Brown's 20th Chancellor Reflects on...
…his role as chancellor
I’m very honored to succeed Steve Robert as chancellor. Steve got the Campaign for Academic Enrichment off to a powerful start, and gave me a marvelous legacy on which to build. Working with the Corporation members and traveling around the country on behalf of Brown has given me a new appreciation for the deep reservoirs of goodwill that people feel for Brown. I particularly appreciate the Brown Corporation itself, which brings together voices from every aspect of the community and works together in a very collegial and positive way. I think that that collegiality, in many ways, defines us: diverse voices working together for the common good.
…President Ruth J. Simmons
In the history of Brown, there have been many presidents, but very few people of the caliber of Ruth. What she’s done, how she’s transformed this university, is really quite remarkable. Before Ruth came to Brown, when an interesting idea was proposed, someone often responded: “that’s a great idea, but we can’t afford to do it.” Ruth had a very simple and very radical formulation: “that’s a great idea; we can’t afford not to do it.”
…his vision of the campaign
A professor of mine at Brown once remarked that fundraising is basically selling participation in a dream. Right now, the dream and the vision at Brown are clear. It’s a bold vision, it’s the right vision. And at this point in the campaign, we’re no longer just making promises; we’re executing the vision as well. You can see it in the transformation of life at Brown: in need-blind admissions, in the strength and excellence of the faculty, and, gradually, in the physical transformation of the campus. Our aspirations are great, and they’re appropriate. We’re moving the needle in ways that are consistent with our core values and with our history. It’s marvelous to be a part of it and to see it all around us.
…transformational gifts
We’ve been lucky; we’ve had a series of just magnificent transformational gifts. For example, the Sidney Frank gift— both in terms of its timing and the way it came in— gave people an unbelievable sense of pride that we could stretch ourselves, that we could do extraordinary things. Jerome Vascellaro, one of the co-chairs of the campaign, has remarked that this is really a campaign of discovery, of going out and reconnecting with Brown alumni. In the process, everybody has come away feeling terrific about Brown—about participating, about having an impact, about making a difference.
…competition with other schools
The academic world is not static. It’s particularly competitive in terms of student facilities, in terms of faculty resources, and in terms of financial aid. No institution in America is sitting still today, and neither are we. In fact, we’re right up there with the top. It’s difficult both to fulfill our own aspirations and to meet the challenge of the competition, but it’s something that, if we continue to come together, we know we can do.
…his own personal philanthropy
This is a great moment in the campaign: we have an opportunity to really secure the future of Brown. My wife and I have recently given an additional gift to endow five new professorships and to create a fund to be used for projects and initiatives consistent with the Plan for Academic Enrichment. It’s personally very satisfying to know that the money we’ve given does make a difference in the life of this community—in the lives of the faculty and the students at Brown. It’s a pleasure be a part of this campaign and to work to make it a success.
Brown's 20th Chancellor Reflects
