Remarks by Joel E. Anderson, Chancellor-Designate December 12, 2002 (On this date Dr. B. Alan Sugg, President of the University of Arkansas System, recommended – and the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees approved – Dr. Anderson’s appointment as Chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, effective July 1, 2003.)
There will be time for additional speeches later. But it seems to me a number of comments are in order today. UALR is about the future. Let me talk about UALR and the future.
I.
First, let me say in broad terms what I see us doing.
Today I am proudly wearing a 75th anniversary pin. This institution had its origins 75 short years ago in a wing of Central High School. The institution is in only its 33rd year as a University of Arkansas campus. UALR is a young university, still gathering strength.
Here is what we are doing at UALR: We are building a powerhouse university for the state, one that will rank at the top among metropolitan universities across the nation.
II.
Now a word to students, the future of our state.
At UALR we know the university’s core mission, and we are going to succeed in the university’s core mission – educating students to live and work in the complex, diverse, technological world of the 21st century. I pledge to UALR students, both undergraduate and graduate, that we will accomplish this core mission.
In addition, for our students we will endeavor to see the university as students see it and to understand better how students experience it. In the shorthand of the day, we will work to make UALR a more “student-friendly” institution.
I know that UALR is already a fine place to go to college, regarded as student-friendly by many of our students. I know that we already provide an excellent education to our students. But I want UALR students to say with enthusiasm, “UALR is a great place to go to college. They have great faculty and great academic programs. And they treat you right!” I realize it will never be 100 percent, but I would like for the sentiments I just stated to be the sentiments of a very high percentage of students who enroll here. We will work to achieve that.
One more observation related to our core mission, one which faculty will understand and appreciate: if the University has the sound academic programs and the strong faculty and staff and other resources required to accomplish our core mission, then we will also have the foundation for accomplishing our increasingly important roles in research and service.
III.
Now let me comment on UALR and the future of our community.
I want “UALR” and “partnership with the community” to become synonymous terms. We like the line “There is no great city without a great university.” We most often use that line to make the case for city support of the university. I believe it also communicates an obligation in the other direction – an obligation of the university to assist and nurture the city.
Many of the most vexing problems of civilization in the 21st century are found in our nation’s metropolitan communities. At UALR we will not sit on our hands and chide the community to make progress on its pressing problems so that this will be a better place for the university.
I must note that our involvement will have to be selective and will always be constrained by our resource limitations, which are very real.
Nonetheless, we will stand ready to work with the community in solving the pressing problems of our day. And more often than not, when we address the issues in our own backyard, we will be addressing issues of national significance, issues found in metropolitan regions around the nation.
IV.
Ours is s public educational institution, and we must be good stewards of the resources the people provide us.
In order to get on with the peoples’ higher education agenda to a maximum degree, we must pool and share resources, among units on campus and through partnerships off campus.
I want to signal my readiness and my desire to work, in particular, with the other major public educational institutions with whom we share the immediate metropolitan community. I am speaking of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Pulaski Technical College and the Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Pulaski County school districts.
And our readiness to work with others will not stop at the county line.
V.
One other point about the future.
All across this country one encounters a growing expectation that universities should play a greater role in the economic development of their regions and states. That expectation is present here as well. I want to tell the business and civic leaders that UALR expects to play an enlarged role in advancing the prosperity of the region and state.
We treasure the Fortune 500 companies that are here and anticipate a stronger relationship with them, to our mutual advantage. We have a niche with the knowledge-based companies, particularly with our CyberCollege, that we will continue to develop. We love small businesses and recognize that they not only employ a significant percentage of the workforce in Arkansas today but they will also – some of them – become Fortune 500 companies tomorrow. Assistance to small businesses will also continue to be a niche for UALR.
VI.
My comments today have been externally-oriented. Let me conclude on a more personal note to the faculty and staff: You are my professional colleagues whom I admire very much. You are my friends. You are the people who make UALR what it is.
We have achieved much working together. We are going to achieve much more as we work day in and day out for a better world.
I want to make one pledge to faculty and staff and also make one request.
Here is my pledge: UALR is already a good place to work, and I pledge to do all I can to continue to make it a better place to work.
Here is my request: We work at a university, which means we work at an institution where excellence is a watchword. Therefore whatever we do, if we are university employees, we ought to do it a notch or two better than people in other organizations. My request is that, whatever your job, do it a notch or two better than persons in similar positions elsewhere.
Let me conclude with some reassuring words for the President and Trustees.
I might as well acknowledge it publicly. It would be hard to fail as chancellor at UALR – because of the many good and talented people who work here!
On the one hand, I know that chancellors are very important. On the other hand, I know that no matter who is chancellor, good and big things are going to be happening at UALR.
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as Chancellor.
