Speeches & Statements
Time
- Date: 08/25/2007
- Author: Dr. Luis M. Proenza (President, The University of Akron)
- Location: UA Commencement (p.m.), E. J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall
For some of you, the final semester passed quickly; for others, it may have seemed interminable. Yet for all of us it contained the same amount of Time - the same number of days, hours, minutes and seconds.
Time as we know it is as much a human perspective as it is a physical reality and, in the former case, time can be quite subjective. Why does the summer season seem shorter than winter? Why does Time seem to move faster as we get older?
The subject of Time has long been a focus of interest, and most scientists and philosophers agree that it is among the most intriguing aspects of the universe.
For example, since H.G. Wells wrote his science-fiction novel The Time Machine, people have been inquisitive about the concept of Time and with the possibility of conquering its barriers.
Theoretically, time travel is possible, because, thanks to Mr. Einstein, we know that objects traveling at exceptionally high speeds age more slowly than stationary ones.
In fact, some interpretations of time travel go so far as to suggest the possibility of commuting among other worlds that might exist alongside our own - parallel universes.
Historically, that is to say over the course of time, there have been many interpretations of Time, but the most common is referred to as Newtonian Time. "(Sir Isaac) Newton theorized that time could easily be measured because it is a fundamental structure of the universe and its events occur in sequence."
(Wikipedia.org)While the scientific study of Time began with the likes of Newton and Galileo, the first comprehensive explanation did not occur until the 20th Century when Einstein declared, in effect, that what we know and interpret as Time was not discovered; rather, it was invented and it is simply what we see on the clock.
As such, our approach to Time from an historical perspective often is misdirected.
For example, according to Penelope Corfield in her book, Time and the Shape of History, when we refer to the dawn of civilization as an ancient civilization, we have a paradox.
Let me illustrate: "...one of the more profound moments on (the TV show) ‘The Simpsons,' (occurred when) a successful pretzel vendor named Frank recalls how he once believed he was unsuited for the pushcart trade. ‘That was ‘the old me,' Frank says, ‘which was, ironically, the young me.'"
(Stark, Andrew, "What Was Old Is Young Again," The Wall Street Journal, July 26, 2007, D7)"Why, as Francis Bacon asked, don't we instead think of our own time as the ‘true antiquity...inasmuch as it is a more advanced age of the world, and stored and stocked with infinite experiments and observations'?"
(Stark, Ibid)
Indeed, when we explore "...the ways in which different views of time shape our understandings of the past", we find...
(Stark, Ibid)"...that the fleeting moment is always situated in the long term, and the legacies from the past are always with us in the present."
(Corfield, Penelope, personal review of Time and the Shape of History, Department of History, Royal Holloway, University of London)"Think of whether classical Greece should be seen as an old civilization or a young one. What is at stake here? If we view the past 2,000 years as the ‘time after classical Greece' - through which classical ideas have lasted and, so to speak, grown old - then classical Greece is ancient and venerable. But if we view the past two millennia as ‘the time before now,' it is our own civilization - with all that experience to draw on - that is, as Bacon argued, older and more mature."
(Stark, Ibid)According to Corfield, history is not a snapshot, because it still exists somewhere in the universe in what she calls "one long never-ending Now."
(Stark, Ibid)Because "...the light we see tonight from a distant star represents what was happening on it eons ago - the time it takes for its light to travel to us. In principle, this ‘delay' means that, on the distant star itself, our (own) dinosaurs are news...everything that has ever happened in human history is still happening - right now, somewhere."
(Stark, Ibid)These kinds of unknowns will continue to drive our thirst for understanding, and make the need for learning a continuous and never-ending process.
The knowledge you have gained at The University of Akron is vital to your future. And while making predictions about the future remains an iffy proposition, we can say with certainty that education empowers you so as to help write your own future.
So as time marches on, you now have power to manage the workings of your future and to drive the decisions that create new and exciting opportunities.I encourage you to continue to learn, to set ambitious goals, to be persistent in striving to reach them and to be patient with your progress.
But also take the time to examine your world, to reflect on what you value and who you are.
You control your destiny, and the future...well...that is your adventure still waiting to happen.
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- Relevance, Connectivity and Productivity: New Strategies for Success in Higher Education 11/08/2009
Remarks Abstract:
"Seismic rumbles of change" are transforming traditional paradigms for research and higher education-to say nothing about the relationships between academia, industry, government and the public. The sources of cataclysmic pressure are many, including competition among universities, shifting demographics and their accompanying shifts in priorities, resource constraints, public/government scrutiny of productivity and accountability in universities, the evolution of a global economy and the innovation ecosystem, and, most recently, the worldwide economic downturn. Like many industries, higher education is on the threshold of major, complex changes that must be directed to optimal outcomes. The University of Akron is innovating through a continuous process that seeks to enhance its relevance, connectivity and productivity.
Relevance: Institutions of higher education generally are place-based, and this means that the competitive and comparative advantages of universities are inextricably linked to the vitality and sustainability of their surrounding communities. Thus, universities must act to optimize their impact upon the regions in which they reside, and would be wise to extend their efforts collaboratively into like regions internationally. The complexities of the 21st Century knowledge and conceptual economy require that every academic discipline be collaboratively engaged with the relevant questions of the day in concert with other disciplines and partners on and off campus. In other words, relevance requires the integrated application of all disciplinary knowledge for the public good.
Connectivity: Connectivity is an extension of relevance and refers to engagement with others by universities in the myriad forms represented by partnerships and collaboration that are not limited by institutional, sector, geographic or disciplinary boundaries. In other words, connectivity means relevant engagement among some combinations of other academic institutions, government, business and industry. This becomes essential as governments become a smaller and smaller financial partner, requiring universities increasingly to generate their own financial revenue opportunities.
Productivity: Finally, higher education must move from measuring "excellence" by exclusion and expense to a set of productivity-based metrics that reflect outcomes and achievements in solving "real-world" problems and in enabling student success.
Universities now are being called upon to explore opportunities that will create innovative educational processes and campus cultures congruent with new realities. This will require a close and deep collaboration between universities and other public- and private- sector organizations, along with a willingness to experiment with new models and new alliances. As we increasingly work with partners accustomed to aggressive delivery schedules and product mixes that rapidly change according to market demands, the core of academic processes will be challenged, and adaptability must become integrated into institutional culture.
Filed in: Speeches - Revisioning the University 10/28/2009
As part of his 10th State of the University address, University of Akron President Luis M. Proenza promised to send this letter to the university community to ask that faculty, staff and students to "engage in timely and necessary conversations to bring... about (a mission- and vision-based university organizational structure). He said, "I am sure many lively and constructive ideas will be brought forward, but we must approach this with a sense of urgency because, as I have said before, doing business as usual is not an option."
Filed in: Statements to the Community - 2009 State of the University Address 10/27/2009
University of Akron President Luis M. Proenza underscored the successes of the past year and set in motion the process of steering the university toward the future during his 10th State of the University Address. As promised during his 2008 address, Proenza provided a progress report on the formal 10-year strategic plan, which he said "will chart the course to our new destination." As he outlined these plans, Proenza encouraged the audience to think about the origin of the name "Akron," derived from the Greek "akros," meaning "high place," in setting and achieving those goals.
Proenza outlined five strategic goals that will guide the university through the next 10 years and beyond:
- Strengthen Akron's historical commitment to inclusive excellence to enhance student access, transformation and success.
- Create vibrant, healthy, and diverse campuses that are deeply engaged with their surrounding communities.
- Establish selected cross-disciplinary clusters of academic distinction that are recognized nationally and internationally.
- Achieve national recognition for a curriculum in which entrepreneurship and 21st century global competitiveness skills are comprehensively embedded.
- Be a primary driver of economic competitiveness in northern Ohio and a leading contributor in the state.
Proenza also said that, in addition to budget challenges, an increasingly competitive environment for higher education and universities can't continue to operate with an educational model that is more than 200-years-old. He said he believes that the university must try even harder to be to bring down academic silo walls and build connections--emphasizing UA's relevance, connectivity and productivity.
Filed in: Speeches Statements to the Community - Five Myths of Entrepreneurship (morning commencement address) 08/15/2009
Filed in: Commencement Addresses - Challenging Fear (afternoon commencement address) 08/15/2009
Filed in: Commencement Addresses - Universities and Their Regions: The Akron Model 06/03/2009
Filed in: Speeches - Quarterly Letter to the Community 05/19/2009
Filed in: Statements to the Community - Connecting the Dots (May 2009 Commencement Address #4, Sunday) 05/10/2009
Filed in: Commencement Addresses - Graduation Advice (May 2009 Commencement Address #2, Saturday Morning) 05/09/2009
Filed in: Commencement Addresses - The Six-word Story (May 2009 Commencement Address #3, Saturday Afternoon) 05/09/2009
Filed in: Commencement Addresses
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