Opening Convocation - August 27, 2006
Remarks by Michael J. Fratantuono
Winner of the 2006 Ganoe Award for Inspirational Teaching

Good afternoon.

I am grateful for the opportunity to share some thoughts with all present here today, especially students in the class of 2007, even more so students in the class of 2010.

Over the past 17 years, the world has experienced a dramatic transformation, known as globalization.

Four major factors have stimulated this transformation.

1. The revolution in information technology and breakthroughs in basic science.
2. The demographic profile and migration patterns of the human population.
3. The tendency of market mechanisms to spill across national boundaries and for early stages of economic development to be resource intensive
4. The choice by governments to open their borders to the flows of labor, capital, goods, and services, and to more fully participate in the international system.

This process has made the actors in the international system increasingly interdependent.

By actors, I mean individuals like you and me. I also mean clusters of people who fall into generic categories, including nation states, intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, Non-governmental organizations such as Greenpeace, Multinational corporations, and so forth.

The globalization process has also altered the structure of the international system. By that, I mean that the process has redistributed the relative power enjoyed by different actors in the system, and necessitated new rules and norms to govern their interaction.

An example of what I have in mind? Consider for a moment the fact that in some parts of Southeast Asia , human beings are forced to share drinking water and living space with chickens and pigs. I am sure that violates your sensibilities. But, as you sit here in Carlisle , are you directly impacted or threatened in any way? Yes. Scientists believe those conditions may be the breeding grounds for a virus that can jump across species, thereby launching a pandemic that could kill 100s of millions of people, devastate the global economy, and undermine the existing political and social order in many countries.

Despite the emergence of anti-globalization backlash and the current turbulence in world affairs, absent a major catastrophe such as a pandemic or a full scale world war, the process of globalization will continue to unfold. A recent report representing the consensus opinion in the U.S national intelligence community characterizes globalization as “a force so ubiquitous that it will substantially shape all of the other major trends in the world of 2020.”

But, what is the relevance of globalization to our Convocation Celebration.

I think there are two points to make.

The first deals with the nature of the curriculum at Dickinson . I do not want to trivialize matters, but in the name of time, let me lead you through a short idea-association game.

If I say globalization, can you make a connection from globalization to the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs?

From outsourcing, can you make a connection to China ?

From China to Confucius?

From Confucius to communism?

From communism to rapid industrialization?

From rapid industrialization to pollution?

To global warming?

To the world's food supply?

To genetically modified organisms?

To man's relationship with nature and with god?

To Michelangelo's depiction of the Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

To the Catholic Church?

To Judaism and the creation of Israel ?

To Islam?

To a profound sense among many of exclusion and injustice?

To violent extremism intertwined with notions of martyrdom?

To 9/11?

To invasion and occupation?

To calls for universal human rights and democracy?

As we jumped across time and space, we could have called upon the social sciences, the humanities, the physical sciences, or some combination of the above as we pushed for deeper understanding at each node in the sequence, even as we tried to find relationships among them.

I think you get the basic idea. When you accepted the invitation extended to you by Dickinson , you opted for the liberal arts, an education that is extremely relevant in this complex world, one that encourages you to achieve depth of understanding and breadth of vision.

More than that, you opted for a College that is among the very best in the country at encouraging individuals to cross geographic, organizational, and intellectual boundaries. You chose well.

A liberal education has intrinsic value—it is satisfying and meaningful in its own right.

However, many students and parents wonder about the instrumental value of a liberal education—that is, what about a job?

Well, there are no guarantees. But I will offer the following.

Given the speed of change in contemporary society, the job titles and duties that many of you will have in 20 years do not yet exist. Nonetheless, we do know that in the future very few occupations will be immune from competition. After all, there are millions of young people across this world willing to work very hard for a chance at prosperity. And they reside in countries where the cost of living is a fraction of that in the US . But the majority of those young people are burdened by systems of education that emphasize memorizing formulas and following directions.

In contrast, at Dickinson, we believe that in order for an individual to “add value” in the broadest and best sense of the term, he or she will need the ability to think critically and creatively, to drill down on certain issues but at the same time understand the big picture, and to work with and communicate ideas to others. In this respect, relative to much of the competition, your education will help make you a more resilient and flexible thinker.

My second point is more removed, but not divorced, from the complexity of globalization. It deals with the roles that we the professionals and you the students respectively play at Dickinson .

To shed light, let me use the jargon of Business Management to offer my own description of our College.

Dickinson is a multinational, not-for-profit organization that stages a range of residential, social, cultural, spiritual, and intellectual experiences for young adults, in order to help them achieve a lifetime of personal fulfillment, civic engagement, and professional success.

Although we—meaning the administration, the faculty, the residential life professionals, the academic professionals—individualize these experiences, we do not look at ourselves as the hotel concierge. Instead, we assume the guise of coach, educator, mentor, or leader. We set guidelines and high expectations. We provide resources, instruction, and encouragement. We insist on accountability. We appreciate pure intellect and raw talent. We respect hard work, determination, and a sense of purpose.

So, what is the role of you, the student? Well, each day, each week, each year, you have choices to make and actions to take. Your role is to pour yourself into the many experiences available to you, to stretch yourself, to keep exploring, to study abroad, to be open-minded, to meet new people, to assume leadership positions, to discover new passions, and to work your hardest. I think you realize how lucky you are to be here.

Finally, think ahead to the day when your name is called and it is your turn to march down the stone steps of Old West. Put this image in your mind:

• Knowing your achievements are consistent with your potential, you hold your head high.
• Realizing the range of your own accomplishments, you wear a smile on your face.
• We who worked with you silently nod our approval.
• Your friends and family call your name and applaud.

My best wishes to all for this school year.

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