2006 Opening Convocation Presents Theme:

Team Work and Cooperation in the Academic Community

 TITUSVILLE, Sept. 7 – University of Pittsburgh at Titusville held its 19^th Opening Convocation on Thursday, September 7, in Henne Auditorium.

President William A. Shields initiated a new approach to the annual Convocation ceremony by introducing a theme that will carry throughout the academic year.  This year’s theme is “Team Work and Cooperation in the Academic Community.”

“Opening Convocation is a long-standing academic tradition in American higher education,” says Shields.  “It is an occasion that brings together all the members of the campus community, not only to mark the beginning of a new academic year, but also to rededicate themselves to a common goal of education and service.

This year’s ceremony included a series of brief presentations by representatives of various campus constituencies, including faculty, staff administration and students.  They shared their perspectives on how their work contributes to the University’s mission.

Dr. William A. Shields, President of UPT:

Good afternoon, everyone!

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this Opening Convocation marking the beginning of the 44^th academic year of the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville.

As we begin this new year and on behalf of the UPT   community, I extend a very special welcome to those new faculty and staff members who have joined us in recent weeks and months. We are delighted to have you and we look forward to working with you on behalf of our students

A warm welcome also to all returning faculty and students. I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer and have returned refreshed and ready for another year, another academic adventure.

Of course, I want to extend a very special welcome to the newest members of the UPT community ... those new freshmen and transfer students who have joined us this fall as members of the largest new class in UPT history.  We welcome you and extend every best wish that your days here will be enjoyable, rewarding and self-fulfilling.

I also wish to acknowledge those members of the UPT Advisory Board who are present: Cathy McKinney, Howard Newson, Larry Fledderman, Steve Coleman and Tony Nasralla.  Retired UPT Prof. of Sociology, Kathy Brady, is also with us today.

And a warm welcome to those guests from the Titusville community who have joined us for today’s ceremony … Mary Nau, Titusville City Manager; Lynn Cochran, Exec. Director Titusville Chamber of Commerce and Terri Wig, Chief professional of the United Way of Titusville. Thank you for being with us today.

I also take this occasion to acknowledge and ask you to join me in congratulating three members of the UPT faculty who recently reached important milestones in their professional careers.

1.         Dr. Linda Winkler was promoted to the rank of Professor of Anthropology and Biology.  Dr. Winkler was also a recipient of the Chancellor’s Outstanding Teacher Award this past year … the first UPT faculty member to be so recognized.

2.         Dr. Nancy Tress was granted tenure and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Biology.

3.         Dr. Malorie Kosht-Fedyshin was promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy. 

Congratulations to these outstanding members of our outstanding UPT faculty.

Opening Convocation has been an annual tradition at UPT since former President Worman convened the first such gathering in 1988. I believe that it is a tradition well worth continuing because it provides an excellent venue in which to introduce new and continuing students to important aspects of academic culture … the significance of the academic regalia, the reaffirmation of our educational mission and our belief in the importance of values such as scholarship and learning. 

As its Latin root suggests, convocation is a time when we are called together … called together as a campus community to mark the formal beginning of another academic year. And like the beginning of any new term, it is a time of renewal, a time of new possibilities and anticipation. For all of us, faculty, staff and students, it is the luxury to start fresh, to begin again … to do things a bit differently … a bit better … than we did last year.

This gathering serves another purpose.  It offers us the opportunity to acknowledge one another as partners in a noble endeavor and to reaffirm our mutual commitment to the mission of this institution and to the ideals upon which its mission is based: teaching and learning, scholarship and service.

It is in this spirit of this joint enterprise that I want to offer some brief remarks.

I suggested that this year’s convocation theme be Team Work and Cooperation in the Academic Community. I made this suggestion because I firmly believe that cooperation, joint effort and interdependence must characterize everything we do as an institution … everything we do at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville.

In my inaugural acceptance last November, I said that in the collegiate enterprise no one labors alone; Faculty, staff, students … everyone, including the president, relies on the talent, the strength and the effort of many others to achieve the institution’s goals and to fulfill its educational mission. 

To the degree that we cooperate with one another and acknowledge everyone’s contributions to our mutual endeavor, it is to that degree that we are successful.

This does not mean that we all have to agree all of the time or that we can’t agree to disagree. Certainly constructive disagreement and debate are also essential aspects of the academic community.

What it does mean is that we … as faculty, staff, administrators and students … should routinely and sincerely acknowledge each other as contributors to the life and mission of this university, and realize that others are striving to do their jobs just as well and just as conscientiously as we are striving to do ours.

Obviously faculty have the central role to play …teaching, mentoring and scholarship are at the core of the enterprise.

However, what faculty members do would not be possible without the support activities of staff members or the coordinating efforts of administration.   ……   And, of course, the work of all the fore-mentioned would be superfluous without students, whom we not only teach but from whom we learn as well.

There is a metaphor, an image that I want share with you. It is an image that, I think, aptly illustrates the significance of teamwork and cooperation. Some of you may be familiar with it. This is the Metaphor of the Geese.

In the fall, when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along a “V” formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why geese fly this way.

                     Each bird flaps its wings creating uplift for the bird immediately following.  A flock has greater flying range in formation than a single bird would have on its own.

                     When a goose falls out of formation, it feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone and quickly rejoins the formation, taking advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.

                     The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed. And when the lead goose begins to tire, another will move up to take its place at the point of the “V”.

                     The message is clear:  people who share a common direction and sense of community, can reach a goal more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. It is harder to do something alone than together.

To further illustrate the importance of cooperation in the academic community, I have invited five of our colleagues to share perspectives on their particular roles as members of the UPT campus community.

The first is Melanie Anderson, Associate Professor Business and Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, who will speak from the perspective of the chief academic officer:

Prof.  Anderson…

Welcome to the University.  I trust your summer was fun and productive.  The summer was very busy for us, preparing for the fall term with many changes that will provide a better learning community for students, faculty and staff.

I had the opportunity to go the Chautauqua Institute for the first time this summer.  I was expecting it to be a good experience, as my colleague told me it would be “like Disneyworld”.  Even so, I was pleasantly surprised at the sense of community, the programmatic offerings, and most surprising, the quietness and soothing atmosphere of Chautauqua.  Even though I didn’t agree with all of the comments made by the keynote speaker for the day, the CEO of Levi Strauss; I still learned new things and respected his points of view.  

Chautauqua was a good experience.  Much of the work necessary to make this a good experience for visitors is based on teamwork behind the scenes to assemble the speakers, the facilities, the art exhibits, the ticket takers, etc. 

College is much the same way.   4,387 colleges and universities in the US have been working to prepare for the 17.5 million college students enrolled this fall. Pitt-Titusville is unique among many of these schools in that we are small but highly effective; we pride ourselves on our focus on teaching and working with you to achieve academic success.  

There are many activities behind the scenes at Pitt Titusville that make this learning environment possible.  Our key resource as a university is our faculty.  They are well trained in their disciplines and are eager to work with you in your learning experience.  Over 80% of our faculty have doctoral degrees. Their goals for you as a student include not only learning about the specific topic, but also include developing your critical thinking skills, providing problem solving skills,  and   encouraging you to be a lifelong learner. They spend a tremendous amount of time thinking about learning styles, preparing for each term, and preparing for each class.  This year, we added 4 new full-time highly qualified faculty to our ranks, selected by their peers.  We have also added 12 new adjunct faculty.  The faculty are prepared present a world of new ideas to you.

Faculty are collegial in that they work with and have a sense of camaraderie among their colleagues.    They are interested in their disciplines and may be involved in research in areas that interest them to expand their knowledge.  Faculty and staff are also involved in giving back to the community we live in.  They participate in non-profit agency boards and operations, participate in local government, and work with the local school district, to name a few activities. 

The staff at Pitt Titusville is also an important element of our environment and they work to provide you services such as the registrar’s office, the library, and student affairs.  Staff members often go above and beyond their normal work duties to assist students and create a better learning environment. 

So, as a student, how do you fit best into this academic environment? If you are first year college student, you may feel overwhelmed at this point.  Everything is new to you.   The homework has been piled on.    I know first hand the challenges that await you as I worked on homework all Labor Day weekend for two post graduate classes that I am enrolled in.   As students, we may lose sight of why we are here and what the process is about as we struggle to read many books, prepare papers, and meet deadlines.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. The goal of faculty and staff is to provide you an environment where you can learn, explore new concepts, and grow intellectually.  You as a student are important to us.  Learning is an individual process, however, and you must do your part as a member of this group that is concerned about your education by preparing for class, attending class, and participating in class.    Take advantage of our small campus environment and the opportunity to get to know your professors and advisor. 

Explore out of classroom opportunities as well; there are many interesting, special presentations by faculty and excellent spotlight series performances.   You may also want to join a student organization or two.  You can develop teamwork skills by working with your peers in these organizations, as well as assume leadership roles if you are interested.

You have heard a lot of things about college and hopefully, you are expecting it to be a wonderful experience.  Even so, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the opportunities you have in college to learn and grow. Each of you has great opportunities available to you; take advantage of them and surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.  Best wishes for a successful and productive year.

Cindy Andes, Assist. Professor of Humanities and English, will share from the perspective of a faculty member.

Prof. Andes …

I’m happy Dr. Shields provided me with this opportunity to speak to all of you today…Many of you in the audience know me, because I happen to be the most seasoned member of the faculty here on this campus…which means I’ve been here the longest…so I’ve had many opportunities to realize the importance of networking here on campus ..

So I’d like to share with you a tangible example of that concept literally with this net I have in my hand.  .Now you know a net can be used to do many things…catch a fish, rescue a trapeze artist or even save some blueberries from being eaten by birds.  But I want you to think of a net as a source to help you as Freshmen in particular, start this journey to a higher education and a richer life.

In years past, and perhaps even this year, on your first day of college you may have been instructed to, “Look to your left… and then look to your right…” and then told that in all probability, neither of those people next to you would be there the next year.  However as times have changed, especially through research, we now know how to prevent this dreaded event from occurring.  And one of the best preventative measures involves using this “net” to snag those very same people!  Use it to pull in a few people who can help you make sense of a math problem that was just presented in the class hour before… use it to snag a professor during his or her office hours to explain a concept in psychology that you may not have understood…. or use it to snag a new acquaintance in the residence hall or in the commuter lounge to take a walk to City Limits and get an ice cream.   

In fact pedagogical research supports the value of discussion both in and out of class…If you read a textbook assignment alone, you’ll only remember 10% of what you read, and only 20% of what you heard in a lecture.  But if you use that net and discuss the material with others, you’ll remember 70% of what you heard or read, and if you are teaching one another in small groups, you’ll  remember up to 90% …Research has also shown that “students who study in groups ( often discussing homework problems) are more engaged and will do better academically.” So throw that invisible net out there and “grab others” to help you negotiate these academic waters.

Do I follow my own advice?  Absolutely! In my “other life”, I’m an artist and you may see some paintings of mine around campus depicting nets of different types.  I’ve probably thrown out a “net” to almost every one in our campus community over the course of the 30 plus years I have been here…I’ve snagged Mrs. Judy Berneburg more times than either of us can remember when I felt a student was dealing with a problem and needed help, or I needed her advice about a personal issue. I’ve thrown a relatively new “net” in the direction of our librarian, Judy Gaydos in coordinating classroom activities.  I even asked Dr. Phil Atteberry, my colleague, to help me in editing these remarks.

Last year at the Symposium on Undergraduate Advising held in Oakland, the keynote speaker, Dr. Richard Light of Harvard, shared the key piece of advice he gives college freshmen advisees.  And guess what? He tells them their job is to, “make an effort to get to know one faculty member reasonably well” during the course of the term.  It all goes back to that net…Take it out and pull others from our campus community in, to insure your college experience is a successful one.  Thank you.

Now, the perspective of a staff member will be offered by Kathleen Plyler, Student Accounts Manager and Pres. of the UPT Staff Association.

Ms. Plyler … 

As student accounts manager and president of the UPT staff association, I see many signs of teamwork on this campus. 

Our weekly staff meetings are one example.  We use the meetings to keep everyone informed of events on campus such as open house and STAR days, and deadlines like registration and billing dates.  We also discuss campus concerns and try to develop solutions.

Everyday there are countless small instances of teamwork.   In our office we sometimes answer the registrar’s phone.  We now know the answers to some of the simple questions, including the ever-popular, “how do I get a transcript?”  I think I can recite that one in my sleep.  We are glad to help them, knowing that they will do the same for us. Taking a message when we don’t know an answer is still a big help, not only to the other office, but to the caller.  Most people would rather talk to a “real” person than leave a message on voice mail.

I’ve also seen teamwork from the student workers. They cheerfully go above and beyond their job descriptions in their eagerness to help out.  Practically anything you ask, they are willing to do.

Besides work examples, teamwork is evident in the way the entire campus – staff, faculty and student body - responds to charitable requests.  Everyone generously donates to the Salvation Army families’ Christmas gifts; they bake and buy goodies for the March of Dimes Walkathon; and make contributions whenever there is a bereavement in our campus family.

Jean Spence said that several years ago during a staff development meeting, the staff was urged to consider that we serve two kinds of customers.  The external customers are the students.  The internal customers are the other departments on campus.  We should remember to treat all of our customers, internal and external, courteously and to the best of our ability.

For a group of people to function successfully as a team, they must all feel that they are an important part of that team.  This feeling of being valued begins with the leader.  Dr. Shields shows the staff that we are important to the working of UPT by his actions.  He speaks at our staff meetings on a regular basis to keep us informed and supports our workplace concerns as well as our charitable actions.

The services that the staff provides form a solid foundation to support the academic careers of the students.   Without this administrative support, the students could not succeed in the academic life of college. No one office or person can do everything for the students or know all of the answers.  By working together as a team, we can find answers for the students, send them to the office that they need, and teach them how to find answers for themselves. 

In a teambuilding workshop I learned a phrase that sums up the basis for cooperation:   none of us is as smart as all of us. 

Mr. John Mumford, Exec. Director of Enrollment Management, will comment from the perspective of a senior administrator.

Mr. Mumford …

Good afternoon. 

As you are all well aware, Dr. Shields has chosen Teamwork and Cooperation in the Academic Community  as the theme for this year’s Opening  Convocation. 

Anytime we hear the word “Teamwork”, many of us will associate it with sports and athletic teams.  Throughout my lifetime, I have played on many athletic teams. Some of those teams had some outstanding individual players – but the TEAM was mediocre.  Others had no especially outstanding individual players, but were highly successful winning TEAMS.  The difference?  – a winning team is made up of individuals who focus on their role while trusting that everyone else on the team shares a similar focus. 

Each of us has a role to play in the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville’s Academic Community.  I have been asked to talk briefly about the role of an Administrator in the Academic Community. 

Last August, the leadership of Our Campus shifted.  The University chose Dr. Shields as UPT’s new President.  He was chosen because of his considerable experience as a college president; outstanding record of accomplishment . . . and his VISION for what UPT could become.  Some elements of his vision are already visible – or in the case of the white house on the corner - soon to be invisible. 

The dictionary defines an Administrator as “A person who administers”.  To “Administer” is to have charge of; to manage; to direct.    I choose to define an administrator in more practical terms.  As UPT’s leader, President Shields must have a clear vision of what this campus will become.  Our primary responsibility as the Senior Administrative Staff is to design, develop and implement policies and procedures that will transform the President’s vision into reality. 

Our organization is divided into four major areas; Academic Affairs, Business Affairs, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.  Each of these areas is the direct responsibility of one of four Administrators who collectively make up the President’s Senior Staff. 

We meet formally every other week to update each other and discuss issues that affect the campus.  We also talk frequently about events or issues that extend beyond our respective area of responsibility.

My area of responsibility is our Enrollment Management efforts.  Even though our staff deals with recruitment, retention and financial aid for all of our full and part-time students, the REAL responsibility for enrolling and retaining students is shared by all who are connected with UPT.

For example;

At least two freshmen are here because of a conversation about computer animation that they had with Dr. Bothiellier during an Open House.

Some students are here because they came as high school seniors and sat in on one of Dr. Altomare or Dr. Tress’s classes and were treated respectfully – not like a kid.

Some are here because someone in Student Financial Services, the Computer Center, the Registrar’s Office or Housing Office took the time to help them.

One of our students is here because her family made a 5 hour trip to see the campus.  It was a Saturday during our Spring Break.  One of our Campus Police Officers, Officer Rogeaux, gave them a tour of campus.  This student’s father called to tell me how impressed they were by his willingness to take time to do something that is clearly not in his job description.  On that day and in the families decision making process, Officer Rogeaux WAS the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville.

While the primary role of an Administrator may be to lead an area of responsibility, it is everyone of us who share in making the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville successful.

Hopefully, this ceremony will serve to remind each of us throughout the coming year of the importance of working together.   

Last, but certainly not least, Ms. Kelly O’Neil, sophomore pre-pharmacy major, will offer a student’s perspective. 

Ms. O’Neil

Good Afternoon.

As Dr. Shields already mentioned my name is Kelly O’Neil and I wanted to talk about our roles as students in the academic community. Now I know when I first came here I was nervous, I didn’t know who to go to or where to go, but over time, with the help of others I slowly began to catch on to what it takes to be successful. I needed to go to my teachers and use my peers to study and eventually my grades began to reflect my abilities. Everyone here can be or have what they desire if they use the sources around them and fulfill their roles as students.

We have important roles in order to make our campus successful as well as ourselves. It is our job to attend classes so that we are getting the education we need. It is also important to use the services our campus offer. There are many clubs, organizations, study groups and programs that are designed for our benefit to help us reach our career goals. Another point I cannot stress enough is for us to use the faculty and staff, they are here and willing to help us and are the pillars of our academic community.

However these points really don’t become effective if we don’t use teamwork as our basis. As John Donne once said, “No Man is an Island” and this is true in the sense that we cannot do everything on our own. We need the community to fall back on, when we are in times of trial and pursuit. There will be times when you don’t know who to turn too and there will be times when you know what you want, but you just need help getting there. Our faculty is here to guide us in the direction we want to go, but we must be willing to travel the path.

 Look Around—the people who want you to succeed are sitting here today and if there’s one thing I want to leave you with is to use the resources you are given, turn to the faculty and staff and they will help you to be successful here at UPT.

Thank You.

 Thank you Melanie, Cindy, Kathleen, John, and Kelly; thank you for sharing with us and thank you for your contributions to the UPT community.

Well, I think the point as been made; cooperation and joint effort are at the essence of the academic community and, therefore, are essential to institutional success.  It seems obvious, but it is often easy to forget this fact.

 As we go about our daily routine in doing whatever it is we do, we can become so caught up that we tend lose sight of how much we need and depend upon one another, and fail to appreciate the fact that we all have a contribution to make and a common goal to achieve.

 As we begin this new academic year, let us resolve not only to recommit ourselves to our educational mission, but also to periodically remind ourselves of how much we depend upon one another in order to fulfill it. And maybe, on occasion, to acknowledge others for the contributions they make to our joint endeavor.

Thank you and may this academic year be the best it can be for all concerned.

 Immediately after the recessional, a reception was held in the lobby of Henne Auditorium for students, staff, faculty and community guests.

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