This page has 0 children

Reunion Rally 2007

Brian C. Mitchell
June 2, 2007

I am pleased to welcome you all to one of the most exciting events of the year at Bucknell. If Reunion Rally doesn’t get your pulse going, you might want to see a doctor. It is a good day to drink the decaffeinated coffee.

Maryjane and I are delighted to see so many of you here.  It is one thing to read statistics about our alumni base. It is quite another to be in the Weis Center today and look into the eyes of this tremendous group of loyal Bucknellians. So many generations, so many backgrounds, so many different life experiences – all united by a common love for the Orange and Blue.

Your support is simply overwhelming. In fact, the total dollar amount donated by Reunion-year classes this year more than doubled the total donated by last year’s Reunion classes.

Show great love
As president of this University, I am incredibly proud of our alumni. As a group, you show great love for your alma mater. You volunteer your time and talent as volunteers. You offer internship and externship opportunities to current students. You attend club events. You support the Bison when they compete on the road and here on campus. You give generously so that Bucknell has the resources for scholarships, special teaching equipment, better labs, and numerous aspects of crucial University business that would not be possible without you.

Together we will not only keep Bucknell on the move, but we will also position Bucknell as a leader in American higher education.

I hope you all agree that this is a legitimate and ambitious but achievable goal for Bucknell. Indeed, it is the only goal worthy of an institution with Bucknell's history of excellence. Consider the tremendous growth and success of this University since World War II - we all can see the potential. There is no reason we cannot set the standard in undergraduate liberal arts education.

Up to the challenge
The volume of applications to Bucknell in the last few years proves that the word is spreading. For two years in a row, we have received 9,000 applications for 900 slots in the entering class.  Few universities in America are as sought after by the best young students in this country - and in fact, in this world. Our faculty and staff – among the best university professionals in the country – are up to the challenge of taking Bucknell to the next level.

Since January, I have traveled the country talking about the goals of Bucknell. Maryjane and I have visited with small groups of alumni and parents in 13 cities from Florida to Boston to Los Angeles. Three themes kept emerging as I listened to alumni at these events. First, we need to keep Bucknell, Bucknell, and define “University.” Second, there is a clear need for a campaign to increase the endowment. Third, we must build bridges in two directions – outward, to increase University visibility; and inward, to bring the world to Bucknell.

We have a tremendously important year ahead of us:

  • The five core strategies of The Plan for Bucknell are being implemented, with input from the entire Bucknell community. 
  • The campus master plan will be completed, creating a blueprint for campus development for the next several decades, including classrooms, laboratories, residence halls, and green space to meet the needs of future Bucknellians.
  • Next month, we will embark upon the silent phase of our capital campaign, the key to securing our financial future. 
  • This fall, a grant of nearly $1 million that Bucknell received from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation – beating out 125 of the best schools in this country who were invited to apply for the funding – will bring outstanding community-college transfers to Bucknell.
  • Our new admission model will improve communication between admissions officers and applicants, and set the stage for students not just to succeed but to thrive at Bucknell. 
  • Finally, we will implement new tools for alumni communication and spread our strategic message across the country and beyond.

Tight-knit community
Despite the scale of our ambitions, we remain a tight-knit community – and that is precisely what will allow us to succeed in our mission. We are a close group, united by Bison pride.

Think back to your earliest days at Bucknell. No matter when you were a student, you have made this journey to reunite with friends and faculty members on this beautiful campus, in this beautiful town. You may remember Studebakers on campus, not SUVs. You may recall 8 o’clock curfew, not 24-hour computer labs. But whatever your graduation year, the core values of Bucknell are the same. This weekend, we gather to celebrate our community, and those values.

This year you will be hearing about an exciting new alumni program that will enhance your affinity with Bucknell through your career choices, your extracurriculars, and your personal interests. We saw an opportunity to better serve alumni interest in deeper engagement with Bucknell, and we seized it. And we believe you will be pleased by the opportunities it gives you to stay connected to your faculty, to Bucknell, and to one another.

University's potential
This determination to stay connected and serve with great energy permeated our volunteer alumni leadership briefing this morning. We are grateful to the members of the Alumni Board, and to the chair, Richard Humphrey, for their work. They reflect the Bucknell drive to achieve this University's potential.

Bucknell can set the standard in undergraduate liberal arts education. Your education was of such excellence. And we are determined that in the future, Bucknell will continue to offer an education that is the best of its time, that is adapted to modern demands, and that gives students the only kind of education that interests us – a Bucknell education.

All of us at Bucknell embrace this opportunity. We are moving forward confidently to achieve that goal. Ladies and gentlemen, the time is now.

Thank you.