MC president and dean kick off 2024-25 academic year at Maryville College Convocation ceremony
Aug. 22, 2024
The Maryville College Convocation for the 2024-25 academic year was held at 11:15 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, in the Clayton Center for the Arts. Below are remarks from both Dr. Bryan Coker, president of MC, and Dr. Liz Perry-Sizemore, vice president and dean of the College.
Dr. Bryan Coker’s Convocation Address
Good morning, everyone — and welcome to a new academic year at Maryville College. Welcome to 2024-2025. This year marks 205 years since we were first founded in 1819 (think about that — 205 years). Little did our founder, the Rev. Isaac Anderson, know that he was founding an institution and creating a legacy which would still be here and thriving today, all these years later.
I have enjoyed engaging with — and welcoming — all of you over the past few days — welcoming many of you back to campus, as well as getting to know those of you who are just beginning your journey here. I continue to be so proud and honored to serve as your President, and to provide leadership for this storied institution of higher education. It is both an honor and privilege to serve in this role, and please know that I remember and I appreciate that each day.
To our students, perhaps I don’t need to remind you that you are beginning and attending college at a quite remarkable time in history. We are just a couple of years out from a global pandemic, and we stand on the edge of what will likely be one of the most consequential presidential elections in our nation’s history. We are living and we are learning in the age of “generative artificial intelligence” (or “AI”), along with smartphones which can perform a number of mundane yet essential functions in our daily lives, from remotely starting our cars to preheating the kitchen stove (the kitchen stove at our house allegedly can be turned on from my phone, but I haven’t figured out “how” yet, if I’m being honest with you).
All this technology also means that we can effectively go through daily life, doing all that we technically need to accomplish — yes, we can do it all — without even engaging with another human. Think about it — from self-checkouts to online clothes shopping, to contactless grocery delivery, to pay at the gas pump technology, to online bill pay, to Door Dash… You can go through a day of your life, getting all that you need to get done, without any human engagement whatsoever. And as I have openly admitted many times, there are days when I love that – there are days when I am quite happy not interacting with another soul (just ask my wife. Sara). I’m sure many of you would agree, even if you don’t want to publicly admit it (like I’m doing right now).
But… what is the real cost of this absence and this loss of human engagement in our lives…? Is there not so much to be gained from the beautiful art of human exchange with others — the interplay of multiple people, multiple minds, multiple intellects coming together, engaging with one another? There’s growth that occurs when we let another’s world engage with our own world – there’s much to be experienced and gained from our engagement with the grocery store cashier, the department store salesperson, the gas station attendant, and the pizza delivery person… Imagine a world in which we still saw and engaged (in-person ) with all those people each day — imagine that — maybe we’d see and talk to a person with whom we graduated from high school, or that person who we knew from the church youth group… maybe we’d see that friend with whom we lost touch years ago, maybe we’d have the chance to simply brighten someone’s else’s day — someone whose day really needed brightening. Maybe we would even engage in meaningful interaction with someone whose life story and experiences could not be more different and divergent from our own life story and our own life experiences… imagine that.
One of my personal mentors often says that “we learn and grow the most when we change our minds” (state again). And of course, to change one’s mind, one must engage, hear, and receive another point of view, right…? We must hear and receive ideas that are different from our own ideas. But in this day and age, we unfortunately have the option of living in complete echo chambers, where we only hear and engage with those people who have the same beliefs, the same ideas, and the same experiences as our own… We can literally exist, with our own ideas and assumptions rarely ever being challenged — yes, we can go about daily life without changing our minds… That’s not good, my friends.
Today, we are such a divided nation – our politics are characterized by deep polarization, a lack of civility, and people asking troubling questions about the future of our democracy. In my younger years, I often used to hear about government leaders endeavoring to “work across the aisle” – it was another way to speak of “bipartisanship.” Politicians ventured to that other side of the aisle, outside of their own echo chambers, to engage with those who held different ideas, beliefs, and positions, and they did it for the good of the people – they practiced that beautiful art of human engagement, listening to others’ points of view, and perhaps they even allowed their minds to be changed in the process… and with those changed minds, compromise happened…
I would venture to say that, while no politician is perfect, Sen. Lamar Alexander’s career and record was one of often working across the aisle — of listening to others, of often realizing that the other person might just be right. Sen. Alexander has now retired nearby, just 20 minutes away, and I have the honor of occasionally spending time with him these days. His home is a place where Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives can — and always have — come together, and still come together today. I would say the same of one of Tennessee’s past governors, Bill Haslam — Gov. Haslam saw, and he continues to see — the value of diverse perspectives, of hearing the other person, and ultimately admitting, that the other person might just be right.
Okay, so what does all of this mean for Maryville College in 2024, and why am I, as your president, talking about it all in this Convocation speech…?
I entitled this speech, #ScotsEngage (spell it out, with hashtag). What does that mean? Well, we (the MC community) — we are the Scots, obviously — and this year, we’re going to engage with one another — I’d venture to say, we must engage. We’re going to engage because our nation and world need us to engage – they need to see us engage. We’re a small community, but our 200+ years of history have shown that we are capable of doing much “good on the largest possible scale.” This year, we can be a model for those outside our campus gates, and we can carry forth that message and be a positive example each time we leave this campus…
What does it mean to “engage…?” It means you communicate with others, and not just those within your respective echo chamber. It means you take the risk of walking up and talking to someone else in this community, without any idea whatsoever about what that person thinks or believes, and you let the fine, beautiful art of human engagement occur — perhaps you will think differently from one another — I sure hope you do, to be honest, because that’s the point. I encourage you to engage with one another – face to face… communicate with one another, when you’re walking across campus, when you’re in class together, when you’re dining in Pearson’s or Issacs, when you’re walking to class at the new Downtown Center, and when your paths cross in the residence hall – communicate, engage, become acquainted, and when you realize that you think, believe, and want different things, keep talking — learn from one another — realize and embrace the difference, as well as the premise that the other person just might be right.
But once again, don’t let that way of living end when you leave our campus… Be a shining light in the community, in your place of work, in your place of worship… be see someone who sees beauty – not danger – in difference… Open your mind to new ideas… realize the other person with whom you’re engaging just might be right.
At the same time, don’t get me wrong – I’m not suggesting the other person is always right, or that you must change your mind – I’m largely talking about listening, communicating, and openness (again remember – we’re talking about engagement). Perhaps this is where a strong liberal arts education comes into play – an education which causes you to engage in critical thinking, in discernment, in weighing fact vs. fiction… An education which gives you the skills to discern whether or not that other person is right or not… An education that prepares for both the everyday and the unexpected.
Engagement isn’t just about communication, though communication’s a big part of it – it’s about being in the presence of – and connecting with – others… Many of you will be required to engage –or choose to engage in service and leaning opportunities off campus – that’s another way to engage, to step outside our comfort zones here on this campus and connect and interact with the people and places who are not part of this campus community. You should actively engage with those people and places, because you will learn from them – you will learn from those interactions – the people, the places, thee communities… As I so often say, we are located in one of the world’s greatest locations for student learning – please remember that, realize that, and embrace that. There is such a richness of people, places, and history here in Southern Appalachia – and it’s both beautifully complex and tragically complex, my friends… but it will teach you so, so very much.
So, that’s it… #ScotsEngage. Let’s go forth into this new year, as a community, ready to engage with one another – ready to engage as students, faculty, and staff… Let’s practice that fine and beautiful art of human engagement… let’s embrace difference, and realize that, sometimes, the other person might just be right. And when we venture off this beautiful campus, let’s carry that willingness to engage, to listen, to communicate, to be open – and ultimately, to learn.
Thank you all so much.
Dr. Liz Perry-Sizemore’s Declaration of the Academic Year
Will you please rise as you are able for the Declaration of the Academic Year?
How are you? Years ago, when I asked this question of a friend’s daughter, the child responded, “I’m doing good.” Her mother retrieved a memory from 30 Rock and replied- as I knew she would-with a line inspired by the show: “Superman does good. You meant to say, ‘I’m doing well.’”
Fast forward many years to a day not too long ago- the day I told these friends I was moving to Tennessee to join the Maryville College community.
“Tell me more about Maryville,” my friend asked.
“Well,” I said, knowing full well what I was setting up, “it’s a beautiful place where people do good on the largest possible scale!”
She grinned, raised an eyebrow, and said “Are you really trying to tell me there’s a college for superheroes just beside the Great Smoky Mountains?”
“Pretty much,” I replied.
The Maryville Covenant articulates our shared values: scholarship, respect, and integrity. Maryville College’s mission is to “prepare students for lives of citizenship and leadership as we challenge each one to search for truth, grow in wisdom, work for justice, and dedicate a life of creativity and service to the peoples of the world.” I think Stan Lee would be proud. The common characteristics of superheroes are exactly the qualities we prize, model, and cultivate at Maryville College: empathy, determination, intelligence, integrity, a commitment to justice, and a desire to serve. We do good.
And then there are “goods,” which I think about a lot as an economist. In the market for higher education, there are demanders, suppliers, and a product- a good, if you will – and a rather customizable one. Yes, we can hold a diploma in our hands, but what it represents is what the college experience has given to our hearts, our minds, our futures, and the lives of others.
A college education is a consumption good in that there are aspects of it that a student enjoys in the moment-laughter in a residence hall, the celebrations following a game, a lively night at the campus theatre, the thoughtful support of a mentor, and the spark of connecting with a new idea in class or starting to understand a different perspective. A college education is also an investment good in that many of the benefits to the individual accrue after graduation- in the form of career opportunities, yes – and by shaping the many ways we engage with and appreciate the world in our personal lives as well.
The production of any good involves inputs. Land, labor and capital come together to produce a Maryville education. The faculty, the facilities crew, our coaches, our Metz staff, and our academic advisors are just some of the labor inputs that make a Maryville education the remarkable thing that it is.
One interesting characteristic about a college education is that the student- the person seeking the good- is in fact an input into its production. The effort, energy, and character of each student affects both thatstudent’s education and the education of every other student at Maryville College. Students, your contributions to class discussion, your community engagement, your decisions to encourage your friends on the field, on the stage, and in the lab – these are superhero choices that shape your education, and they strengthen all of you in ways that will last a lifetime.
The market for higher education is also interesting in that it produces positive spillovers. Positive spillovers exist when people who aren’t the demanders or suppliers of a good benefit from the fact that the market for the good exists. The lives of others are and will be affected in positive ways by the education that is happening here. A Maryville College education is a good that does good.
You are all superheroes. It appears that some of you in the audience, namely the faculty, attempted to dress the part this morning. This spring, many more of you will, as the seniors will don very cape-like stoles for Commencement. Know that even on the days you aren’t dressed as the superhero you are, you are up to amazing feats.
To all of you: Do good, and be well.
To conclude, I would like to highlight an important anniversary in the history and mission of Maryville College. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the American Sign Language-English Interpreting major at Maryville College. One of the super-heroes who helped create and sustain this program, the first of its kind in the nation, was Peggy Maher, Class of 1978. Just a few weeks ago, Peggy was honored with the Maryville College Distinguished Service Award. During the three decades she spent teaching, Peggy prepared over 125 students for careers in professional interpreting and played a crucial role in raising the College’s visibility as one of the few institutions to offer the interpreting major. We are deeply grateful for Peggy’s service and dedication to our college and for the contributions of all those who have made the American Sign Language-English Interpreting major a cornerstone of the Maryville College experience.
And with that, it is my pleasure and honor now to declare that the 2024-2025 Academic Year has begun.