“Doing Good with What You Know”

President’s Convocation Speech
Beverley J. Pitts
August 30, 2007

Thank you, Kevin, and a warm welcome to all of you who are beginning your studies at UIndy. We are so glad you have decided to shape your lives here, for that is exactly what you are going to be doing for the next four years.

I know that you have spent a great deal of time in the last year or two thinking about what you want to do with your life and what career you’d like to pursue.

You have been asked over and over what you are going to major in, or what you want to do with your life.  It can happen so often, that it’s easy to forget that the next four years of your life aren’t just for planning your future.  You are not going to start living your life then; you’re living it right here, right now.

I want you to think about this:  You are going to spend the next four years living here, learning and studying and spending most of your time here.  It’s as important to think about how you live every day as it is to think about what you will be doing in four years.

This is a place where you are going to grow and change, make lifelong friends, and make decisions about your life that will shape the direction your world takes you.

Think of UIndy as a significant place in your life—a physical space as well as a place in time that will not be lived again. 

Everyone has told you over and over that you are now in charge of many decisions that may have been made for you before.  Every day you are making decisions about social engagement, friendships and even your lifestyle—what you are going to eat, how you’re going to exercise, when you are going to sleep, and how you are going to use your time.  

All of those decisions add up. They can be good decisions, or they can be bad.  There can be some disastrous consequences for making what seems like a  small decision.  Think about the choices you are making, even when they seem small.

It is a time for weighing every new experience you have against what has already happened, and determining how each will shape your world view and influence your actions.

This is a time for deliberate thought and action. Today you have heard many students talking about the opportunities they have taken advantage of to learn beyond the books and the lectures, and to share their skills and education with others.

What they have told you—and what I’d like to emphasize now—is that this is a place that can provide you with all kinds of support and opportunities to grow for four years—to change, to learn what your life is about, and what you value, and how you’d like to live your life.

You know that we are a United Methodist institution. I’d like to mention two very important values that come from that affiliation.  First, we value and respect everyone.  We have room for—and actually celebrate—our differences.  We are Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and many other faiths. We come from all over the country and from many foreign countries.  We learn from each other and we respect each other.  

A second strong value that we hold is that we should all use our talents in service to others.  Our motto is Education for Service and we are committed to creating a learning environment that links learning and service.  You will see that there are hundreds of ways you can be a part of that commitment to use our talents in service to others in need.

You will soon discover that there is no single area of study that has a corner on service.  Spanish students volunteer their time as interpreters for new immigrants, and in teaching English as a Second Language.  Physical therapy students conduct exercise classes for older adults.

And service can be creative and fun. You’ve heard about the chemistry students like Zach Dennis who, through their honor society, conducted a Wizard’s Academy for young Harry Potter fans in conjunction with the Indiana Medical History Museum.

We have education majors who tutor inner-city schoolchildren, and nursing students who provide immunizations for residents in Fountain Square, which is just up Shelby Street a bit.

Fountain Square was a once-decaying neighborhood just south of downtown Indianapolis that is undergoing an exciting revitalization. The University is very involved there, especially through our health and social services center, and the Wheeler Arts Center, and I hope you will be involved, too, some time during the next four years.

You’ve heard a lot about our values today. You’ve heard that we value learning through active engagement—engagement in class projects, in internships, and in service.

I hope you also know that we value personal attention and strong connections with students and faculty.

But it is the link between your academic studies and the choices you make about how to use your life and talents that is the most important lesson for us all.

So what’s the bottom line here?  Here is what I’m trying to say: Everyone should have a commitment to do good with what they know.

Let me say that again, because it is so very important: Do good with what you know.  Think about that  for a minute. What that means is that there is a direct relationship between learning a discipline—learning how to be good at something—and learning how to use your skills and knowledge to make the world a better place.

At UIndy, we expect that connection to be made and we will help you make it. You have been given a gift. You have the ability to learn, and you have the good fortune to be able to attend college.

If you take advantage of these opportunities to learn, expand your horizons and serve others, when you leave here in four years, not only will you have all of the knowledge you’ve gained in your field of study, you will have learned how to use it wisely.  That is our hope and our expectation of you.

Four years from now, we will send you out into the world to do good with what you know. And there is a special send-off.  I want to tell you about a tradition we have here at UIndy.  At Commencement, as you are walking out with your diploma in hand—the faculty will be lined up on either side of the walkway, sending you on and showing their pride in you by clapping for you and your accomplishments.

We are going to start a new tradition this year with your class, right now. We are going to play our Alma Mater, which is—as you may already know—a show of respect for our school.  As it plays and you leave the auditorium, our faculty and staff will be lining up outside the exits.

They are waiting for you outside of this auditorium, lined up to give you a warm welcome and mark the start of your college career.  The next time you walk through rows of faculty, you will be graduating, and we will be proud to congratulate you that day as we welcome you today.

Thank you, and have a great four years!