The Boston College Office of Public Affairs
Boston College Chronicle  
Contact: smthsen@hermes.bc.edu
Date Posted: 9-06-96 
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Remarks by University President William P. Leahy, SJ
Annual Faculty Convocation
Robsham Theater
Sept. 4, 1996


	We are gathered here for another Faculty Convocation, 
but one that is different from those that most of you have 
known.  There is a new president on campus, and Father Monan 
is enjoying a much-deserved break after twenty-four years of 
selfless service at Boston College. 

	I have been in office for a little over a month; and 
while I have gained much information about Boston and Boston 
College in the past year from briefing papers, campus visits, 
and conversations with people here, I recognize I have much 
more to learn about Boston and BC.
  
	I know there has been a certain amount of understandable 
anticipation regarding this occasion, because for most you 
this is your first opportunity to meet me.  But you should 
know that I too have anticipated this occasion since it gives 
me a chance to see most of you for the first time, and I look 
forward to talking with as many of you as possible at the 
reception and in the days and weeks ahead.
	
	I am aware that Faculty Convocation has been the time 
when the senior leadership of Boston College welcome faculty 
and administrators back for another academic year.  It has 
also been an opportunity to offer an update on recent 
activities at the University and to discuss goals and issues 
related to the coming year.

	Welcoming all of you to Boston College's 132nd academic 
year is a pleasure.  From my perspective, I believe things 
have started well--orientation of our new students went 
smoothly, the campus looks so green and attractive, and our 
enrollment picture remains positive.  For our successful 
opening, all of us are indebted to people in such units as 
Admissions, Financial Aid, Housing, First Year Experience, 
Buildings and Grounds, Chaplaincy, and the BC Police.  To 
them and all those who worked so hard these past few weeks, I 
say thank you on behalf of all of us.

	Since I have been here for such a short time, it would 
be premature and presumptuous of me to present my vision for 
Boston College this afternoon or to address specific issues 
that I have only just begun to study.  But what I can do and 
would like to do is talk about impressions, concerns, and 
hopes--1) my impressions of BC based on my first month here; 
2) concerns which I have heard or which have been expressed 
to me by faculty, administrators, and staff; and 3) some 
hopes I have for Boston College.

	When I was first contacted in April, 1994 about becoming 
a candidate for the presidency here, I remember being told 
about the strong sense of community at BC and the 
University's large number of loyal supporters.  I heard those 
same sentiments a year later when I met with the presidential 
search committee. I remember probing trustees about whether 
these references to community and loyalty of BC people were 
hype or reality.  
	
	Today I'm in a position to answer that question and to 
tell you what you already know:  there is indeed a vibrant 
community spirit at Boston College and among its friends and 
alumni.  During the past month, I have visited with people 
from such areas as Buildings and Grounds, Academic Affairs, 
Student Affairs, Development, and Financial Affairs.  I have 
been struck by the long years of employment of so many people 
here and by their commitment to Boston College and love for 
this institution.  I have been impressed by the spirit of 
community, and I very much appreciate the warm welcome which 
has been extended to me.  

	As I told the freshmen and their parents on Saturday, I 
can testify from first-hand experience that Boston College is 
a warm, caring community and that they will find individuals 
on campus who will be most willing to help in the necessary 
adjustments to campus life.  As we respond to new challenges, 
which we must do, we have to make make sure that the 
widespread sense of community and belonging at Boston College 
is maintained.

	Another powerful impression I have about Boston College 
is that it is vital and strong.  I am not simply referring to 
strengths such as enrollment, facilities, and location, but 
also to the abilities, optimism, and energy of BC's people 
and to the intellectual climate on campus.  People are the 
heart of any organization, and Boston College is very blessed 
to have among its faculty, administration, and staff so many 
intelligent, dedicated, and competent individuals.  When one 
parent told me on Saturday after the opening Mass that he 
could feel the positive spirit here and was so happy his 
daughter would be part of such a place, I knew exactly what 
he was feeling.   
	
	I believe that the future is full of promise for Boston 
College.  It has a wonderful tradition, strong momentum, and 
is held in high regard. I believe we are well-positioned to 
advance to the next level as an academic institution and in 
that process to make an even greater contribution to 
contemporary intellectual, social, and religious culture.

	There are concerns too on campus, and I want to note 
three of them:  1) the transition in leadership; 2) fears 
surrounding Project Delta; and 3) questions about the the 
UAPC report.

	The change in presidents has naturally received much 
attention and comment.  Father Monan has been the only 
president of BC that most of you have known.  I am not a 
familiar face at BC, and my arrival means some change and 
adjustment, not easy for us human beings.

	Let me simply say that I find a concern about 
presidential transition to be very human and understandable.  
Some things will be different, but people need not fear that 
radical changes are going to occur.  Like everyone here, I 
want Boston College to continue to be Boston College and for 
it to thrive.  I intend to keep visiting with people, 
listening and learning and talking with individuals and 
groups of faculty, students, alumni, and friends. I have 
already heard a great many ideas about how to enhance Boston 
College; and I hope people keep expressing their suggestions 
and thoughts, so I can learn what I need to know to be the 
leader that Boston College requires and deserves.

	Project Delta also causes uneasiness for some on campus.  
I have been asked why BC is engaging in such a comprehensive 
review of its procedures and ways of operating when things 
are going well.  Others are apprehensive that Delta will 
result in disruption of their lives and even lay-offs.

	Higher education is an increasingly competitive world 
today, and Boston College, despite its healthy enrollment 
now, is not immune from these pressures.  I do not think that 
this audience needs to hear a list of colleges and 
universities which were seen as strong just a short time ago 
and which today are in serious difficulty.  From a 
presidential perspective and from hard personal experience, I 
will tell you that colleges and universities in the 1990s 
must not only respond to rising expectations from students 
and parents regarding facilities, programs, and services, but 
they must also face the fact that new sources of revenue are 
limited.  
	
	Large tuition increases are no longer possible, and no 
one should be confident that more government money will be 
provided for financial aid and research funding.  Thus, 
institutions must be as efficient as possible in their 
operations and also consider reallocating existing dollars to 
increase support for core programs or to fund new 
initiatives.  

	I regard Delta as essential for us, and I think it 
reflects our commitment to be responsible stewards of our 
resources.  I am convinced that we have to take advantage of 
savings wherever possible through technology and revamped 
practices, if we are to remain a strong institution.
	Furthermore, I believe we can become more efficient and 
not damage the loyalty and spirit of community which is so 
much a part of BC.  Frank Campanella will provide an update 
regarding Delta in his remarks, but I do want to express my 
support for it as well as to say that we are not going to 
implement any recommendations from Delta which would harm the 
core values and commitments of Boston College.
   
	The third concern which I want to mention stems from the 
University Academic Planning Council process and report.  I 
have heard some people question whether anything will really 
happen because of the effort; others are apprehensive that 
undergraduate education may suffer because of increased 
emphasis on graduate education and research.
	I have two comments about the UAPC.  First, we might 
profit from reflecting on the following passage from the book 
of Habakkuk:  "Write down the vision clearly upon the 
tablets, so that one can read it readily.  For the vision 
still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not 
disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, 
it will not be late."  

	Second, I regard acting on the UAPC recommendations as a 
top priority for my administration, and I have begun to work 
with the UAPC implementation team.  I think the UAPC report 
raises key considerations for the entire Boston College 
community.  Emphasis on education of undergraduates has long 
been a priority at BC, and that will not change.  But we must 
continue striving to enhance the experience of undergraduates 
inside and outside the classroom, and I think the UAPC 
recommendations offer some very helpful challenges and 
directions for us regarding undergraduate education at Boston 
College. 
	
	The UAPC report also contains some excellent material 
about needs and opportunities for us in the areas of graduate 
and professional education.  The task for us now is to 
analyze possibilities  in light of our current strengths and 
educational mission, set measurable goals, and then allocate 
necessary resources.  I am confident that the UAPC effort 
will yield much fruit.  Let me stop here in regard to the 
UAPC because Bill Neenan will be providing additional 
information about it in his remarks.

	There certainly are other concerns on campus, and Boston 
College obviously has challenges ahead of it.  But we should 
never forget when we are dealing with such issues that our 
University has immense strengths and, with your help, has 
made much progress in the past twenty-five years.  Given the 
talent and good will here, I have no doubt that we will 
continue to move forward vigorously.

	And that brings me to my hopes for Boston College; I 
would like to speak about a few of them.  

	Most basic for me is for Boston College to be a 
university and a community of scholars and learners.  To be 
true to its name, a university must recognize the value of 
pluralism and protect freedom of inquiry, and it should avoid 
indoctrination.  As John Henry Cardinal Newman, the great 
nineteenth-century English educator wrote, "Great minds need 
elbow room.  . . . And so indeed do lesser minds, and all 
minds."  My hope is that Boston College will continue to be 
an academic institution where teaching, research, debate, and 
learning flourish.  I want it to be known for intellectual 
excellence and for offering quality education in an 
atmosphere of caring and faith.

	My second hope for Boston College is that it always be 
involved in the life of the community, nation, and world 
around it.  St. Ignatius once instructed one of his 
subordinates to "Take special care that you obtain a good and 
sufficiently large site, or one that can be enlarged with 
time, large enough for house and church, and if possible not 
far removed from the conversation of the city."  My hope is 
that BC always be part not only of the conversation of 
Boston, but also of our country and world.  We must have a 
global outlook and be a place with broad perspectives and big 
dreams.

	And that's one reason for another hope I have about 
Boston College:  that it remain a community where people of 
all faiths, beliefs, and value systems are genuinely welcome 
to study, teach, think, research, work and engage each other. 
I hope that this Catholic and Jesuit university continues to 
benefit in profound ways from the presence and contributions 
of people of all backgrounds and world views.

	And I have hopes that revolve around Boston College's 
Jesuit, Catholic heritage and educational mission.  

	I hope that BC will increasingly be a meeting place 
between faith and culture, especially between the Catholic 
Church and our society.  In particular, I hope that Boston 
College excels not only in assisting Catholics, especially 
its students, to develop mature understandings of their faith 
and live in accord with Catholic beliefs and values, but also 
that BC help the Church fulfill its responsibilities and be a 
more effective sign of God's presence in our world.
 
	I hope that BC meets the challenge of helping all its 
students to integrate intellectual excellence and religious 
commitment.  

	I hope that BC remains a school whose institutional 
priorities and curriculum reflect Catholic and Jesuit values, 
where the liberal arts help free minds, and where students 
ask the hard questions about themselves, God, and neighbor.  

	And finally I hope that BC increasingly provides an 
educational experience which promotes inquiry into the human 
condition, graduating men and women who become agents of 
critical thinking and social change in our culture. 

	I have spoken this afternoon about my impressions, 
concerns, and hopes.  In the coming weeks and months, I would 
like to learn about your impressions, concerns, and hopes for 
Boston College.  I think it is so clear that those of us 
committed to Boston College have some extraordinary 
opportunities and challenges before us.  In "Ash Wednesday," 
T.S. Eliot called on his readers to "Redeem the time.  Redeem 
the unread vision in the higher dream."  May all of us seize 
the moment to pursue our higher dreams, to build a stronger 
Boston College, and thus, to help create a better world.  

	Thank you.