Portland State Magazine Winter 1991

0 ctober 28, 1990, my inauguration as Pres ident of Portl~i ) tate University, was a nw · <lble day for me. As I became an "official member of the Portland State family, I was struck by the obvious level of public concern and interest in the future of this University. I'd like to share with you, in an abbrev iated forniat, some of the thoughts from my inaugural address-thoughts about the mi ss ion of Portl and State University and the future of higher education in the metropolitan area. In The Republic, Plato remarks, "the State does not spring from oaks or rocks, but from the character of its citi zens." That character in Portl and has produced one of the most li vable, dynamic urban environments in the world. A metropolitan community supported by an excellent university can become one large learning environment, and at PSU, it is impossible to say precisely where the Uni versity begins and the city ends. This is the source of our unique strength and our unique miss ion. We are at the heart of the metropolitan area and the problems and opportunities of this large community can be found at our very doorstep. Our fac ulty, staff, and students live and work in this commun ity and they li ve a life of scholarship that will soon become the standard everywhere-fresh and creative approaches to questions that really matter- whether in the classroom, the commun ity, the laboratory, or the studio. If we are to continue to make a difference in the lives of people, we must remain anchored in the arts and sciences. We must support the central and fund amental role of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Fine and Performing Arts. We are simply not a I FROM THE P~IDENT I university without a core in the arts and humanities, soc ial sc iences, and natural and phys ica l sciences. Our center must be in the eternal questions humankind has always found challenging and worthy of pursuit. At the same time, we must realize that the old assumptions upon which higher education was based have eroded and we must rethin k even the most bas ic aspects of what we do. The increas ingly urban character of li fe in this country has set the stage for emergence of the next educational innovati on: the urban or metropolitan university. Portl and State is an urban uni versity in every sense and will play an increas ingly important role in the li fe of thi s region. Here are the steps I hope to take over the next two years as we continue the process of creating a firs t-c lass urban university: • Strengthen programs in engineering and computer sc ience, working through the Oregon Joint Graduate Schools of Engineeri ng to create a model cooperative program. • Fund a Ph.D. in Social Work and Social Research and expanded capac ity of the Reg ional Research In sti tute for Human Services to confront major soc ial issues. • Establish and fund the Institute for Portland Metropolitan Studies, a research and public service unit for interaction with local and regional governments. • Strengthen and expand partnerships with local school districts to identify and prepare minority students for careers in education and to respond to special needs of urban children and youth . • Foster a cl imate of cooperation and learning at the University by creating opportunities for minorities, women and adult students in transition, including development of new and expanded fi nancial aid and scholarship programs. • Forge new partnerships with the community and expand opportunities for public involvement in the pl anning and development of the Uni vers ity. • Expand cooperation with Oregon Health Sciences University, to respond to the critical regional need for public health personnel. • Establish and fund a Center for Interna– tional Business and Policy, a consortium with Lewis & Clark College, Pacifi c Uni versity, Reed College, Uni versity of Portl and , University of Oregon and Oregon State Uni versity. • Strengthen support for excellence in teaching through Pres idential Professor– ships for faculty whose scholarship is directed at classroom teaching, advising or community service. • Establish the Urban Uni versity Fund to support public service work by fac ulty, staff and students. • Move toward the goal of a research library for the metropoli tan reg ion through state support and establi shment of an endowment for the Millar Library and by working cooperatively with other libraries. • Support the richness and variety of the arts in the region through joint projects with other agencies and through an endowment to ex pand the University arti st-in-res idence programs. Portl and State Univers ity serves a very diverse community and thus our need for strong core values is much greater. We value the community around us; we value diversity; we value the open processes of pl anning and dec ision-making; we value the participation and involvement of fac ulty, staff, students and community representati ves; and we value mutual respect and apprec iation. We are not an ivory tower. We are in and of thi s city and we must therefore hold especiall y fi rm to the spec ial intellectual values needed by all universities to sustain the academic life. It is a privi lege to be a part of this community, to lay before you the talents and values I bring to thi s task and to ask your guidance and support, your encouragement, and your fa ith so thi s University, built upon the efforts of each one of us, will be trul y a beacon of hope and light as we work together to create a first-class urban uni versity. You have welcomed me in an extraordi – narily open and warm way, and I am glad '~v( /c_4, 4 Judith A. Ramaley Pres ident • • •