Convocation 2008 Introduction
By Faculty Senate Chair Daneshvary
I am pleased to offer some introductory remarks at our second official Convocation ceremony.
It has been a tradition for the Faculty Senate Chairs to speak at the convocation ceremony and to outline their hopes and expectations about this institution and its future. Instead, I wish to provide you with a brief assessment of the university, the administration, and our recent challenges.
In his inaugural speech, President Ashley underscored the need to have common core values, including a commitment to equity, human and physical ecology, efficiency, and excellence. To accomplish these objectives, he emphasized the need for commitment to research and teaching excellence with a spirit of shared governance.
At last year’s convocation, the President emphasized that our future must be based on planned, focused, deliberate, and selective growth. Again, he clearly stated his commitment to shared governance in achieving these objectives.
Over the past two years, President Ashley has taken several very important steps, including:
- The establishment of an effective and committed leadership team;
- The initiation and completion of the strategic planning process based on university-wide cooperation, collaboration, and genuine transparency.
- The President and the Provost exhibited respect for faculty and staff’s involvement, not only in the planning process but, more importantly, in the budgetary process.
In turn, the faculty has been exceptionally cooperative with the administration. Without active support from the faculty, the university would not have been as successful in dealing with the planning and budgetary issues.
In fact, in the face of the most difficult budgetary problems in the history of UNLV, the faculty and staff reaffirmed their commitment to excellence in teaching, learning, research, scholarship, and creative activities. If history is any indication, regardless of our financial difficulties, expected changes, and difficult decisions, our faculty and staff will continue their remarkable commitment to this institution and the community.
Like any other university, UNLV is still facing serious challenges. I strongly believe that we have the required ability and a “can do” attitude to deal with these challenges.
- We need to continue our commitment to quality in research and teaching,
- We need to continue with our innovative approaches to planning and budgeting.
- The university has made a genuine commitment to become a research institution. We have passed the debate stage on this issue. In the interest of our students, the faculty, the administration, and the community, our research course should not and will not be reversed.
- Our success will largely depend on the administration’s continued commitment to faculty governance and to the enhancement of a constructive work environment. Having established the planning document, it is imperative that the administration seek significant involvement by the faculty in the implementation process. It is also imperative that faculty become actively involved with the implementation. Our success will also depend on the faculty’s willingness to embrace our common core values and strategies and to get involved in the governance of the university.
Having served at this institution for nearly twenty years, I am more than ever convinced that with a sprit of cooperation between faculty and administration, we will succeed.
Now, it gives me great pleasure to introduce our committed leader, Dr. David B. Ashley, Professor of Civil Engineering, and the 8th President of UNLV. Please join me in welcoming President Ashley.
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