Washington and Lee University
By June R. Aprille, Ph.D., Provost, University of Richmond
Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests, President Ruscio:
I am deeply honored by the invitation to address you on this historic occasion. As I began to prepare my remarks, I did ask the organizers about an appropriate theme and learned that my assignment is to introduce President Ruscio--- not biographically, but rather as a person. I was also encouraged to do a little roasting as well as toasting. Roasting Ken is not without risk. You already know about Ken's great sense of humor and quick wit so although I have the platform today, I know he will find a way in the future to give back as much as I can dish out.
My personal knowledge of Ken Ruscio is based on the fact that I am Provost at the University of Richmond, and Ken was the dean that I recruited in 2002 to lead the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. At that time, it was apparent that Ken was a gem of a find for our school; not so much in flash or fireworks, just a deep commitment to the pursuit of the best that can be achieved. Ken was more than a little ambivalent about leaving his beloved Washington and Lee to join us at Richmond. You know, when you are trying to hire someone you really want, you say all sorts of things and I remember saying to him: "Ken, if you do the fabulous job I know you will do here as dean, you will be back at W&L probably even as President before you know it." I prefer now to think that I was prescient rather than desperate. Certainly I did believe in his potential, but good grief, I didn't expect you to snatch him away so soon! On the other hand, what we gained and what we learned about the person of Ken Ruscio in just four years at Richmond is more than enough to inspire a brief address in honor of his inauguration today.
It was always clear that W&L had a special and permanent place in this man's heart, and there was no doubt in my mind that he would respond to a call to serve here if that call came. I will make a prediction now as audacious as the one I made when he came to Richmond, as follows: By virtue of his personal qualities and experience, his deep understanding of W&L's values and character, and yes, even a sense of destiny, Ken Ruscio is poised to bring an outstanding Presidency to this institution that will honor the past, relish the present, and launch the future.
So now to the heart of my assigned task: what has Washington and Lee acquired in the person of Kenneth Ruscio?
The first thing you should know is that he has no training for this job. Presidents, Provosts, and Deans are usually recruited from a pool of people who have trained many years for scholarly pursuits as professors, not for administration. Worse still, these administrative positions require us not only to lead, but to lead the faculty, a group that by tradition is almost obligated to resist administrative leadership. So what you have here in President Ruscio and most other academic leaders are people without training who are trying to lead people who aren't that willing to be led—or as one of my colleagues succinctly put it: we are the "incompetent leading the ungovernable."
President Ruscio must have recognized this potential shortcoming, because I heard that as soon as he was appointed here he rushed off to Harvard for one of their summer institutes for New Presidents. This may seem have seemed like a good idea but given recent events there, can we be sure that Harvard is currently the best place to be instructed in Presidential competencies? Actually, from what we know about Ken's leadership qualities, Harvard could take lessons from him!
Knowing that this day would be a festive celebration for the institution I tried to think of a holiday that would serve as a metaphor for the inauguration and Ken's presidency itself. Running through the calendar, I ticked off several possibilities: President's Day? Much too obvious; Groundhog's day is my personal favorite, but quite a stretch for this occasion. Easter? Too specific to one religion, and anyway although Ken is reappearing at Washington and Lee after a few years absence, an analogy to a resurrection would a bit much.
I finally settled on Thanksgiving as the best holiday metaphor for this particular inauguration. There are at least five reasons to think that Thanksgiving qualifies:
Those five very good reasons would be sufficient. But I must confess that because we are honoring President Ruscio today, the clincher for me in using Thanksgiving as my metaphor is that the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving holiday is a roasted stuffed turkey. But enough of this light-hearted roasting. We have come here to praise Ken, not to baste him.
So now, I invite you to reflect for a few minutes on the five serious reasons to think of Thanksgiving as a metaphor for this inauguration.
First, Thanksgiving usually features a reunion of family and friends. Auspiciously, this presidency officially begins with Homecoming at W&L. Given Ken's open inclusive spirit, his presidency is sure to unfold from this day on as a perpetual gathering of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who are welcome at the metaphorical table for conversation about the meaning and future of Washington and Lee.
Second, Thanksgiving features an extended meal: The responsibility for selecting the particular courses and the order in which they are served will rest mainly with the faculty. But this meal cannot rely on potluck. President Ruscio is likely to stipulate some basic recipe ingredients for all that is offered including:
Third, Thanksgiving usually results in good conversation: I am certain that President Ruscio will lead a conversation that is focused on his vision for the central purpose of education, which is to empower students with the knowledge, values and skill to make wise choices in deciding the plan and purpose of their lives.
Fourth, while a successful Thanksgiving requires no material gifts, it does require that we bring the gifts of personal presence and good will and I want to expand on this a bit more.
In accepting the Presidency, Dr. Ruscio has given you the gift of himself and his family, promising to work with you and for you in the pursuit of what is right for the future of this place.
The faculty's gift should be a commitment to participate fully in the common purpose of the occasion, which is larger than personal ambition and disciplinary alliances.
Staff bring the gift of equal commitment and hard work as partners in the great purpose. The meal could not be planned, assembled and served well without staff support at every level of the enterprise.
Students, the gift you must bring to the table is an appetite for what is offered. Be ready to partake with passion and relish, clean your plates, and ask for more.
Alumni and Trustees can offer the perspectives that help the institution better prepare the next generation of students to meet the challenges of the ever-changing real world.
The collective gift that President Ruscio will need from all of you--students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and friends--is to join him in the renewed dedication of your ideas, energy, time, resources, and talents to furthering the high aspirations of this institution.
While everything seems rosy and perfect on this glorious day, please think ahead about one more necessary gift. Because serious conversation is likely to evoke some inevitable disagreements and unintentional slights, be ready with the gift of grace and forgiveness for each other, and especially for your new President should he happen to process servings in the wrong order or use the wrong silverware.
The meal you share together here will be served over and over again through the years to successive cohorts of students. The gift you receive in return will be the sweet dessert of value-laden accomplishments seen in the lives of alumni, who will be forever recalled as the students who sat with you at this wonderful table for the Washington and Lee experience.
Fifth, finally, and above all, Thanksgiving, like this inauguration, is an occasion for thankfulness. In a recent essay in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Jeffrey Nesternuk, a tenured professor at Franklin and Marshall, reflected as follows1:
"I'm acutely aware these days of the rarity of the life I lead. As a senior faculty member at a selective liberal arts college, I have the students that many of my colleagues at other institutions long for, the freedom to range widely in my intellectual interests, the chance to participate in a form of education that reflects my deepest values. Gratitude, on a daily basis, I'm finding, is profoundly energizing. For anyone grateful to the present, the future is full of possibilities."
On this day of celebration, I hope you all can feel gratitude for the gift that is Ken Ruscio, be thankful for the impact of W&L on your own lives, and embrace the enormous possibilities for each day that lies ahead.
Thank you, and sincere good wishes to all who will experience Washington and Lee's most remarkable era ever under the leadership of President Kenneth P. Ruscio.
1 Chronicle of Higher Education, July 8, 2005