A World of Possibilities Ahead

Dr. Beverley J. Pitts
The following reflection was written in April 2006.

It hardly seems possible that my first year as president of the University of Indianapolis already is winding down, but as I've been reflecting on the last nine months in preparation for investiture, I've been struck by the possibilities that lie ahead for today's college students.

"Passport to Possibilities" was the theme for the March 29 ceremony of installation. Obviously, the passport metaphor is fitting for a university, given the powerful role of higher education in opening the gate to opportunities, both those immediate and those waiting to be discovered on life's journey. Yet we chose that theme because it also reflects quite significantly on our journey as an institution over the last 104 years, our extensive international connections, and the importance of encouraging students to broaden their horizons through travel and service to others.

The institution I now lead has come a long way since its founding in 1902 as Indiana Central University. It has grown up with the city whose name it now carries, and continues to live its motto of "Education for Service" through outreach and partnerships that enhance the economic and cultural life of Central Indiana today.

Forward thinking on the leading edge of globalization is the reason the University of Indianapolis began to develop international relationships 25 years ago. It is why we now own a campus in Athens, Greece, and have affiliations with other universities in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. It explains why we have nearly 200 international students from some 60 nations enrolled on our campus here, enriching the educational experience for all.

Because we believe in the transformative power of global experience and cultural exchange, we chose to forego extensive inaugural observances this year and instead use those funds to create an opportunity for students to step out of the classroom and explore another culture. Ten students who have been selected to receive international study travel grants were announced during the investiture ceremony, and I could not think of a more fitting way to mark the occasion.

Thinking of my own international travels, I am excited for these students, as I know they will return home weighted with souvenirs and stories, and indelibly altered by the experience. One of them, a graduate student in biology who is studying with our noted forensic anthropologist Dr. Stephen Nawrocki, will be assisting with forensic cases at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. "This trip to South Africa will allow me to experience a new culture and enhance my global perspective, which is crucial for my development as an anthropologist," she wrote in her application essay.

Another student, a senior, will be visiting Taiwan and staying at the home of a friend she met at the University of Indianapolis who is from that nation. "The culture there is so different from our American culture that one can only understand it by being in it," she noted. "I am going to begin physical therapy school next year...The health care field requires an understanding of many different people and how people from different cultures interact and react to others in the community...I know that visiting Taiwan will enhance my skills as a physical therapist and will make me a better member of society as a whole."

As these students anticipate their travels, I look forward to the journey of discovery that lies ahead for universities in this nascent century. We exist in a technological era vastly different from the industrial age of our institution's founding, yet the core mission of higher education has not wavered: to prepare well-rounded, informed citizens of the world. The significant difference today is that the world is, to borrow from journalist Thomas Friedman, growing more "flat" as technology shrinks distances, the pace of change becoming more rapid and the need for cultural sensitivity ever more critical.

All of these developments pose great challenges for higher education as Indiana's colleges and universities endeavor to stay a step ahead in preparing students and keeping our state competitive in the global economy. And yet, this also is an era of tremendous possibilities for Indiana, and especially our students who are just beginning to make their mark in this increasingly interconnected world.