Fordham Newsroom
Photo by Chris TaggartWhat follows is the text of Father McShane’s fall 2017 convocation address, as prepared for delivery to the University community on Sept. 7.
As we gather to begin the University’s 176th year, I would like to welcome you back. I trust that you had a good break and that you were all able to get in a good vacation in the course of the summer. In the course of our time together this afternoon, I would like to speak with you about a number of issues, areas, and topics, including the usual areas on which I traditionally report at our fall convocations: admissions, development, finances, rankings and recognition, strategic planning, and facilities. In addition, however, I would like to spend some time speaking about a few important and some difficult issues, including our diversity efforts and the rather turbulent 2016–2017 academic year. Since I will be covering so many issues and topics this afternoon, at the outset I would ask you to be patient with me as I go through what will necessarily be a rather long presentation.
I hope that you will forgive me for breaking with custom by not following the order that I have always followed in the past, and that you will understand my reasons for doing so. This afternoon, I would like to begin my report on the state of the University by dwelling on the issues that caused us pain and division last year. (I will end my report by returning to these issues and addressing some of the ways in which I would like to work toward healing the rifts that the entire University is still wrestling with and suffering from.)
As you might imagine, I was deeply affected by the vote of no confidence, and what the faculty wished to tell me through the vote. As I said immediately after …
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