenedbytherodofexperience.

Anumberofinauguralveterans–bothoratorsandauditors–haveprofferedadvice,includingunanimousagreementthatmytalkmustbeshorterthanCharlesWilliamEliot’s–whichrantoaboutanhourandahalf.Ofteninauguraladdressescontainlists–ofanewpresident’sspecificgoalsorprograms.ButlistsseemtooconstrainingwhenIthinkofwhattodayshouldmean;theyseemawayoflimitingratherthanunleashingourmostambitiousimaginings,ourprofoundestcommitments.

Ifthisisadaytotranscendtheordinary,ifitisararemomentwhenwegathernotjustasHarvard,butwithawiderworldofscholarship,teachingandlearning,itisatimetoreflectonwhatHarvardandinstitutionslikeitmeaninthisfirstdecadeofthe21stcentury.

YetasIconsideredhowtotalkabouthighereducationandthefuture,Ifoundmyself–historianthatIam–returningtothepastand,inparticular,toadocumentIencounteredinmyfirstyearofgraduateschool.MycousinJackGilpin,Classof’73,readasectionofitatMemorialChurchthismorning.AsJohnWinthropsatonboardtheshipArbellain1630,sailingacrosstheAtlantictofoundtheMassachusettsBayColony,hewroteachargetohisbandofsettlers,acharterfortheirnewbeginnings.Heofferedwhatheconsidered“acompasstosteerby”–a“model,”butnotasetofexplicitorders.Winthropinsteadsoughttofocushisfollowersonthebroadersignificanceoftheirproject,onthespiritinwhichtheyshouldundertaketheirsharedwork.Iaimtooffersucha“compass”today,oneforusatHarvard,andonethatIhopewillhavemeaningforallofuswhocareabouthighereducation,forweareinevitably,asWinthropurgedhissettlerstobe,“knitttogetherinthisworkasone.”

Americanhighereducationin2007isinastateofparadox–atoncecelebratedandassailed.Ahostofpopularwritingsfromthe1980sonhavechargeduniversitieswithteachingtoolittle,costingtoomuch,coddlingprofessorsandneglectingstudents,embracingan“illiberalism”thathassilencedopendebate.APBSspecialin2005describeda“seaofmediocrity”that“placesthisnationatrisk.”AreportissuedbytheU.S.DepartmentofEducationlastyearwarnedofthe“obsolescence”ofhighereducationasweknowitandcalledforfederalinterventioninserviceofthenationalinterest.

YetuniversitieslikeHarvardanditspeers,thoserepresentedbysomanyofyouheretoday,arebelovedbyalumniwhodonatebillionsofdollarseachyear,aresoughtafterbystudentswhostruggletowinadmission,and,infact,aredeeplyreveredbytheAmericanpublic.Inarecentsurvey,93percentofrespondentsconsideredouruniversities“oneof[thecountry’s]mostvaluableresources.”Abroad,ouruniversitiesareadmiredandemulated;theyarearguablytheAmericaninstitutionmostrespectedbytherestoftheworld.

Howdoweexplainthesecontradictions?

IsAmericanhighereducationincrisis,andifso,whatkind?

Whatshouldweasitsleadersandrepresentativesbedoingaboutit?

Thisambivalence,thiscuriouslove-haterelationship,derivesinnosmallpartfromouralmostunboundedexpectationsofourcollegesanduniversities,expectationsthatareatonceintenselyfeltandpoorlyunderstood.

Fromthetimeofitsfounding,theUnitedStateshastieditsnationalidentitytothepowerofeducation.Wehavelongturnedtoeducationtoprepareourcitizensforthepoliticalequalityfundamentaltoournationalself-definition.In1779,forexample,ThomasJeffersoncalledforanationalaristocracyoftalent,chosen“withoutregardtowealth,birth,orotheraccidentalconditionofcircumstance”and“renderedbyliberaleducation...abletoguardthesacreddepositofrightsandlibertiesoftheirfellow-citizens.”Asoureconomyhasbecomemorecomplex,moretiedtospecializedknowledge,educationhasbecomemorecrucialtosocialandeconomicmobility.W.E.B.DuBoisobservedin1903that“Educationandworkaretheleverstoliftupapeople.”EducationmakesthepromiseofAmericapossible.

Inthepasthalfcentury,Americancollegesanduniversitieshavesharedinarevolution,servingasboththeemblemandtheengineoftheexpansionofcitizenship,equalityandopportunity–toblacks,women,Jews,immigrants,andotherswhowouldhavebeensubjectedtoquotasorexcludedaltogetherinanearlierera.Mypresenceheretoday–andindeedthatofmanyothersonthisplatform–wouldhavebeenunimaginableevenafewshortyearsago.Thosewhochargethatuniversitiesareunabletochangeshouldtakenoteofthistransformation,ofhowdifferentwearefromuniversitiesevenofthemid20thcentury.Andthosewholongforalostgoldenageofhighereducationshouldthinkabouttheverylimitedpopulationthatallegedutopiaactuallyserved.Collegeusedtoberestrictedtoatinyelite;nowitservesthemany,notjustthefew.Theproportionofthecollegeagepopulationenrolledinhighereducationtodayisfourtimeswhatitwasin1950;twelvetimeswhatitwasbeforethe1920s.Oursisadifferentandafarbetterworld.

AtinstitutionslikeHarvardanditspeers,thisrevolutionhasbeenbuiltonthenotionthataccessshouldbebased,asJeffersonurged,ontalent,notcircumstance.Inthelate1960s,Harvardbegansustainedeffortstoidentifyandattractoutstandingminoritystudents;inthe1970s,itgraduallyremovedquotaslimitingwomentoaquarteroftheenteringcollegeclass.Recently,Harvardhasworkedhardtosendthemessagethatthecollegewelcomesfamiliesfromacrosstheeconomicspectrum.Asaresultwehaveseeninthepast3yearsa33percentincreaseinstudentsfromfamilieswithincomesunder$60,000.Harvard’sdormsandHousesarethemostdiverseenvironmentsinwhichmanyofourstudentswilleverlive.

Yetissuesofaccessandcostpersist–formiddle-classfamilieswhosufferterrifyingstickershock,andforgraduateandprofessionalstudents,whomayincurenormousdebtastheypursueservicecareersinfieldswheresalariesaremodest.Asgraduatetrainingcomestoseemalmostasindispensableasthebaccalaureatedegreeformobilityandsuccess,thecostoftheseprogramstakesonevengreaterimportance.

Thedesirabilityandtheperceivednecessityofhighereducationhaveintensifiedthefearsofmany.WillIgetin?

WillIbeabletopay?

Thisanxietyexpressesitselfinbothdeep-seatedresentmentandnearlyunrealizableexpectations.HighereducationcannotaloneguaranteethemobilityandequalityattheheartoftheAmericanDream.Butwemustfullyembraceourobligationtobeavailableandaffordable.WemustmakesurethattalentedstudentsareabletocometoHarvard,thattheyknowtheyareabletocome,andthattheyknowwewantthemhere.Weneedtomakesurethatcostdoesnotdivertstudentsfrompursuingtheirpassionsandtheirdreams.

ButAmericananxietyabouthighereducationisaboutmorethanjustcost.Thedeeperproblemisawidespreadlackofunderstandingandagreementaboutwhatuniversitiesoughttodoandbe.Universitiesarecuriousinstitutionswithva