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Dear Faculty, Staff, and Friends:
I will never forget the first USM Commencement I attended.
Although I have spent many years in higher education, I had
never seen a commence-ment where families cheered so loudly,
where there was such a sense of celebration about individual
accomplishments, where students cried when they came across
the stage. The more you learn about our students, the more
you understand how courageous they are. Many of our people
make enormous personal sacrifices to get a college education.
It is these moments that remind us of how important our work
is.
These are indeed challenging times. And yet, in spite of
economic uncertainty, softness in the job market, concern
about the stock market, and the overarching, deep concern
about the war in Iraq, one thing comes through clear as a
beacon: To navigate our society and our economy successfully,
you need a college degree. As I reflect on our rich institutional
history, I am struck by one constant that has remained throughout
our 125 years. We are, and always have been, an instrument
of the public trust. From our earliest days in teacher education,
to our current wide-reaching base of undergraduate and graduate
programs, USM has always been a place where Maine citizens
can get a degree and transform their lives.
This public trust comes with specific expectations. We are
charged with providing access to high-quality education for
Maine residents at all stages of learning. So, too, are we
a keystone of economic development, with programs and research
that help to drive Maine's competitiveness in business, technology,
science and industry. Our educational imperative includes
a strong liberal arts focus, and a direct correlation with
the professional needs of the region. USM is also a place
where some of the state's most important public policies are
incubated, tested, and articulated.
Rarely a day goes by when I'm not reminded of how uniquely
qualified we are to meet these expectations. I speak with
employers in the community, who say they like to hire USM
graduates because they're gritty and resilient. When things
get tough, they say, our grads respond to the challenge; they
don't have a sense of entitlement; they're prepared to work
for what they get. I have also been struck by the growing
level of community support for the University. Many people
who donate time and resources to USM have never attended the
University. And yet, they see the value of the institution
to the region, to the economy, and to the community they live
in.
Perhaps the best measure of our efforts is the students
themselves. I remember a student who came up to me at one
graduation and said, "You spoke to me at our opening
orientation and said that I would get out of this what I put
into it. You said there were opportunities placed in front
of me and it was my job to take advantage of them. I thought
about that and decided to become active and involved."
This student participated in student government, did an internship,
volunteered at the University and in the community. She had
a wonderful, powerful experience here. Her story is not unique.
All of us have students who come back to us and say, "You
know, in class you challenged us to think about something
differently. That totally altered what I thought about and
I learned something new." This is the prize we all strive
for.
I can't say we have achieved this measure of excellence without
struggle. For over half the years I've been here, we've either
been cutting or trimming our budget. We've had to raise tuition--though
USM is still a good bargain. We've had to make do with less,
reallocate, grow programs and facilities slowly. And yet,
we have achieved a level of growth unparalleled in our history.
We've added dozens of new programs, expanded graduate offerings,
deepened our research capabilities, and developed an extensive
community education network. We've built facilities and buildings
that are modern and accessible and necessary for the growth
of the University and the region. USM is now the largest institution
of higher education in the state. This is no small accomplishment.
We've had two secret weapons in this quest to become one
of the top-ranked universities in the region. One is our rich
network of community partners who each day offer opportunities,
advice, resources and challenges that connect our University
directly to the pulse of the community. The other is the quality
of faculty and commitment of staff at USM. We may not have
all the resources and trappings of other major universities,
but I have total faith in our people to match the quality
and classroom experience of any place in the country. There
is a lot of sweat equity at this University, a lot of pride
and commitment.
If I were to give a short commencement speech today, it
would have just a few lines. To students going out into the
world I would say: You have earned this, so enjoy it. May
your journey be filled with joy, because the journey is part
of the gift. Keep your eyes open to all new things. And may
you "stay forever young."
To faculty and staff I would simply say: Thank you for a
job well done.
Richard L. Pattenaude, USM president
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