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Glenn Matsumura
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THE WEEKS THAT HAVE PASSED since the tragic
events of September 11 have done little to diminish the shock and horror
we all felt. That day changed our world as we know it. Throughout the
Stanford community of faculty, students, staff and alumni, we have seen
an increased appreciation for the importance of education and for Stanford’s
role in preparing young people for leadership in the world.
As I pointed out in an e-mail message that I sent to Stanford alumni shortly
after the attacks, Leland and Jane Stanford set the following goal for
Stanford in the University’s founding grant:
“to promote the public welfare by exercising an influence on behalf
of humanity and civilization, teaching the blessings of liberty regulated
by law, and inculcating love and reverence for the great principles of
government as derived from the inalienable rights of man to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness.”
We have not swayed from this goal. Indeed, the tragedies in New York,
Washington and Pennsylvania have strengthened our appreciation and deepened
our resolve in that regard.
With a renewed determination, we are asking ourselves how best to structure
undergraduate education to achieve this goal. This is not a new question
for Stanford University. Some of you may not know that the Stanfords,
at first, were determined that their university would significantly depart
from the mold of classical learning and offer “practical education.”
As their thoughts developed, however, they moved to a model that would
combine professional training with the arts and humanities.
This evolution was just one way the Stanfords made clear that their upstart
Western university would not be constrained by the conventional thinking
of the time. Their bold philosophy was also evident in a coeducational
student body, a nonsectarian affiliation and the admission of students
based on ability rather than wealth and status. These courageous characteristics
reinforced the aim of the University to produce useful and educated citizens
who would contribute to the common good.
As their thoughts about education matured, Leland Stanford made those
views quite clear. He wrote that the best way to achieve the goal of preparing
young people to be good citizens was to give each individual a “liberal
education as to enable him to understand, appreciate, and enjoy the knowledge
of others.”
This high purpose of undergraduate education has never been far from the
top of Stanford’s agenda. Different generations of the University’s
leaders have approached this objective in different ways, depending on
the critical issues of the time.
When the Stanford faculty were considering making the core undergraduate
curriculum broader and more culturally inclusive—a move that some
politicians and pundits criticized—President Donald Kennedy posed
some of the salient issues to the Faculty Senate.
“What ought to be the common intellectual property of every educated
person?” Kennedy asked. “That question taps powerful convictions
[that] owe in part to our own cultural backgrounds and commitments, which
in a diverse society are sometimes in conflict. I hope we can . . . concentrate
upon our own objective—which is to help shape critical, committed
citizens who will be prepared to exercise thoughtful leadership. What
do we owe them?”
In light of the recent events, we again find ourselves asking what we
owe the current generation of students. How do we support them as they
strive to become committed citizens? How do we prepare this generation
for leadership in a more global and more complex world? One thing is clear.
We must help our students understand the increasingly diverse world in
which we live.
As I wrote in a letter to the parents of undergraduates earlier this fall,
I can think of no better place than an institution of higher learning
to confront these questions. While I am sure that our response to this
challenge will develop over time, I can say with certainty that Stanford
is more dedicated than ever to being a leader in shaping a generation
of citizens who are up to the historic task of building a better world.
In the end, that is what I believe a good undergraduate education must
do. In that sense, the Stanfords’ original vision was prescient.
A Stanford education should combine the sciences and the humanities.
It should foster the integration of the practical and the classical.
It should produce graduates who are both expert in a field and
broadly educated. It should promote personal advancement and the
public welfare. This is what the exceptional students who come to Stanford
will ask of us. This is what we owe them.
Five Stanford alumni lost their lives
in the tragic events of September 11. In memory of their role as members
of the Stanford community and their many contributions to society, we
have established a permanent scholarship in each of their names.
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