"On The Responsibilities of a College Graduate"

August 12, 2005
Commencement Address by Dr. Michael Moore
Associate Provost and Associate Professor of Political Science
The University of Texas at Arlington

Thank you Dean Poster.

Good evening Associate Dean McKeown, members of the faculty from the College of Education and the School of Nursing, honored guests, friends and family members, and most importantly, graduates of the class of 2005. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this evening on this very special occasion which marks a justifiably proud moment in each of your lives.

For friends and family, commencement ceremonies signify the end of a journey for someone that is close to you. The journey has undoubtedly been difficult and challenging at times, but hopefully you have witnessed a transformation and growth in your loved one.

For faculty, commencement ceremonies are proud moments where we recognize the academic achievement and accomplishment of our students. Faculty members are in the business of educating students, a process that requires mentorship and support, while also pushing our students to become something they were not when they first arrived in our classrooms. In some cases our experiences are frustrating, at other times they are fulfilling when we recognize that one of our students has mastered a difficult concept or obtained new understanding under our tutelage. Tonight, faculty members can be justifiably proud of these graduates for their success and accomplishment is a direct reflection of your skill, support, and encouragement.

For graduates, commencement ceremonies mark the official confirmation of what you already know, namely that you have been transformed. Regardless of whether you are receiving your Bachelors degree or your masters degree this evening, you are not the same person you were when you began this education odyssey. You are undoubtedly more knowledgeable in your chosen field, but you are also, if our faculty have done their job and I’m sure they have, more worldly, more contemplative, more well-rounded, and more astute observers of the world around you. Some of you have undoubtedly marched straight through your academic career. Others have taken a less direct route. Many of you who will graduate this evening having worked to support your education, taken classes while supporting your family, or have become the first in your family to earn a college degree. All of you should be proud of the achievement of having earned your degree, but I would posit that you should have even greater pride in your transformation and personal growth while a student.

As I contemplated the nature of my remarks this evening, I struggled to arrive at a theme that would be meaningful to each of you. As Dean Poster mentioned, I am a political scientist by training and I was fairly confident that graduates from the College of Education and the School of Nursing were not interested in my musings on recent happenings in Washington or the state of international affairs. I was also fairly certain you were not interested in insights I have gained into the operations of the University as a result of my job as the Associate Provost.

In my search for inspiration for my remarks tonight, I reflected on the commencement addresses at my own graduations and others that I’ve had the opportunity to hear. It seemed to me commencement addresses tend to be given by someone who is famous or of great importance, or someone who is a seasoned expert in the field of the graduates. Those giving addresses frequently offer professional advice or attempt to make the audience laugh. Tonight I stand before without fame or importance, without the ability to offer professional advice, and without the ability to make you laugh without making myself look incredibly foolish. I ultimately concluded that the best commencement addresses are those that are brief and thought provoking. So, for the next few minutes, I will endeavor to offer brief remarks that I hope you will find challenging and intellectually interesting.

When I have concluded my remarks this evening, you will notice from the program that I will be asked by representatives from the College of Education and the School of Nursing, as the official representative of the President, to confer the degrees on the graduates that sit before us this evening. I will be told that each of these graduates has satisfied the requirements for his or her degree and that the Registrar has certified the candidates for graduation. I will then walk to this podium and say “By the power vested in me by the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System, by Chancellor Mark Yudof, and by President James D. Spaniolo, it is my pleasure to confer upon you the degree you have earned along with all the rights and responsibilities associated with that degree.”

I have repeated this phrase in at least three graduation ceremonies a year for the past several years. Similar statements are uttered at graduation ceremonies all over the country and, indeed, throughout the world. But just what is meant by this statement? The first part of the statement – the part that indicates that authorities confer upon you your degree is fairly obvious and the reason that we are all here this evening – you have earned your degree and the powers that be are officially and publicly stating that you have graduated.

But what is meant by the portion of the statement that also confers upon you “all the rights and responsibilities associated with your degree?” Certainly part of this declarative statement is meant to authorize you to tell others that you have earned your credentials. Once you have received your degree this evening, you have the right to tell others that you are a college graduate, that you have completed a rigorous program of study, and that you are appropriately trained for your profession. In short, you have the right to present yourself as a professionally trained and credentialed nurse, teacher, or athletic trainer.

The phrase also refers, however, to responsibilities that come with earning a degree. The meaning of this portion of the degree conferring statement is less obvious. The university does not issue an owner’s manual with your degree or a detailed list of obligations for graduates, so what could we possibly mean by responsibilities? I suppose, at a minimum, we could argue that you have the responsibility and obligation to behave in a professional manner and to uphold the ethical standards of your chosen profession.

The reference to responsibilities encompasses, however, something much broader, and I would argue much more important than simply adhering to one’s professional obligations. You see, the statement that I will read in just a few moments is also read at all graduation ceremonies, including those in non-professional fields such as English, Philosophy, Political Science, Chemistry, and Mathematics. To my knowledge there is not a set of standards that English majors are supposed to abide by. Mathematicians are not expected to conduct themselves in a particular fashion nor are they regulated and monitored by professional governing boards like those of you in health and education professions. So, if all college graduates have responsibilities, including those in professional and non-professional schools, then just what sort of responsibilities are we referring to?

Let me detail what I believe to be the additional responsibilities of a college graduate. Bluntly put, I believe each of you, indeed all of us, have an obligation to be life-long learners who are committed to a life of engagement in our communities and to value-laden support for our friends, family, neighbors, and even strangers.

When each of you began your college education you will recall that your degree plans required each of you to complete a set of core courses in fields such as English, History, and the Fine Arts. These courses were completed at the outset of your college career and formed the common foundation for your educational experience. While these courses were certainly designed to teach you how to improve your writing, do basic mathematics, and conduct scientific experiments, they were more broadly envisioned by the faculty of your university to provide a broad based, common, educational experience. This foundation was intended to provide you with insight into the human condition, to develop critical thinking skills, and hopefully instill in you intellectual curiosity and a thirst of knowledge.

As you leave here tonight, I believe each of you have an obligation to continue your study of our human condition. Tonight marks the official end of your academic degree plan that is symbolically marked by the conferral of your degree. Tonight does not, however, mark the end of your education. As college graduates you have been taught to be inquisitive, to be critical thinkers, to take on intellectual challenges. You have the responsibility to continue to educate yourself. And when I say you have an obligation to continue to educate yourself, I am not speaking in the narrow sense of continuing to educate yourself related to your profession. Instead, I am speaking of the need to educate yourself about the society, the world, and the community in which you live. Each of us has an obligation to be responsible citizens and to be sound stewards of our communities. We have an obligation to be engaged and involved outside of our professional lives. My guess is that IF each of you will pause for a moment and reflect on your life to this point, there was someone who was not a family member, perhaps someone you have invited to join you here this evening, who took a special interest in you and had an important formative impact on your life. Perhaps it was a teacher, a friend, a neighbor, or simply a stranger that committed a random act of kindness or compassion. Each of us has a responsibility to return to society that favor, that special act of kindness, that compassion for a stranger. A few years ago, there was considerable discussion about a book entitled “It takes a Village” in reference to the author’s belief that it takes a community to effectively raise a child. The same can be said of most every issue or problem facing our society – it takes a village to find a solution. As college graduates, as some of our societies most educated individuals, we have an obligation to be part of the village searching for solutions to the challenges and problems that face our society. I fully recognize that as newly minted graduates the furthest thing from your mind is life-long learning and civic engagement and I also recognize that the graduates here this evening have chosen professions that, by definition, revolve around caring for others – nursing and education. What I am referring to here is a responsibility to give back to your community above and beyond your professional obligations.

In addition to your obligations to become engaged in your community, I also believe that the conferral of your degree obligates you to a certain standard of behavior in your relations with your neighbors, friends, family, and even strangers. Part of a successful educational experience is an appreciation for the differences that are found in each of us. Differences based on culture, gender, ethnicity, economic background, religion, and national origin should not only be understood, they should be embraced and celebrated. For centuries education has been a great force used to defuse misunderstandings, destroy stereotypes, and eliminate discrimination and hatred fueled by a lack of understanding. As one of our society’s more educated members, you have a special obligation to put your education to use in confronting inappropriate treatment of those less fortunate or those viewed as different and to teach others the importance of tolerance. This is especially true today as far too many political leaders and commentators carelessly banter about stereotypes to justify inhumane treatment of those viewed as threatening and to increasingly erode our civil liberties.

Each of you has chosen to enter professions where you will deal directly with our very diverse society. You have chosen your profession over other possible careers because you want to care for or help others. In this regard, what I am about to say may be preaching to the choir. In your dealings with others – both in your professional life and in your civic life – I believe college graduates have a special obligation to use their education to treat their clients, their colleagues, and fellow citizens with compassion and understanding. I believe you have a responsibility to visibly demonstrate tolerance for those who are different and those you disagree with. I believe you have an obligation to treat individuals with integrity and fairness. I believe college graduates have an obligation to insure that their relationships with others are characterized by civility. In observing today’s world, I too often come to the conclusion that our society is very civilized, but not terribly civil.

The point I have been attempting to make this evening is that as college graduates, you have a special responsibility to rise to a higher standard. More was expected of you in the classroom and you meet that challenge and earned your degree. Society also correctly expects, indeed demands, a higher standard from those among us who are most educated. As graduates of a public university, it is important to remember that while you paid significant tuition over the years, the citizens of this state, through their elected representatives, have invested millions of tax dollars in your education. They have invested in your education because they value higher education, and more importantly, because they value the contribution college graduates return to society. Holding college graduates to a higher standard is both reasonable and understandable. In virtually every walk of life, college graduates provide leadership – in politics, in business, in education, everywhere – college graduates lead. You have a special responsibility to lead and serve in your communities and you have a special obligation to treat others with respect, dignity, and compassion. These are responsibilities that will continue throughout your life, but for which you have been well trained by virtue of your education.

Congratulations Class of 2005. I am confident that the lives you touch in your professional lives will be better because of your presence. My hope for each of you is that you will seize your responsibilities as college graduates outside your professional life and engage in a life-long journey of civic engagement and compassionate respect for strangers.

Thank you.