Convocation Ceremony Marks Opening of Academic Year

Iincoming students were formally welcomed to Ithaca College on Monday, August 27, at the annual Convocation ceremony held in Ben Light Gymnasium. The new members of the campus community joined with trustees, faculty, and staff in officially kicking off the start of another academic year.

In his salutation, board of trustees chairman William Haines pointed out that the incoming class is an accomplished group with a wide array of talents, characteristics, and experiences. He urged them to learn from one another and to take advantage of the outstanding abilities of their professors. "They are also a most accomplished group --- scholars, researchers, writers, performers --- but most important, and the thing I’m most proud of, is that they are skilled teachers for undergraduate students. You will be able to receive the best possible education from this fine group of academicians."

Jayson Pope ’02, president of the Student Government Association, reminded his fellow students that he was once in their shoes, and he acknowledged the concerns they might be dealing with right now. "You’ve left behind 18 years of familiarity and entered a world that will be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. For some of you, college hasn’t come soon enough. For others, you will hesitate to let go of the lifestyle to which you are accustomed. Regardless, you are all in the process of making a transition --- one that might be quick and seamless, or one that might take a little longer. The best advice I can give is to be patient and to take everything in stride."

Pope also noted that the beginning of their college life gives them an opportunity to make a fresh start. "If you haven’t already, you will soon realize that college is not merely an extension of high school. Coming to college allowed me to break out of the bubble of ‘small town America,’ where everyone was the same and identities were shaped not by substance but by superficiality. Now you have all been given a clean slate. How you choose to fill your slate is up to you and no one else."

In her Convocation address, President Peggy R. Williams pledged that the faculty and staff of the College will do all they can to fulfill their duties as educators. "Regardless of the role each of us plays, we are all here for the same important reason --- to help you achieve your academic and personal goals. We promise you the opportunity for success and our commitment and encouragement to support you along the way. As you begin your studies at Ithaca College, we recommit to that responsibility and promise."

Williams quoted extensively from the results of the Harvard Assessment Project, a 10-year study of how undergraduate students develop and maintain strategies that lead to effective learning and personal fulfillment. Led by Harvard University professor of education Richard Light, the study included in-depth interviews with 1,600 students at more than two dozen colleges and universities. Williams noted that the research found four fundamental keys to student success: early, effective academic engagement; a balance between academic work and other activities; an emphasis on writing; and diversity and learning from differences.

In closing, Williams had three recommendations for the incoming class:

• "Get excited about ideas and about learning. Experience times when you can echo the words of William Shakespeare: ‘O, this learning! What a thing it is.’
• "Develop good habits of mind that will enable you to move effectively from one course to another and across disciplines, providing you the foundation necessary to carry a commitment to learning and inquiry throughout your life.
• "Heed the advice of several graduating seniors in Dr. Light’s research study, who stressed the importance ‘of the simple principle of bringing good will to all personal encounters.’ "

Annual Fund director Penny Chick (left) and trustee Arlene Wolff greet two freshmen at the "welcome to the community" pcnic following Convocation.

Photos by Sheryl D. Sinkow Photography