Governor Martz, Chairwoman Thompson and members of the Board of Regents, Commissioner Crofts, colleagues and distinguished guests, friends,

"This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts." (Gerald Ford on assuming office.) Those words are particularly relevant today because we live in a world that is so very different than the one in which we lived just 30 days ago. It is a world in which, at a time we are striving to reach new heights in our classrooms, laboratories, studios and agricultural test plots, we are also necessarily returning to the foundational questions of humanness, of nationhood, of community and of our obligations to one another. Exploring and explaining both the heights and the foundations represents work that we in higher education are uniquely prepared to do. It is work that our nation and our state expect of us and following the brief interlude of this humbling yet joyous occasion it is work to which we must quickly return.

Our ceremony today is indeed an historical occasion: for today marks the first time that a President has been inaugurated for Montana State as a four-campus university. At the same time we are, as before, inaugurating the President of the 108-year old Bozeman campus.

Some have said that the inauguration of university presidents is an outdated vestige of an age gone by. However, I choose to view this as a time to remember that, even in the 21st century, we are a part of a tradition that dates back hundreds of years. I also think that it is a wonderful time for us to pause and bring together many of our stakeholders; students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, members of the Bozeman and statewide communities and colleagues from around the country in order to celebrate our university.

I must tell you that in thinking about this ceremony and in my anticipation as this day approached, I have seen this inauguration in the same way that a wedding is related to a marriage. A large number of guests have arrived. Some of you I know better than others. You are here to watch me promise loyalty and fidelity to Montana State University and to work hard on her behalf, to hear about my aspirations and to let me know that you will both support me in and hold me accountable for achieving my goals. It is serious work and this is a solemn moment. I do very much appreciate your being here to share this day with me.

One of the luxuries that we too seldom afford ourselves is that of reminiscence. As I stand at the head of this great university and receive accolades for the wonderful learning, discovery, and service that goes on here and throughout the state I remember the great Isaac Newton who attributed his own success to having stood on the shoulders of giants.

Montana State University has been a work in progress for over a century. It stands today, on four campuses, as a living monument to each student, faculty member, support staff, county agent, researcher, administrator, laborer and craftsman who has, both literally and figuratively lain a stone in this cathedral of learning. Just as we go about our work today with a sense of purpose that speaks to our faith in the future, so did our predecessors work in the hope that we might become the great university that we, in fact, have become.

I want to pay particular homage today to those ten intrepid souls who preceded me in the President's office. Most especially I wish to recognize the four who, over the past 30 years, have taken Newton's view and have moved the institution so that it is well positioned for the demands of the 21st century. To Carl McIntosh, Bill Johnstone and Bill Tietz who are with us today and to the late Michael Malone, I express the gratitude of those in our state and on our four campuses who have benefited from your vision of what Montana State University could be. It will now be my job to stand on your shoulders and to hope that my vision is as clear.

I started viewing the educational landscape in Montana about 18 months ago when I became a candidate for this presidency. I was very impressed with the quality of students and faculty at each of the campuses. On the Bozeman campus, for instance, last year the incoming freshman class had a GPA of 3.4. Think about that...it means that the average freshman had half A's and half B's throughout their high school career. It's clear that, at all of our campuses, we currently have the most talented and best prepared students in our history, so there was good reason for my optimism.

World class faculty have joined us--they come because of our advances in the integration of teaching and research, they come because of the quality of faculty already here, and they come because of the extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary work amongst colleagues in other colleges both in the research lab as well as the classroom.

I have put a priority on getting out on all our campuses, and particularly here in Bozeman, to meet our staff. I continue to be impressed with their dedication to our students; they get it! They understand the impact that their work, and the way they do their work, has on our students, as well as the faculty and other staff.

As I talk with students, they express their pride in the institution our alumni and their teachers have built, and in the impact our alumni accomplishments have had on Montana State University's reputation. Those alumni have built successful careers and are quick to credit Montana State University for a good portion of their success.

No single element distinguishes the land-grant university as much as the commitment to taking its expertise and programs to the far corners of the state. I therefore refer to Montana State University as the state's university, and we are truly the state's university. We draw our support from this fabulous state, and we stand ready to be held accountable for returning to the state in a variety of ways. One of my driving priorities is to protect the strength and continuing stability of the pillars of the land-grant institution: agriculture, engineering and the physical and biological sciences. These programs are at the heart of the university's service to Montana, and are key to the continuing vitality of the institution as a whole.

Our institution is truly a gem: a beautiful campus, with quality people, located in the midst of a community that was just recognized as one of ten All-America Cities. The support that has already been shown by the Bozeman community is most impressive, and clearly our All-American city is a significant drawing card for the faculty and staff that work on our campus, and for the students that live and learn here.

We clearly have a tremendous base upon which to continue building. Our strengths are significant and diverse, and will give us the needed momentum to move aggressively into our future.

And what will Montana State University be in our future? What will we look like and act like? What will we have accomplished; how will we have served our students, our communities and the state? Let me share with you the Montana State University I envision in the next 5-10 years.

In my vision, Montana State University will have become a truly integrated university of four campuses, each with its own unique mission that builds off its special strengths and opportunities to best serve our students and the state as a whole. Each campus is in some ways like the others, and yet each campus is different. We will be known for working together effectively, in the best interests of higher education and our Montana public. We will collaborate, we will share resources and we will learn from each other. Administratively, we will act as a single unit to optimize our resources. Programmatically we will remain diverse in order to ensure the prosperity of all four of our units.

Montana State University will become the university of choice in our region. We will be the choice of students who seek learning environments distinguished by challenge, innovation and discovery. We will be recognized for providing our students an education that is deeper and more comprehensive than can be measured by earned credits alone. Our faculty and staff will embrace even more strongly than now, their responsibilities for supporting student success. Students who come to Montana State University will stay at Montana State University to complete their degrees. I must tell you that I also hope that our students have some fun on our campuses and that they develop a circle of friends that will be theirs for a lifetime.

In my vision, Native American students will choose our university, because our campus communities are fully engaged in ensuring their successful transition to university studies and to a campus life that welcomes their unique contributions to the education of us all. We will work to increase the number of Indian students on our campuses.

More than other research universities around the country, Montana State University will be recognized for offering all of our undergraduate students significant research exposure while at the same time providing exceptional faculty contact. In my vision, our campuses will stop the out-flow of the state's best talent who are being lured away to universities in other states with attractive financial packages. To help make our campuses more competitive I am asking our foundations to engage in campaigns to raise new scholarship dollars. With these dollars, we will be able to retain the top students in Montana, and they will find a level of career and graduate school preparation that makes them highly marketable, even in the most competitive fields. Employers will seek out our graduates, for they are known for having hands-on experience in solving real-world problems. They will know how to turn theory and concepts into successful applications and they will leave our campuses ready to make significant contributions to our economy.

I see a Montana State University that will be the choice of faculty who will find an entrepreneurial environment where learning and discovery are tightly integrated and highly valued. Where collaboration with colleagues and students in other disciplines produces un-equaled conditions for professional growth and advancement. With a combination of state, federal and private funds, we will aggressively recruit the best teachers and researchers in the disciplines we offer and we will support them with start-up funds, facilities and professional development funds.

In my vision, our skilled and dedicated staff will continue to be a significant asset that increases our ability to attract top faculty and students. The campus climate is known for promoting individual creativity and rewarding team efforts, and the pervasive culture is one of energy, optimism, collaboration and spirit. We will improve our professional development efforts for all employees and will aggressively pursue all avenues to maximize our human capital.

We will be the choice of the citizens of Montana, because we touch them all. Our ongoing face-to-face discussions with the public will enable us to better understand their needs and priorities. Our vast state will feel smaller, because our distance learning programs will provide place-bound citizens in rural areas easy access to higher education. Each of our statewide extension offices will be a portal to our university bringing the special expertise of every Montana campus to the people who can use it.

Montana State University will continue to be a critical economic engine, stretching our impactacross the state. We provide graduates who meet the needs of existing Montana employers, and a workforce to help the state recruit new businesses and industries. We will also continue to supply the teachers and healthcare professionals that are the lynchpins of Montana's rural communities.

In my vision, further commercialization of our research discoveries will follow the lead of what we have done in optics and biotechnology to help build the entrepreneurial base of Montana. Our research programs will increase our impact on both the local and statewide economy. Based on our business plans that show a significant return on investment, the Montana legislature will support this growth with necessary funding and authorization for our facilities and infrastructure needs. They will know, as we already know, that the Montana State University campuses will help fulfill the promise that Montana is open for business.

During the next few years, Montana State University will have achieved a solid reputation for openness, accountability; and credibility with our government leaders. Our legislators welcome us to each session, because they will know we take a positive, work-together attitude, that we will present well-constructed opportunities for the investment of state resources and we will stand ready to be held accountable for achieving the return on that investment.

Our planning process will be known for starting and ending with a set of principles, core values and priorities that guide our decision-making. We will regularly review our progress, and openly share our performance assessments. This will give our public confidence that we truly are wise stewards of the resources available to us. Our campuses will excel at developing partnerships that allow us to leverage re-allocated capital to add value to our joint efforts. We will continue to be nationally recognized for our successful collaborations with tribal colleges, secondary schools, businesses and other government agencies.

My vision of Montana State University's future has been sharpened by the reality of the tragic events last month. How quickly and dramatically our world changed. New demands will face our students, and the students who follow them. In higher education, we now have an even greater obligation to prepare students to become strong citizen leaders. More now than ever, they will need vigorous critical thinking skills, the knowledge to leverage technology, and the courage to lead in uncertain times.

I came to Montana State University not only because I saw what had already been accomplished, but because I also recognized the potential that existed to build on what was in place. Today I share with you my vision of Montana State University, because I know it can be achieved. If we are to become what we have the ability to be, we must tax our talents and energy, and we must focus our commitment on the challenges that await us. Those challenges are here, they are around the corner, and they are down the road. We already know some of those challenges but many more are unknown. But after being here for ten months and getting to know MSU I am confident that we can meet every challenge successfully. I anticipate a most exciting adventure ahead of us. I am eager to seize it and I call upon each of you, my colleagues and friends, on our campuses and in our communities, to join me in creating our future.

Thank you.