President Cornwell Encourages Students to Embrace College's Mission as Their Own

Remarks made at The College of Wooster's 140th convocation Tuesday in McGaw Chapel

WOOSTER, Ohio - College of Wooster President Grant Cornwell marked the official beginning of the 140th academic year with a compelling convocation address that outlined Wooster's mission as a liberal arts college, and the importance of aligning oneself with that mission.

Speaking in McGaw Chapel to students, faculty, staff, trustees, and members of the community at large, President Cornwell extolled the virtues of Wooster's historic commitment to "the enterprise of liberal education" while reminding those who had gathered that all constituencies must continue working together. He went on to say that it is important to ask existential questions to help sharpen one's shared identity and reason for being: "Who are we? Why are we here? What is our purpose? Is what we do consistent with what we are here to do?"

The President listed two primary objectives for his address: (1) a restatement of the College's mission to begin a campus conversation about "our sense of purpose" and (2) guiding students to compare the core values and mission of the College with their own. He then reflected on a slightly revised mission statement, which he said is an attempt to "capture the essential qualities and character of the college, drawn from our history, our current practices, and the stories we tell about ourselves."

Describing Wooster's program of liberal education as both rigorous and dynamic, Dr. Cornwell reminded students that the curriculum is difficult and calls for commitment, persistence, and a willingness to stay with a program of study that is not always immediately gratifying or stimulating. He added "the best education calls for breadth, depth, and integration of knowledge and the cultivation of skills in inquiry, reasoning, rhetoric, and creative expression." Noting that as knowledge changes and technology transforms traditional methods of inquiry and communication, Dr. Cornwell proclaimed that a liberal education is as viable as ever. "Liberal education is not a dead or static endeavor," he said. "It calls for continuous innovation and constant rethinking...I submit that the purpose of a liberal education is to prepare students for productive lives as responsible global citizens."

In reviewing the College's strengths, President Cornwell said, "Wooster does not teach students what to think, but how to think. In this way, we seek both to uphold and cultivate freedom of inquiry." He also covered four core values that enable Wooster to maintain its institutional integrity: (1) independence of thought, (2) intellectual honesty and academic rigor, (3) social responsibility, and (4) diversity and inclusivity, a concept he developed to describe Wooster's desire to include students from a variety of racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. "We believe that excellence in liberal education is only possible in a community of learners that includes members who bring a diversity of identities and beliefs to our common purpose," he said.

In closing, he invited students to take ownership of their liberal education, and to create its meaning through their own act of will. "If you do this, you will be here for the very reason this college exits," he said. "In realizing your purpose, you realize ours."

Linda Morgan Clement, campus chaplain and director of interfaith campus ministries opened the ceremony by calling on those in attendance to clear their minds of work and words and become more aware of self and the world around us. Interim Provost Shila Garg announced faculty promotions and retirements, while welcoming new faculty as well as those returning from leave. Senior Alexander Jue, President of the Student Government Association, also spoke along with sophomore Jaquet Long, who represented the Black Student Association, and sophomore Micheal O'Duffy, who represented the International Student Association.