The Pennsylvania
State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall
have equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment
without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability,
performance or qualifications as determined by University policy
or by state or federal authorities. The Pennsylvania State University
does not discriminate against any person because of age, ancestry,
color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious
creed, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.
Direct all
inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative
Action Director,
The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Willard Building,
University Park PA 16802- 2801;
tel. (814) 865-4700/V;
(814) 863-1150/TTY.
Speech excerpts
President's
Convocation
Aug. 19, 2000
Everyone at the University
has a role to play in creating a strong and caring community
at Penn State and in the local community we share.
It is important
for you to be good neighbors with other students on campus,
and with the residents of the State College area as well. As
members of our university community, you will meet individuals
of vastly different backgrounds, viewpoints, and personal characteristics.
All of our students
must learn to live and learn with each other so that the Penn
State experience is supportive of all. Civility, understanding,
and mutual respect are key qualities toward this end.
The barriers of racism,
sexism, sexual harassment, homophobia, and a level of intolerance
in general toward people who are different call for leadership
at every level of the university community. This intolerance
can come from inside and outside the institution. I say with
deep conviction based on more than twenty years in university
administration: Do not underestimate the profound negative force
these attitudes and behaviors can have on interfering with and
eroding your ability to humanize a university. The single most
important key to opening the doors wider to all people is to
create an environment in which everyone feels welcome.
I firmly believe
that by putting people first, the desired results can be achieved.
We put people first by opening the doors widely to all, by creating
an environment in which everyone feels welcome, by eliminating
intolerance and harassment, and by working toward the goal of
civility and acceptance of everyone connected with our organizations.
NASULGC
Annual Meeting,
President's Panel on Values
Nov. 14, 1995
Many of our academic
values, such as honesty and tolerance, are among the most basic
of human values. There are others to be included here that I
hope we are teaching our students. These are fundamental things
that make life worth living--values that relate to both individual
rights such as freedom and opportunity, and to the interconnectedness
of people.
Are we not still
confronted each day with issues of equity, justice, compassion,
sensitivity, tolerance, and understanding? These are the values
that govern many of my own priorities, many of my own decisions,
and many of my own choices, yet I still struggle each and every
day to understand why so many around us fail to understand why
fundamental human rights--whether defined by the constitution,
by Judeo-Christian morality, or simply by common decency--should
be so elusive, so foreign, so feared.
I talk to the incoming
freshmen each year about how they can get the most from their
education-about planning ahead and making good choices, about
taking school seriously, and about having some fun. I talk about
the importance of getting to know faculty and staff. And I talk
about citizenship and social responsibility. I'm not sure that
the messages students hear when they first arrive at Penn State
are emphasized enough throughout the entire time they spend
here.
Penn State has been
one of the nationês great success stories of the 1990s with
the progress made in enhancing the diversity of our campuses,
improving campus climates for historically underrepresented
students, and expanding student programming. While we can be
proud of this progress, we must renew our commitment for the
next decade.
Before I review the
broad state of the University, I want to speak to you candidly
about a matter of profound personal and professional concern
that has troubled me these past several years. I speak of the
important educational role the University must play in the development
of character, conscience, citizenship, and social responsibility.
I've said many times
that humanizing Penn State is one of my highest priorities.
I truly believe that people are the University's greatest resource
and that people, when given the opportunity and encouragement,
will do their jobs to the very best of their abilities. This
is true for our students, faculty, and staff. ... But having
the right policies is simply not enough. We must devote ourselves
to the perseverance of fairness, equity, pluralism, and compassion
in our University. I ask you to join me in this walk.
In addition to the
multitude of good news and a healthy dose of optimism I wish
to share with you today, I also want to talk to you about something
that has been troubling me deeply. The anguish is difficult
to capture succinctly since it relates to the confluence where
the University's educational mission meets character, citizenship,
maturity, civility, tolerance, and social responsibility. ...
The most fundamental problem facing colleges and universities
throughout America today is the challenge of developing character,
conscience, citizenship, tolerance, and social responsibility
in a society that sometimes gives the impression that such virtues
are optional.
as I reflect on the
person I am today, and the influence my parents had in the formation
of that person, I see education as one of the two overriding
concepts that provide the foundation for my value system. The
other is the value of social equality, an abhorrence of discrimination,
and a desire for understanding across cultures. I was born to
circumstances where freedom, social equality, and pluralism
were considered corrupt concepts. I see them as virtues. This
is why, under my watch, I am hopeful that the University will
work toward greater tolerance and understanding of all peoples.
