OPENING CONVOCATION SPEECH
by
THE HONORABLE
GABRIELLE KIRK MCDONALD

HOWARD UNIVERSITY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES


MR. PRESIDENT, SOROR BISHOP MCKENZIE, MEMBERS OF THE HOWARD COMMUNITY, GUESTS, FRIENDS, AND ESPECIALLY THE CLASS OF 2004, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS CONVOCATION MARKING THE FORMAL OPENING OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY'S 133RD ACADEMIC YEAR.

FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK AND COMMEND BISHOP MCKENZIE, A STALWART AND TRAILBLAZER. SHE HAS BEEN A FREQUENT AND FAVORED GUEST AT THE RANKIN CHAPEL. SHE IS AN EXEMPLAR OF ALL THAT WE HOLD DEAR IN OUR BELOVED SISTERHOOD OF DELTA SIGMA THETA - "SCHOLARSHIP AND SERVICE".

I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO COMMEND AND THANK OUR PRESIDENT, PAT SWYGERT. HIS TIRELESS LEADERSHIP AND VISION CONTINUE TO SERVE AS THE CATALYST FOR OUR TRANSFORMATION EFFORTS. HE HAS PROVIDED DYNAMIC AND VISIONARY LEADERSHIP.

HE HAS PROCEEDED WITH DISPATCH AND PRECISION IN IMPLEMENTING THE BOARD APPROVED 1996 STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION. HE IS NOW UNDERTAKING DEVELOPMENT OF FRAMEWORK II IN CONCERT WITH THE FACULTY. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK II WILL CHART OUR FUTURE DIRECTION AND FOCUS ON FOUR PRINCIPLE AREAS. 

1 - INCREASING PRIVATE SUPPORT; 
2 - PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH; 
3 - ENHANCING ACADEMIC INFRASTRUCTURE; AND
4 - INTEGRATING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

PAT, AS AN ALUMNA AND AS A TRUSTEE THANK YOU FOR THE OUTSTANDING JOB YOU HAVE DONE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU CONTINUED STEWARDSHIP.

THANKS AS WELL TO YOUR HELP MATE SONJA SWYGERT. SHE HAS BEEN AT YOUR SIDE STEAD FAST IN SUPPORT OF YOU AND INDEPENDENTLY SERVING AS A STEWARD IN HER OWN RIGHT, PARTICULARLY WITH THE FRIENDS OF MOORLAND- SPINGARN, THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, AND THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. THANK YOU, SONJA.

GREETINGS AND APPRECIATION TO OUR SCHOLARS, THE FACULTY. 

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO OUR NEWEST BOARD COLLEAGUES, MICHAEL WINSTON AND CHARLES COLEMAN THE GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT TRUSTEES. 

I EXTEND AN ESPECIALLY WARM WELCOME TO THE STUDENTS, STAFF, ALUMNI, AND RETIREES WHO ARE WITH US TODAY. TO OUR FRESHMEN STUDENTS AND NEW FACULTY, YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO BECOME A PART OF THE HOWARD FAMILY, THE HOWARD TRADITION, AND INDEED, THE HOWARD LEGACY.

EACH SEPTEMBER, WE PAUSE TO CELEBRATE THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ACADEMIC YEAR. WE CELEBRATE THE VISION OF OUR FOUNDERS AND OUR SUCCESS IN SPITE OF THE ODDS. WE RECOMMIT TO THE MISSION AND THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE. THAT IS TRUE TODAY AS IT WAS WHEN I ENTERED THE LAW SCHOOL HERE AT HOWARD.

MR. PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY, AS WE BEGIN A NEW CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR GREAT INSTITUTION. CHAIRMAN SAVAGE ASK THAT I SHARE WITH YOU THE CONTINUING RESOLVE OF THIS BOARD, TO ENSURE THAT HOWARD UNIVERSITY MAXIMIZES ITS POTENTIAL AND FULFILLS ITS HISTORIC MISSION CONSISTENT WITH ITS "LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE." WE SOLICIT ALL MEMBERS OF OUR GREAT HOWARD UNIVERSITY FAMILY TO JOIN US IN THIS COMMITMENT.

AS A WORLD-CLASS INSTITUTION OF THE 21ST CENTURY MUST STRIVE FOR PERFECTION AND TOLERATE EXCELLENCE. OUR LEGACY REQUIRES THAT WE DO NO LESS. THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY FAMILY MUST COMMIT TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, INNOVATION, AND THE QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE.

THIS BOARD TAKES SERIOUSLY ITS STEWARDSHIP OF THIS UNIVERSITY. IN CONCERT WITH THE PRESIDENT WE ARE WORKING TO ENSURE THAT THE BOARD DIRECTS ITS ENERGIES TO MATTERS OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE. OUR FOUR STRATEGIC ISSUES OF FOCUS ARE:

(1) ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE - DISTINCTION IN ACADEMICS IS OUR KEY TO SURVIVAL AND MARKET DOMINANCE.

(2) PRIVATE SUPPORT - HOWARD MUST STRENGTHEN ITS FUNDRAISING INFRASTRUCTURE. HOWARD CANNOT SUSTAIN OR IMPROVE ITS CURRENT POSITION WITHOUT INCREASING ITS ABILITY TO ATTRACT SIGNIFICANT PRIVATE SUPPORT, WE CANNOT SECURE A WORLD-CLASS STATUS WITHOUT SUFFICIENT CAPITAL TO UNDERGIRD CONTINUOUS INNOVATION AND ACADEMIC VIGOR.

(3) HOWARD UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL - HOWARD UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MUST IMPLEMENT ENTREPRENEURIAL STRATEGIES TO POSITION THE HOSPITAL AS A KEY PLAYER IN THE DYNAMIC "BUSINESS" OF MANAGED HEALTH CARE; AND

(4) STRENGTHENING THE BOARD - WE MUST CONTINUE TO BUILD AND STRUCTURE, A BOARD CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF A RESEARCH LEVEL ONE, WORLD-CLASS INSTITUTION.

WE BELIEVE THIS FOCUSED ATTENTION OF THE BOARD COUPLED WITH THE DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP OF H. PATRICK SWYGERT WILL REAP UNPARALLELED SUCCESS FOR THE UNIVERSITY.

IN CLOSING, I WANT TO DIRECT MY COMMENTS TO THE FRESHMAN CLASS. FOR 133 YEARS, YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN HAVE ENTERED THE DOORS OF HOWARD AND EXITED ARMED WITH KNOWLEDGE SKILLS, WISDOM, AND HUMANITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.

INDEED, YOU, THE STUDENTS OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY, SERVE AS LIVING TESTIMONY TO THE UNIVERSITY'S THEME: "LEADERSHIP FOR AMERICA AND THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY."

YOU SHOULD FEEL CONFIDENT THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN WELL IN SELECTING HOWARD UNIVERSITY AS THE SITUS OF YOUR MATRICULATION, FOR IT IS THIS UNIVERSITY'S EXCEPTIONAL AND LEGENDARY FACULTY THAT CONTINUES TO CONTRIBUTE, IN LARGE MEASURE, TO YOUR UNIQUE WISDOM AND STRONG LEADERSHIP ABILITY. 

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE ALL - FACULTY, STUDENTS, STAFF, ALUMNI, AND TRUSTEES WORK TOGETHER IN THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE, FOR EXCELLENCE IS THE EPITOME OF STRENGTH.

IT IS OUR STRENGTH THAT ENABLES US TO EXCEL, TO BEAT THE ODDS. THROUGH COLLECTIVE SUPPORT, WE CAN ONLY BE VICTORIOUS IN OUR MISSION TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP FOR AMERICA AND THE WORLD.

ON THIS DAY, THE FORMAL OPENING OF OUR 133RD ACADEMIC YEAR, WE HAVE A FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY BEFORE US. IN TRUE HOWARD SPIRIT, LET US ALL COMMIT TO WORK AND ENSURE ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL AND ACCOMPLISHED ACADEMIC YEAR. GOOD LUCK!

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