Inaugural Address

Dr. Beverley J. Pitts
President, University of Indianapolis
March 29, 2006

Thank you Christel. . . Students, members of the faculty, members of the Board of Trustees, distinguished representatives of Indiana colleges and universities, administrators, alumni, family and guests, I am humbled by this great honor, and I pledge to all of you my commitment to serve this institution. I thank you for coming today to celebrate this milestone in the life of the University of Indianapolis.

I would particularly like to convey my gratitude to the University's former presidents, whose remarkable efforts during the institution's first century have been so crucial in bringing us to this point in our history. We are fortunate to have three of the University's previous seven presidents with us today, and I'd like to introduce them to you:

Dr. Gene Sease, Dr. Benjamin Lantz, and Dr. Jerry Israel. Welcome.

I would also like to thank the Inaugural Committee, and in particular Monica Woods, director of Alumni Relations and chair of the committee of dedicated faculty and staff volunteers who put together this series of events to celebrate this moment in the University's history.

Universities are complex places, built on traditions, personalities, and events which shape a unique culture. They are also growing, changing, living works in progress, responding to contemporary expectations, looking for new doors to open.

I am pleased that the inaugural committee selected as a theme for this celebration, "Passport to Possibilities." What an apt metaphor for the University of Indianapolis today. A passport allows us to cross borders that have been closed to us.

When the gates are lifted and we cross those borders, we recognize suddenly that everything is different. We recognize new possibilities, and we are necessarily changed.

It is a fitting theme because everything about this institution from its founding in 1902 to today, has been about the goal of providing the University family with a passport to a new future.

Even in those early days, the dedication was there. President I. J. Good used the phrase "downright devotion to the cause"–a phrase many of you will recognize from the title of Professor Fred Hill's history of the University–to describe what it would take to make this institution successful.

I wonder whether in his wildest, most optimistic imaginings, President Good could have foreseen the degree to which this institution has, in fact, succeeded. And what I find thrilling is that, without being able to envision the University's future, he and all the other early leaders made it possible in a very real way.

Even then, they were about the work of ensuring that each of our students and alumni held a passport to possibilities.

Seven presidents have preceded me in the University's 104 years. Their accomplishments are far too numerous to mention and their impact difficult to overstate. Let me offer a few examples from those who are among us today.

President Sease changed the face of the institution. He built a number of buildings during his tenure, including New Hall, the Ruth Lilly Center for Health and Fitness, and the Krannert Memorial Library.

These were crucial additions to the campus, but his legacy may best be defined by his having given the institution its name. When Indiana Central became the University of Indianapolis, it was a declaration of confidence and optimism that served notice of a new era in its history.

President Lantz's tenure saw the construction of Martin Hall and this award-winning building, the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center. We are extremely grateful to Christel for providing the gift that made this building possible.

Under President Lantz's leadership, the University's first doctoral degrees were awarded, and its international components grew dramatically.

And the physical campus began another significant transformation when the central parking lot was eliminated and the green expanse of Smith Mall and the water garden took its place.

President Israel further developed the remarkable improvements to campus, and he led what was by far the largest capital campaign in the University's history. He launched the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning and the Center for Aging and Community.

And he significantly increased the University's international engagement with the acquisition of our Athens campus, represented here today by our chancellor, Vasilis Botopolous.

Thank you to all three of our former presidents for what you have given to this university.

I know these three presidents would be the first to say that they didn't do it alone. Strong board members, outstanding administrators, committed and talented faculty members, the most loyal alumni I have ever known, and significant friends in the Indianapolis community and beyond have been the driving force for this most significant change.

Although change is often reflected in new buildings, there is something beyond the bricks and mortar that I want to comment on. One of the true joys of serving as president is the opportunity to learn about the impact this institution has had on the many alumni and students who have recognized the possibilities before them.

Throughout its first century and beyond, the University of Indianapolis has made a profound difference in the lives of thousands and thousands of individuals. The University's service ethic percolates through these stories.

I think of people like Jeno LeMay-Brown, a single mother and adult learner who, through great persistence, earned two degrees after 10 years of work and study. She credits her caring professors and the personal attention she enjoyed here for making that accomplishment possible.

And of Tamika White, one of the students who transferred here from Dillard University in New Orleans after her residence hall and all of her belongings were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Tamika, who is planning a career in Social Work, believes the support and encouragement she received from students and faculty here laid the foundation for her to spend a lifetime serving others in need.

These are just examples of the concern for others, the personal touch, the generosity of spirit, the commitment to service to be found here. Consider the ripples made in people's lives by these individuals alone–then try to imagine the effect of the many thousands who have comprised the University family over the span of more than 100 years.

President Esch adopted our motto "Education for Service" in the 1950s, but that was not an idea he invented out of whole cloth.

The service ethic has been a vital part of the fabric of this University from its earliest days. It comes from the strong roots of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the strong spiritual alliance with the United Methodist Church and continues unabated today.

We celebrated that history of commitment to others just this morning, in a most touching gesture of service, when students, staff, and faculty took up paint brushes, brooms, and trash bags in Fountain Square, Fletcher Place, University Heights, and other Southside locations, demonstrating again the amazing spirit of outreach that distinguishes this community.

And so, here is who we are–stewards of our history and our resources; focused on providing an excellent liberal arts-based education; devoted to service; caring for individuals; committed to community partnerships in the growing city we call home–a robust, successful, spirited institution, providing amazing opportunities.

You've just enjoyed the exciting announcement of the scholars chosen for the "Passport to the World" travel grants. These students are certainly examples of the opportunities we create for all of our students.

Travel is a journey to understanding. Our psyches become indelibly stamped, much in the way our passports and visas are.

But I would like to let our students tell you about what that experience will mean to them. James Ryan Davis plans to visit the Athens campus. "I have begun to realize," he wrote in his essay, "that I am not content with only what I have been taught.

"I want to experience, to test what I have learned, and to grow to appreciate the world in all its complexity. I have a great respect for the life I have led–the people I have met, authority figures that I have both agreed and disagreed with, the mistakes I have made But I am ready for more–"

Phyllinga Jackson wrote: "Never in my wildest dreams would 'They' think that I would be attending the University of Indianapolis. 'They' are part of me that is rooted in my hair, lips, eyes, and skin: 'They' are my ancestors. I am a descendant of a former slave. 'They' have been through tough obstacles for me to be here today, and I want to prove myself worthy.

"In their lifetime I was their dream. As a dream is fulfilled, they become my eyes and my heart and they see people, places, and things that they have never imagined."

Those powerful words assure us that great things will happen for these students. Our international efforts are just one of the ways we are committed to providing the most meaningful educational experiences for our students as they grow professionally, spiritually, and personally.

Many of you have heard me say that a joy of my life is watching 18 year olds turn into 22 year olds. How wonderful to be a part of that journey.

And so it is our history that brings us to this moment. Visionary leaders saw the possibilities and led the campus community to aspire.

This is why, today, we are able to send some of our best and brightest to explore the far corners of the world, passports firmly in hand.

It is why our US News & World Report rankings have elevated us into the top tier of universities in our class. It is why we can boast of doctoral programs that are recognized nationally.

It is why our students, a highly diverse group hailing from all over the United States and nearly 60 other nations, are able to gain practical experience to enhance their academic studies, and why enrollment has enjoyed record growth.

It is why the transformation of our campus and facilities has taken us from modest to beautiful and functional.

It is why we can launch initiatives like our centers of excellence.

We are poised to create a future for this University that we have only begun to glimpse. And we have seen time and time again on this campus that when we aspire, we achieve. So what might our future hold? What's possible for us?

I firmly believe we should have the vision for the University of Indianapolis to become the best midsize doctoral-granting private university in the Midwest.

That means that we will focus all of our efforts on continuing to enrich the learning environment for students, attract and retain the best faculty in the country, create and support innovative academic programs, and serve the city, state, and region through our expertise.

Our graduate programs must be internationally attractive and draw intellectual capital to the state, especially in support of the life sciences and allied health areas. With a strong national reputation already in place, we are well positioned to accomplish this initiative.

We can absolutely model what is the best of the undergraduate liberal arts experience, linked to service outreach, and experience beyond the borders of our campus.

We must remain committed to creating a physical campus that is a landmark for this city. We need to be an anchor in the continuing development of the south side community, and be an even stronger partner in the economic development of Indianapolis and Indiana.

Our university, like all universities, is an engine for the use of intellectual capital.

We can strengthen and enhance the business community, and we have the capacity to be powerful partners. We have both the luxury and responsibility of bringing the best and brightest faculty to Indiana from all over the country and beyond.

These faculty live and work here. They not only teach our students, they enrich the discipline they're a part of, and one of our goals should be to connect them to the cultural and economic well-being of the city and state. A college faculty is a stunning amalgam of knowledge and talents, and ours is second to none.

It takes a long time for a university to build a reputation. When a university changes as quickly as this one has, we have to catch up with ourselves, in a sense, and we have to help the public understand the scope of the change.

So part of our challenge is to develop the infrastructure that will help create this high-quality growth, even as we craft and communicate the message of what this University is and can be.

These are the tasks that lie before us, but what a wonderful challenge we face.

There have been so many people contributing in so many ways to the well-being of the University of Indianapolis–all of those leaders who came before us, and our own trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, students, partners, and friends.

You and they are the reason we are positioned, perhaps better than at any time in our history, to aspire to these goals. You and they have handed us this passport to possibilities. As we lift those gates and we cross the borders before us, we'll enjoy a glimpse of a thrilling future for the University we love and serve.

I thank you all for the warm welcome you have shown me and the support you have provided me in these first few months together. I look forward to working with all of you, with "downright devotion to the cause," as we strive to fulfill the University's promise and potential. Thank you.