Academic Year 2012-13

Good morning and welcome to Bucknell University's 163rd Commencement ceremony.
It may be damp outside but nothing can dampen our spirits that are so filled with love and joy and pride.
On behalf of the faculty, staff, students and Board of Trustees, I welcome the Class of 2013 and our master's degree recipients, along with their families and friends, our distinguished speaker, Sunil Gulati, and our honorary degree recipient, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson. Thank you to everyone who traveled from near and far to be with us here on this joyful occasion.

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,
I write to share with you a summary of the most recently completed Board of Trustees meeting. The general meeting was held on campus from Thursday night, April 25, through Saturday morning, April 27.

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:  
I am pleased to announce that Mr. Sunil Gulati, Class of 1981, has accepted the University’s invitation to serve as keynote speaker at our 163rd commencement ceremony on May 19, 2013.

Dear Bucknell Alumni and Parents,
I write to share with you exciting news about the comprehensive campaign and the message it sends about the contributions Bucknell makes to individual lives.

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,
Earlier this week, I was pleased to share some key campus updates with those attending Tuesday's faculty meeting and Wednesday's University forum; here I am summarizing those announcements, including for those who were not able to attend either meeting.

I write to provide a summary of the most recent meeting of the Board of Trustees, held Jan. 24-26 in Washington, D.C. I also here am summarizing the main items of business from the abbreviated October meeting, which was largely otherwise dedicated to campaign launch events.

As President, part of my responsibility is to protect the integrity of the University and keep the Board and others informed on issues that affect institutional integrity or risk negatively affecting our reputation in the higher education and broader communities.

It is a pleasure to announce that Amy Foerster will be our new General Counsel. Amy emerged as the leading candidate from a national search that attracted a very large and strong pool of candidates, and brings to Bucknell extensive experience in higher education law. Amy is a nationally renowned expert on Title IX and related matters, and is deeply informed on the complex legal matters affecting higher education today.

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,
Many thought and opinion leaders have recently called into question the cost and value of "traditional" residence-based education in general, and of liberal arts education in particular. At the same time, a number of widely publicized opportunities in what might best be termed "open educational resources" have emerged, including from large American research universities.

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,
I hope your summer has gone well; it seems just yesterday that we were in the academic quad for commencement. As we prepare for the start of the new school year, I want to provide an update on a variety of important administrative and related developments from this summer.