Climate Change: The Role of the Economy
^ Freshman Move-In Day 2009, a chance to get first-year students situated and to spur some conversation about what brought this talented set of students to Emory.
A review of our year together suggests that, as a community, we have been at our best in confronting, solving, and rising above challenges provoked by the economy; that we not only have acted with great effort and responsiveness, but also, along the way, have demonstrated leadership to other institutions of higher education.
President's State of the University Address
"...He said he got a sense of an institution that was going somewhere..."
We have not focused merely on survival and recovery but actually have used the difficulties of the preceding year to advantage. Through all our recent challenges, we have continued to share a sense that we are going somewhere worthy of our best thinking, our strongest spirit, and our enduring determination. In that sense, the state of Emory University is very good indeed.
Each year during freshman move-in day, my wife, Debbie, and I join Cabinet members and many other staff volunteers in helping families move their new Emory students into their dorm rooms. Normally, we begin that morning stationed in front of one of the freshman residence halls and greet each arriving minivan, SUV, and station wagon that pulls up to the curb to unload.
Through the years I have made a habit—amid carrying suitcases, televisions, boxes, and bags into the dormitories—of finding out where our new students hail from and why they are joining us at Emory. This year, when I asked one young man from out of state what other universities he had considered besides Emory, he told me that the decision had boiled down to just two schools—Emory and another distinguished university.
“What made you come to Emory instead of going elsewhere?” I asked, although I could think of many compelling reasons to choose Emory over any other possibility.
His reply said a lot, both about him and about what attracts people to Emory. The campus visits made the difference. Both campuses are impressively beautiful, he said; both have superb facilities, faculty, and students. But he got the distinct impression that many at the other university felt they had already arrived, that things were rather staid and maybe even proudly complacent. In contrast, at Emory he had a sense of an institution that was on the move—where the faculty, staff, and students had an evident enthusiasm for the future, a sense that they had not yet arrived, and a determination to do so. He wanted to be part of that, he said.
We should not put too much emphasis on the assessment of one new student, speaking on his first day on campus to the chatty fellow carrying his computer into his dorm room. Given the student’s one brief visit, I feel pride but simultaneous puzzlement about his assessment of Emory.
Is it possible that someone who visited our campus last winter (especially last winter!) came away having sensed enthusiasm and determination? At that time, he would have caught us addressing the economic challenges, responding to pointed questions from media and public officials about alleged conflicts of interest in our research, and beginning to imagine the impact of a worldwide influenza outbreak. How is it possible that, as Emory was meeting these challenges, he did not detect anxiety but instead found promise and resolve?
The remainder of this report will reveal what that new student already knew. I will outline the ways in which the Emory community addressed the unusual challenges that presented themselves last year. Then I will review examples of our collective accomplishments during the past year that prove we were not incapacitated by tough times—clear evidence of our disciplined thinking, our strong spirit, and our fortitude as an intellectual community. Finally, I want to consider just how critical it will be going forward to keep our eyes on our primary purpose and not be distracted from how Emory best serves society.
A Tip of the Hat to Emory’s Tour Guides
A visit to Emory can be a life-changer. Our students lead campus tours in a program overseen by Jamie Chan 06C, who graduated from Emory with a BA in sociology. Emory’s guides provide some of the best—because sincerest—publicity for the University year to year.
When students apply as tour guides, the following two-part question is an obvious one: why do you want to memorize a mouthful of facts and walk backward across campus with strangers? Following are three recent responses:
“When I first visited Emory’s campus, it was only because my mom insisted. She thought Emory was perfect—a great education only four hours from home. Of course, I disagreed. I wanted to get as far away from home as possible. After a tour of the campus, Emory moved to the top of my list. The tour was personal, the campus was beautiful, and my tour guide quickly dispelled any false notions I had of what awaited me at Emory. He gave me his contact information, and I stayed in touch with him through the whole application process.”—Rachel Westmoreland 13C
“I was a rising high school senior when I first got to experience Emory. I had read every Emory pamphlet and explored all of the information about ‘Life at Emory’ and ‘Academics’ provided on the Emory website. Needless to say, I was well versed. When I walked on the summer tour, my guide was enthusiastic and informative. But most of all, he got me excited about joining the Emory community. I gave similar tours at my high school and remembered how much I loved watching the expressions of eager, prospective students. And that’ s exactly what I want to continue doing here. I want to show these students why I love Emory and why they would love it too.” —Kathryn Hemsing 13C
“When I was going around on different college tours, I was undecided about what college I wanted to attend. During my Emory tour, I fell completely in love with the campus and the University itself. I still remember my tour guide, who had a big impact on my decision. He was extremely helpful and made everyone feel welcome during the tour. I thought, not only is this campus great, but the people here are great as well. My tour guide helped me come to that realization. I want to be able to do the same for someone else.”—Brian Fuller 13C
Student Admission Representatives
Tour Guides (200+)
Lobby Hosts (100+; hosts greet visitors before their tours/information sessions)
Ambassadors (55; ambassadors work in high schools in their hometowns)
Campus visits in 2008–2009: 6,000+, with the most occurring in April.