Good Morning.
Welcome to the 2009-10 school year. A special welcome back to the faculty and classified who have not be on campus this summer, and special thanks to everyone that labored over the summer to prepare for the new year.

I would like to ask those of you who have joined the college since this time last year to stand. I extend a warm welcome to all of you. I trust your summer was everything you wanted it to be.

Autumn marks the start of a new year and speaks to us of beginnings. Paradoxically, as the natural world enters a period of decline and rest, our human world and particularly our academic world, begins to gear up!

For me, fall always feels like a fresh start, and a feeling of anticipation that was part of my life as a school child on the cusp of learning or trying something new has become a deep memory, returning each year as soon as I notice the evening air turn cool, the first hint of autumn color appear on the hillsides, and see the college once again fill up with eager students.

As with all new beginnings, I experience anticipation, excitement, curiosity, as well the inevitable anxiety that joins me on every foray into unfamiliar territory. Now in my ninth year as president, one might think this was all old hat or same-old, same-old. Instead the unending challenges of the last few years and the uncertainty and unpredictability we have faced has taught me to take nothing for granted but rather to be comfortable with ambiguity, keep me on my toes and poised to take whatever life – and you – throw at me. It has been a roller coaster ride for all of us.

(Begin pictures of roller coasters)

Fans of roller coasters know that feeling when you're getting to the very top of a steep hill, and the chain is going click...click...click as you crawl up the hill slowly, with bated breath, wondering if you will make it up. You know you're about to go over the top and then down at breakneck speed. There's that very specific mix of excitement, fear, and the knowledge that whether you can handle it or not, there's no turning back now. And before you know it you have careened down and you are on the slow crawl up again.

That's a bit what these years have been like - wave after wave of state disinvestment, belt tightening, lights at the end of the tunnel that turn out to be a train carrying global economic crisis - it's been a roller coaster. It's also what these weeks leading up to the start of school are like.

The students are registering (where they can find spaces) and buying books. Staff vacations are over. The faculty are starting to stream in. Enrollment projections are getting very specific. Last-minute staffing emergencies are cropping up. Parking is getting tighter. And the gauntlet of kickoff meetings, with all their drama and expectations, looms large. But there's no turning back.

No matter how many years I do this, that click-click-click feeling still gets me.

It's going to be a wild year. Enrollments are the highest they've ever been, and our funding is down by a double-digit percentage. Some of our sister colleges have had layoffs. Some have capped admissions. All the usual division-specific political variables are busy varying, as they tend to do.

Yep, there's no shortage of stress.

But there's always something about the new start in September. The students are eager, hopefully everyone is more rested, the weather still nice, and the budgets still solvent. Nobody is behind yet, nothing has fallen apart yet, (well except for last Friday!) and the delicious possibility of greatness hangs in the air. This year some students will have their breakthrough moments. Some will have life-changing relationships. So might we. Some will finally figure out why they're here. So might we. We can acknowledge the anxiety, the excitement, the trepidation, and still know we will transform students' lives and take that wild ride as some of our staff did recently.

(Roller Coaster clip)

Good stuff is coming. As with the roller coaster, it'll be a hell of a Fall.

Many of us wondered how we would make it through last year - worried about the economy, our jobs, dealing with the burgeoning enrollment. No doubt about it, it was a year filled with many challenges.

It's important to pause and just congratulate yourselves - we made it through - and how! I want to thank each and every one of you for your contributions last year. One of my goals was no lay-offs. Every single person helped with that. Everyone stepped up – whether it was due to lower salary settlements which affected every single person at the college, or having more students in class, or dealing on the front lines with more students, everyone stepped up and for that, and you have my profound gratitude. I appreciate what each and every one of you did last year.
Let me say that again – thank you.

In spite of all the challenges last year, an amazing number of good things happened. Again, that is testimony to your hard work. Let's take a look at some of the great work accomplished at Lane last year.

(Achievements video)

What a great year. And there's more.

Once again you generously gave almost $95,000 to United Way and our Foundation. This is remarkable. Our Lane Care Committee is gearing up again for the fall campaign.

I want to acknowledge again last year's Classified Employees of the Month:

October 2008 – Terry Starr, Lead Painter, Facilities Management and Planning

November 2008 – Lisa Stegall, Student Advisor, Advanced Technology

December 2008 – Greg Wilton, Instructional Specialist, Advanced Technology

January 2009 – Sharon Edwards, Project Specialist, OSBDCN

February 2009 – Connie Rowlett, Administrative Coordinator, Science

Please join me in giving a round of applause for the monthly recipients.

As notable as those achievements are for our monthly recipients, we go a step further each year to identify that one individual from the monthly recipients whose contributions have demonstrated the greatest depth of impact and uniqueness to be the Classified Employee of the Year. It is my pleasure to work with this outstanding individual and to announce to you the

CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR for 2008-09:
Connie Rowlett, Administrative Coordinator, Science Division

Connie, please join me at the podium to receive this well deserved award and recognition.

Connie has been solving problems creatively and proactively in Science for 27 years. She has worked with - that is, TRAINED - every Science Division Dean that we have had. With great patience and tact, she has prepared each Division Dean before the next task or area of new learning begins. She has no personal agenda, no ego involved in her decision making or problem solving.

Her nomination form included contributions from 12 faculty and staff members from the division and college community. Connie is a walking encyclopedia of information about all of the challenges the Science Division has faced over the years and how those challenges have been addressed. One faculty member says "When all else fails, go ask Connie." The staff in the Science Division know that when they hear "Connie will do it," that means it will be done right. She is a valued colleague and an asset to the college.

Please join me in honoring the 2009 Classified Employee of the Year, Connie Rowlett.

Thank you, Connie.

We've recognized those classified staff members who have received Employee Recognition awards this year, and many more are yet to be recognized. Your stories comprise what makes this institution great. The Classified Employee of the Month Award was created to help us get those stories out. Join us this year in nominating individuals who are demonstrating excellence, innovation, diversity and partnerships that stand above the rest.

I also want to acknowledge once again the outstanding faculty of the year:
Meredith Keene-Wilson
Tim Blood (who would have been here but for recent hip surgery)
Katie Swett
Lee Imonen
Cara Di Marco

I would also like to give special mention to a project that we could not have foreseen but that had a profound impact on the college and recognize the staff that made it happen.

(Facilities power point)

Would all of the Deferred Maintenance and Facilities Management and Planning staff stand? Let’s say thank you for enhancing the learning environment for all of us.
We don’t have any recognition for managers but they also pulled their weight last year so I would like to recognize them for everything they did.

I want to take just a moment to acknowledge the passing of some of our own faculty and staff:

Rob Warren – Just this past weekend one of our newest Deferred Maintenance staff passed away unexpectedly.

Bruce Voyce – A Business faculty member who passed away after a long and hard fought battle with cancer.

Tom Rohr – Ceramics faculty. Tom was one of the most positive people I knew. Always upbeat, enthusiastic, he had a passion for his work and his students. I remember when he came to my home for dinner and brought me one of his ceramic vessels. It was filled with a lovely syrupy liquor and he told me if I could guess what it was that I would receive refills for life. Unfortunately for him, he had chosen the Scottish liqueur Drambuie, so it didn’t take me long to guess.

Karol Rourke – Sadly, Karol passed away following a tragic accident. She was a long time staff member in Special Employment Services and a passionate advocate for students with special needs. This was doubly painful since her husband Ron works with us in IT. Our thoughts continue to be with Ron and his family.

Thomas Rubick – A Graphic Design instructor who passed away after a long battle with brain cancer. I have two stories about Thomas. The first was shortly after I became president on the day I was to tell about 120 people that they may not have jobs at Lane. It was not a day I was looking forward to. Early in the morning Thomas found me and gave me a small box with the words Take Heart written on it. Inside was a small glass heart. He told me to carry it with me and never forget to take heart. He knew intuitively how difficult that time was for me. And I have carried that heart with me. Another time, Thomas took a picture of some fancy red patent shoes I was wearing. Some time later there was a show of faculty work at DIVA. I was out of town and not able to attend the reception, so on my return I went to take a look. Imagine my surprise to turn the corner in the art gallery and see this painting of a pair of legs and feet from about the calf down – blue jeans and red shoes, entitled Mary's Boots! Of course, I had to buy the painting, and I hang it proudly in my living room.

All these people made a tremendous contribution to the college, and I feel enriched and honored having known them. They will be missed.

So that was then and this is now.

SECTION 2 - FUTURE

As we salute last year, we must now look to the future. So let me just tell you what's
up this year: (SLIDE - What’s Ahead?)

There will be a focus on strategic planning this year. Annual planning has been going on in alignment with the strategic directions and priorities, but it has been pointed out that it is not as visible as it should be. This year I have asked managers to be more explicit (SLIDE on Targeted Planning) – connecting the strategic direction to unit plans; more transparent – clearly publishing plans and outcomes; and to close the loop – reporting out what has been accomplished in a way that is accessible to the college community. The planning subcommittee of college council is making this a priority, and the managers, through their work this year, will facilitate units being focused to realize their plans and priorities.

In addition, it is time to update our strategic directions. (SLIDE – Blizzard)

There was a time when farmers on the Great Plains, at the first signs of a blizzard, would run a rope from the back door out to the barn. They all knew stories of people who had wandered off and been frozen to death, having lost sight of home in a whiteout while still in their own back yards.

Today we live in a blizzard of another sort. It swirls around us as economic injustice, ecological ruin, physical and spiritual violence, and their inevitable outcome, war. It swirls within us as fear and frenzy, greed and deceit, and indifference to the suffering of others. We all know stories of people who have wandered off into this madness, losing their moral bearings.

They come from every walk of life: clergy and corporate executives, politicians and people on the street, celebrities and school children. Some of us fear that we, or those we love, will become lost in the storm. Some are lost at this moment, and are trying to find the way home. Some are lost without knowing it. And some are using the blizzard as cover, while cynically exploiting its chaos for private gain. While this may seem distant, everything is hitched together as my favourite biologist, John Muir, said. The crash of the global economy reminds us that even seemingly distant events impact us. So the context is challenging.

Regardless, on a more practical level we need to know where we are going - we need that rope to keep us anchored to what is important, but we also need to know what we want to create for the future. We need to find our way back to what is important while at the same time move forward. Though it is becoming even harder to plan long term and while we may not be able to achieve our most ambitious plans in the short run, we must make sure that in acting we are moving towards our goals, even if it is in incremental ways. Also, our world and environment are changing so quickly that actions we take today may have to be adapted as the context changes. Nevertheless, the board and College Council have begun the process of updating our strategic directions. (SLIDE on the Laneship Enterprise we are going where no one has gone before.) Despite new technology, we don't have the means to simply beam up. "Ah cannae do it, Captain Kirk!" We need to do the hard work of planning.

Starting with a College Council retreat in early summer, and two board work sessions, (SLIDE Reviewing and Revising Strategic Directions) where the board affirmed our mission, we are identifying options for additions to the strategic directions. (SLIDE Strategic Directions - Should we include?) Already in our discussions, College Council members have come up with some ideas for consideration such as more focus on Liberal Education, Empowering our Students, Basic Skills, Distance Learning. You will have a chance to engage with this work later this morning as the first opportunity (but not the last) to help craft the direction for the college. Our plan is to have a draft available by mid-fall term for review and comment and finalize the plan in time to set priorities that will drive the budget process for next year.

Speaking of the budget very briefly, it remains quite challenging. As you know, we received a 10% decrease in state funding which was offset somewhat by additional tuition due to our 15.8% enrollment increase. (SLIDE – Budget) However, with tax measures likely to be on the ballot, there is the potential of Lane losing another $2.5 million in the last 17 months of the biennium. Our ending fund balance situation will improve due to reductions in expenditures in Materials and Services and the additional tuition. Our unaudited figures show us that we were within two tenths of a percent on our Personal Services which constitutes 82% of our budget. I will be recommending to the board that we place some funds in our Financial Stabilization Fund so that if there are further reductions in this biennium we can weather the storm. Of course, it does seem perverse that while we are dealing with this on the operating side that we are awash in funds for facilities. In the long run, this should relieve our general fund budget, but I do wish we were awash in operating funds as well. Overall, our budget is in as good a shape as it’s been in a while in that funds are budgeted for what we need to do this year. However, I am well aware of the many vacant contracted faculty positions we have and the lack of staff in both the classified and management ranks due to reductions in earlier years. I am well aware of the workload that this creates for everyone. And, I am well aware of the sacrifices that each and every one of you have made in terms of compensation to save jobs. We will be looking at our staffing this year, but we will be very mindful of the long term sustainability of decisions. Aside from the tax measures, economists say that Oregon is looking at a long, slow recovery; the ARRA – federal stimulus - will be gone next biennium, creating a $1 billion gap in state funds, so we must keep a close eye on state funding. I wish I had better news on this front, but this is the reality that we and public organizations are facing.

American Graduation Initiative (AGI) (SLIDE - $12 billion)

I think you are aware that President Obama has made a significant commitment to community colleges. In his announcement in Michigan, he lauded community colleges for the work we do. He also set out some challenges we face, including making sure more students complete a degree or certificate. (Quote from Obama and video)

I must say it was thrilling for this wee lassie from Scotland to be invited to attend the announcement. Just as well I became a citizen, huh? It helped with my security clearance.

This is an historic moment. President Obama is the first United States president since President Truman to focus on community colleges in this way. He recognizes that community colleges are key to the economic vitality of our country. He "gets" us. For some, he may have defined our mission too narrowly, but in this environment, unless he can make the case that investment will have a positive impact on the economy, it probably won't move. It will be up to us to continue to advocate for our entire mission. In past recessions, federal investment often went to research. Now, President Obama wants to invest 12 billion in community colleges over the next ten years to help educate 5 million graduates.

There are four parts of AGI –

(SLIDE- Challenge and Completion Funds)

Challenge Fund – which asks us to respond in innovative ways to help students be successful. We have already started that work through initiatives like First Year Experience and through the Title III grant.

Completion – The focus here is on helping students complete an associates degree or certificate. This will challenge us. We need to engage in a discussion about what completion means in our environment and if necessary help federal officials with that definition AND we also need to do a better job of graduating students.

This summer, Sonya Christian started focused work on the American Graduation Initiative to position Lane well for the resources as well as to start articulating issues that could be threats to the community college mission. This work will continue through existing committees, like SAGA and Title III, and councils like the Learning, Student Affairs, and College Councils.

The third component of the AGI is $2.5 billion for facilities (SLIDE – Construction) that must leverage local or state funds. It will probably be distributed through regular state channels. We are so ready for this with our Downtown Campus project.

The final component is online learning - Open Educational Resources and distance learning courses that can go out to rural areas. I don’t know how this will play out. Under Secretary Martha Kanter has hired Hal Plotkin from Foothill De Anza college, who was here a few years ago at the invitation of Joe Escobar, to develop this part of the initiative.

All of this, as well as student financial aid, is contained in HB 3221, which passed the House of Representatives on Thursday. In my role as chair of the AACC board, I have met with the Secretary of Education and the Under Secretary of Education and raised some of the issues, and AACC's governmental relations staff have been working to advocate for the bill. Now that the bill has moved to the Senate, more work needs to be done. While there may be concerns with the legislation, I believe that most agree, including NEA and AFT, that our priority is to get the legislation passed. There is a powerful lobby against it - the banks who do not want to lose the profits from guaranteed student loans and private institutions who do not want the funds to come to us. So there is a lot of work to do on this. I will be headed back to Washington in the next few weeks to do my part.

Community attention - Aside from President Obama, or perhaps because of him, community colleges have been receiving a great deal of national attention. Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, NBC, CBS, and the Chronicle have all focused on community colleges in the last few months. (SLIDE)

There is another side to all the attention we are receiving; it can be a double-edged sword. In many ways community colleges have been flying under the radar. Now there will be a lot more scrutiny; more research is being done and some of the findings do not portray us very well. AACC is working hard to dispute this when necessary and as board chair I have been trying to educate people and the media about community colleges. For example, many view us through the university lens, but people must understand that we are open door institutions that take anyone who shows up and we deal with them where ever they are. We are non-selective colleges that support students on one third of the funds of selective institutions. What's wrong with this picture that more money is invested in students that are most likely to succeed while our students get the short end of the stick? We will be working very hard to get that message out.

And then there is the new sitcom - Community - based at the fictitious Greenfield Community College. (Clip of Community)

I don't know about you, and I have a pretty good sense of humor, but I hate to hear community college and loser college in the same breath. When NBC first announced the program, I received a number of calls in my role as chair-elect to kill the program. I don't quite have that power! However, AACC did contact NBC, and we have had discussions with one of the Executive Producers who is a community college graduate and wouldn't be where she is today without her community college experience. Also, the location manager is a community college graduate. They have said that they do not want to further marginalize our students but... it is a sitcom. While Community is getting good reviews, I didn't think it was that funny, but then again I don't think sitcoms are very funny regardless of the topic. So maybe it won't make it past the first few episodes!

AACC has set up a blog (SLIDE) and I encourage you to share your thoughts on the blog. We will also be encouraging our students to contribute to the blog and share their experience.

Enrollment growth is going to be the big story this year. Currently, we have a 23% increase in registrations- this may not totally transfer into FTE but it is unprecedented. We have been planning for this for some time, and there are a number of things going on.

Credit admissions is still open, but more than 65% of the credit sections are filled, and all of the Placement Testing spots for fall have been filled. Credit classes at Florence and Cottage Grove still have openings.

Community Education non-credit classes and Business Development Center classes are not impacted by credit admission and lack of placement testing issues.
Financial Aid applications are up 49% over 2008-09. As of September 15, we have packaged and awarded 7,743 students for this academic year. This represents an increase of 2,313 students over the number of students awarded this time last year (5,430).

Students who have not yet taken placement tests are being advised to move their enrollment to winter term. Sign ups to take Placement Tests and to register for our Winter SOAR programs begins on September 29, allowing students to register early for winter term.

(SLIDE Enrollment Surge)

18 General Education credit morning (9-12) classes were added to the DTC, at least 23 additional sections added for the main campus, including more offering in the 4-6 p.m. time slots, and we have additional credit class offerings on the Cottage Grove campus, as well.

Additional testing, financial aid staffing support, advising staff added and more help in the lobby of Building #1.

The new Titan Store opened September 14. Sales are up 40% over last year; customer counts are up 37%. The store is handling increased traffic by opening all registers, placing customer service staff in the 2nd floor lobby and providing online ordering for delivery or pickup. Please note the fashionable new clothing opportunities! Throw T-shirts!

Students are receiving reminders in ExpressLane, our online registration system, and all financial aid applicants for fall who have registered but not yet completed the process are receiving post cards notifying them of the delay in awards going out.

Food Services is expanding their point of sale and number of locations.

Lane launched "Lane Community Cares," which is a coordinated effort to provide a way for Lane faculty, staff, managers and friends of Lane to be easily identifiable with bright pink stickers to show that they can help students coming this fall feel welcomed, valued and heard to have a successful start.

It will be particularly challenging for everyone at the college simply dealing with the additional students on top of the enrollment from last year. Please remember that this is the students’ moment, and we want to make sure that they have the best experience possible. I thank all of you for your efforts to date. In particular I would like to recognize the ASA LT (Sonya, Don, Andrea, Kate, Todd, Craig) for their incredible efforts. ASA LT, please stand.

And to the faculty who will be carrying the load once classes start, thanks in advance for your work.

It also raises challenges for services: for example

Parking - Not only students, but also H&W contractors, DM staff and contractors, and bond contractors. (SLIDE - Parking) We are re-striping; adding additional gravel lots and an additional number of spaces; and focusing on using public transportation for students and staff. We've just added a park and ride for staff at Civic Stadium.

Bond - It is very exciting, but there will be inconvenience. The FMP staff are very aware that learning is the highest priority and will do their best to minimize the impact, but since most of the funds are for renovation and remodeling, it will be like living in your house while your kitchen is being remodeled. Our FMP staff have been measuring noise levels and will respond when warranted. I would like to recognize the leadership of Dennis Carr, Dave Willis, Bob Mention and Todd Smith.

H1N1 - Another issue is swine flu or H1N1. It is almost inevitable that we will be faced with an outbreak. (SLIDE) Preparation has gone on throughout the summer, and we are as ready as we can be. Our Health Clinic website has information, and there are protocols for faculty and staff. There are a few routine things that we can do personally and share with students like washing hands, stay home if you are sick, get a flu shot as I did yesterday, and learn the fashionable way to cough. How to cough clip

Better remember to wear something with sleeves!

Technology - (SLIDE - Technology focus) There are a number of exciting opportunities here. First, brought to you by Title III, and the Title III Leadership Team is the student portal. (SLIDES: Cycle through 1. The new student portal is, 2. Not this portal, 3. It's MyLane) MyLane is a virtual one stop shop, customizable through channels, and improved self help.

As you know, through the management reorganization, the IT area now reports to Sonya. This was an intentional decision and one made to focus the priorities of IT on teaching and learning. The IT staff over this last year have been extremely busy on a variety of fronts. They continue to have an ambitious agenda for 2009-2010 with five areas of focus. (SLIDE)

I. Online Development
II. Professional Development
III. Web Development
IV. Research and Development
V. Process Improvement

(SLIDE: Technology Focus) Specifically, there is a focus on web 2.0 technologies for online development, implementation of the portal and banner 8.0, exploring thin clients, (don't ask me what that is - I think it might be something about weight watchers - is that right, Eric?) a focus on employee development to effectively use current technologies, experiment with using netbooks instead of desktops or laptops as the primary computer, expanded use of the ticketing system for use support... just to name a few.

So how many of you have made a foray into FaceBook or Twitter? To Tweet or not to Tweet, that is the question! I signed up. Though I haven't gone any further than that, I find myself with a large number of friends. While I can't think of anything more boring than letting people know that I am at this moment having my fifth cup of tea of the day, I do recognize the power of social networking and the opportunities it opens up for communication and learning.

Downtown Campus: (SLIDE - Picture of DTC)
You have probably read about our exciting new venture downtown, partnering with the City to build an educational facility that reflects Lane's quality. It will house the existing Downtown Center programs as well as Business Development and Employee Training and our Energy Programs. We are striving for a LEED Platinum building that will also be a building that teaches about energy efficiency and sustainability. We have secured $9 million of bond funds, $8 million from the state, and are pursuing a number of other opportunities for funding. In a recent poll of projects that people would support for raising the cap for urban redevelopment funds, Lane's Downtown Campus came out number one. This is a complex project that will include space that will be leased to other government entities or non-profits and potentially student housing. The idea here is to invest in revenue generating activities that will ultimately support our overall mission.

So, those are the nine areas in which we will be focusing attention this year in addition to the most important work of serving students. I look forward to reporting our successes to you next year!

SECTION 3 - HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD?

So given our challenges how do we move forward in a positive way? I would like to offer a couple of thoughts on that.

You may have noticed that everything in our lives seems to move at a faster pace. It's not just about the economy, and it's not just at Lane. Across the country, everyone is experiencing feelings of being overwhelmed, overworked, underappreciated, and simply exhausted. There are some things we can do to mitigate the situation. But I think it is clear that there is what people are calling the New Normal. (SLIDE) There are four issues that are pulling at us: First, technology is changing just about everything. Second, globalization is changing the nature of economic opportunity. Third, it feels like every individual is on his or her own - there are few safety nets. And fourth, none of us has enough time to deal with life. This is true in all types of organizations, and higher education is not immune. Though I have been accused by some of being a control freak I am pretty clear that I cannot control this phenomenon. It's here. The question is what do we do about it - individually and collectively?

Back in December, a friend told of an acquaintance who said: Every week I get an invitation to join the recession, but so far I've managed to say "No Thanks!" He was, of course, speaking of a "recessionary mindset." A mere two months later, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing bad news that hit close to home: a painful personal story of a friend or family member getting laid off, stories of communities struggling to cover essential services, daily reports of the "the numbers" that indicate further decline in our nation's economic health and in other nation's economies. It feels a little like being under siege. Saying "no thanks" to a recessionary mindset becomes much harder as tough times come home to roost in our own midst, in our own families. But that scarcity mentality is incredibly damaging.

I'm noticing other levels of impact from all of this bad news. There's something insidious here in the way I- and others I know -are looking at our own lives, our choices, and what the future holds. The necessary external "pulling in" of consumer spending or use of resources has translated into a kind of internal pulling in or pulling away. It's subtle in some ways and can look like a person is just being prudent or thoughtful about committing time, money or energy. Better to wait until things become clearer, less volatile, more stable. The risk, though, is that the need to "hunker down" too easily becomes a kind of immobilization or isolation.

When "bubbles burst"- whether in our financial, personal or organizational lives- we have choices to make. Do we just feel impoverished or can we mindfully pause to absorb painful lessons so that something better can emerge? These challenging times provide opportunities to transform adversity into promise through our compassion.

So the first point is what choice do we want to make? It starts with our mindset and orientation.

In 1986, three years before he became president of the Republic of Czechoslovakia, Vaclav Havel was asked, "Do you see a grain of hope anywhere in the 1980s?"
He replied:
"Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Either we have hope within us or we don't; it is a dimension of the soul, and it's not essentially dependent on some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation.

Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart; it transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons.

Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather, an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed. The more propitious the situation in which we demonstrate hope, the deeper the hope is."

Hope "is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart... " Those lines help me to recognize that I can, in fact, find an internal orientation that can hold its own when I'm overcome by scarcity thinking. I can incline my heart to hope-looking for the many small ways hope is in evidence around me every day, even as I know there is so much that remains out of my control. I can't control what is going on nationally, or at the state, or what is going on here at the college, but I can control how I respond.

I find Vaclav Havel's sensibilities about hope to be grounded and reassuring. In addition to an orientation of hopeful possibility, it might be helpful to make some time for the things that bring us joy. To remember that as hard as I may be pulling back on some things, I also need to remember to reach out! To reach out to connect with others in my family and community, to reach in to find the courage to continue to take risks, to reach toward those things-many of them simple and close at hand-that bring me joy. As you know, one of the things I reach for is poetry.

I simply love this Wendell Berry poem

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS (Half way through SLIDE For a time I rest……)
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

This helps me stop and simply breathe for a minute and relish the idea of resting in the grace of the world. If it's poetry for me, what is it for you? Whatever it is, take a moment to focus on that so that you can remain grounded. It is a much more healthful way to live. The second idea is to engage in a civil way. As President Obama said: (SLIDE) "The politics of distraction and division don't solve the real problems." We are microcosm of the larger society and what is going on out there, whether it's town hall meetings or divisive toxic talk show hosts, it's not pretty. Let's not go down that road. No one is suggesting that we don't have enormous challenges, but if we can focus on the issues, not people, and work together we will have a better chance of solving the real problems. Engaging with each other in a hopeful, civil, problem solving way is more likely to get us to a positive outcome than acrimony and division.

The third idea I would like to offer is the notion of resilience.

Resilience is the speedy recovery from problems: the ability to recover quickly from setbacks. It includes elasticity; the ability to spring back quickly into shape after being bent or stretched.

Resilience helps each of us thrive. It can help us endure loss, chronic stress, traumatic events and other challenges – including lamenting the onset of the New Normal. It'll enable us to develop a reservoir of internal resources that we can draw on. Resilience will help us survive challenges and even thrive in the midst of hardship.
When something goes wrong, do you tend to bounce back or fall apart? When you have resilience, you harness inner strengths and rebound more quickly from a setback. In contrast, if we lack resilience, we tend to dwell on problems, feel victimized, become overwhelmed and turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms. Resilience won't make our problems go away. But resilience can give us the ability to see past them, find enjoyment in life and handle stress better.

Resilience means adapting to adversity. It is the ability to roll with the punches. We can keep functioning, both psychologically and physically. Resilience isn't about toughing it out or living by old clichés, such as "grin and bear it." It doesn't mean we ignore our feelings. When adversity strikes, we still experience anger, grief and pain, but we're able to go on with daily tasks, remain generally optimistic and go on with our life. Being resilient also doesn't mean being stoic or going it alone. In fact, being able to reach out to others for support is a key component of being resilient.

The literature on resilience suggests these eight strategies for developing resilience:

1. Make connections.

This William Stafford poem helps.

A VALLEY LIKE THIS
Sometimes you look at an empty valley like this,
and suddenly the air is filled with snow.
That is the way the whole world happened -
there was nothing, and then...

But maybe sometimes you will look out and even
the mountains are gone, the world becomes nothing
again. What can a person do to help
bring back the world?

SLIDE – We have to watch...
We have to watch and then look at each other.
Together we hold it close and carefully
save it, like a bubble that can disappear
if we don't watch out.

Please think about this as you go on. Breathe on the world.
Hold out your hands to it. When mornings and evenings
roll along watch how they open and close, how they
invite you to the long party your life is.

Making connections with each other can bring back our own world.

Other strategies to promote resiliency are to:

2. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems.
3. Accept that change is a part of living
4. Move toward your goals.
5. Engage in problem solving, not just problem identification
6. Nurture a positive view of yourself. Keep things in perspective.
7. Maintain a hopeful outlook.
8. Take care of yourself – (Wellness slides here)

We received a grant to enhance our wellness efforts. It will help us in a number of ways, and I encourage you to participate. Each year I try to go to a fitness ranch in Mexico. I just got back a week ago. It is transforming. Four mile up-mountain hikes, two hours of yoga each day, a daily massage whether I need it or not. Healthy low fat food. I come back feeling two inches taller and with my shoulders in their sockets where they belong – not up around my ears where they usually reside. I am working hard to maintain that posture. So if you see me running around with my neck up at my ears, please tell me to straighten up!

Developing resilience is a personal journey. People do not all react the same to traumatic and stressful life events. An approach to building resilience that works for one person might not work for another. People use varying strategies.

So, when it comes down to it, it is the choice we individually make in how we respond to the many challenges ahead.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I firmly believe that each of us has the personal power to deal with the New Normal if we make that choice. It is up to each one of us to decide the path we want to take. I firmly believe that we have the collective wisdom, skills and will to face the future head on.

Finally, Elizabeth Alexander can transport us to a place of hope. She eloquently describes our current situation neither as some frightening time nor as a time of strife. In her poem written for the recent presidential inauguration, she paints a picture of a people who stand at an important time in history with perfect possibility for hope.

"We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, I need to see what’s on the other side; I know there’s something better down the road.
We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see."...
"In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light"

SLIDE
How can we hold on to hope? We can hope for a new beginning. A beginning is a location, a destination for hope; a place of possibility. Within it we locate our dreams about what is to be. In this new day, and in this new academic year, let us imagine a new beginning for our work in the world where our praise song is shared by all; where our work is "the place where our deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." May we have the courage to hope, to engage, be resilient and may we 'walk forward in that light.' Albert Camus said: "In the depths of winter, I discovered in me an invincible summer." I choose that invincible summer. I have found I can’t live any other way. I invite you to discover your own invincible summer so that with hope, engagement and resilience we can do what we need to for ourselves, our students and our community.

Thank you for being here, for being who you are and all the best for a wonderful year.