Thank you.
It is humbling to reflect on the effort that has been put into planning and organizing my inauguration, and the list of individuals I owe thanks to includes many. I cannot thank everyone who deserves my thanks and attention in the time that I have, but please know you have my eternal gratitude for all you have done so that I can celebrate this day.
Let me begin by saying thank you to everyone who has traveled to be with us today as we honor our past, celebrate our relevance, and look to our future. Your presence here means so much to our family. We truly appreciate your participation and attendance, and I am so proud to call each of you friend.
To my colleagues from Northwest Missouri State, our Maryville neighbors and everyone from the surrounding communities, thank you for your kindness, support and assistance as our family transitioned to Maryville and began our journey as Bearcats.
To our students, thank you. One of the greatest privileges of working on a university campus is the relationships and experiences built with students. Your willingness to include Jill and me in your campus events and celebrations has given us so many great early memories, and the energy, passion and sense of pride you demonstrate inspires me to remain focused on making your Northwest experience the best it can be!
Thank you to Roxanna Swaney, chair of our Board of Regents, and John Moore, our immediate past chair, for your leadership, encouragement and support with my transition during my initial months at Northwest. I could not be more grateful to the Board of Regents and the Northwest community for trusting me with the profound responsibility of leading this great institution, and I remain honored and humbled with this opportunity.
I am also grateful to our Foundation Board, Alumni Board and campus leadership for their support. The passion and dedication to our University and its potential are boundless, and I look forward to partnering with each of you as we work to move Northwest forward. Thank you for your commitment to our University and your participation in today’s ceremony.
I am thankful for the faculty and staff. When I arrived in Maryville on February 15 of last year, it was immediately clear to me that students were the focus at Northwest Missouri State University. That attribute, a well-developed legacy from the days of this institution’s role as a Normal School, spoke to my student experience. An experience, connected to committed faculty and hardworking staff. An experience that built and shaped me into who I am today. Through the hard work and support of faculty and staff at Northwest, we will continue to uphold the mission and values of this University. Values of delivering outstanding instruction, meaningful mentorship, and committed support to grow and nurture our students so they may achieve their educational and professional goals.
I would be remiss if I didn’t extend my heartfelt appreciation to those who led this University before me, leaders who guided our University with unwavering dedication, stewardship and innovation. Their visionary leadership and commitment to Northwest paved the way for our continued success and growth. Their tireless efforts upheld the values of excellence and service that left an indelible mark on this institution. We owe them a debt of thanks for advancing the mission of Northwest Missouri State University. Their legacy serves as an inspiration to us all, and we are deeply appreciative of their contributions to our University community.
I am honored by the delegates representing institutions from Missouri and across the country and our faculty, staff and students participating in today’s installation ceremony. Today, we embrace the traditions of this ceremony and mark this date in the history book of Northwest.
I am also pleased to welcome many old and new friends to our campus. Throughout my career, I have been blessed to work and collaborate with outstanding people. Your presence here humbles me. Jill and I are thankful for your continued support and for sharing in today’s celebration.
Chancellor Hawkins, thank you. Thank you for your remarks and for being a part of today's ceremony. I would not be here today without your support of my professional goals, your mentorship, friendship and your willingness to share with an aspiring young professional, your wisdom. Jill and I feel incredibly blessed to have you and Mrs. Hawkins joining us today.
I am thankful to everyone who has, on my path, poured into me. From my 10th-grade English teacher, Barbara Hicks, to my longtime mentor and friend at Troy, Don Jeffrey, to my good friend and sailing captain from Florida State, Dewayne Johnson, as well as countless mentors along my journey. I am an extension of you. You have been the iron that has sharpened who I am, how I think and how I act.
I am also truly thankful for my family. I am the oldest of three children, and I am so proud that my sister, Phoebe; her husband, Robert; my brother, Shane; and his wife, Jessica, could join today.
Since the death of our parents, Phoebe has been the bond that has kept us close. She is thoughtful about ensuring we share time together and is fiercely loyal to keeping us connected. Because of her, our bond is unbreakable. Because of you, Shane and I will never know what it means to be alone. You are forever loved.
And my brother, Shane, the other Dr. Tatum. Our bond is a bond that has been formed in shared experiences. I know that younger brothers traditionally get “the tough love treatment” from their older, wiser brothers. But despite our age gap, the miles that now separate us and busy lives that don't always align, nothing can diminish your impact on my life.
The support and love you both have extended to me throughout our lives have been indispensable, I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. Thank you.
My parents are no longer with us, but they would have loved Maryville. My mother was the youngest of nine children and grew up on a family farm in rural northeast Arkansas. She would have loved the farmland and the rolling hills, and she would have embraced the strong sense of family and “neighbor” found in Maryville and throughout this region. I know she would have certainly felt at home in this community.
And my father, who spent much of his young adulthood hunting and fishing in the Arkansas delta, he would have thought he was in paradise in northwest Missouri. A man who loved being around people and who loved college athletics, I’m confident he would have immediately branded himself a Bearcat.
The day’s only regret is that they cannot share in this celebration. Yet, their love continues to resonate within me, and I find solace in the comforting echo of their voices within my heart.
To our children, Thad and Zoe. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your support and belief in me. From the very beginning of your lives, I had faith that both of you would not only be intelligent but also compassionate individuals with a profound appreciation for education. I anticipated that you would have advantages that I never did, and my greatest wish has always been for you to embrace and make the most of those opportunities.
Jill and I couldn’t be prouder of the individuals you’ve become. Your aspirations are our aspirations, and we eagerly anticipate the remarkable journeys that await both of you. Being your father is one of my most cherished roles in my life, and I am immensely proud to be your dad.
And Jill. I am deeply thankful for Jill, who has always been my greatest supporter. Jill’s presence has been instrumental in every way, whether it’s offering insightful advice, providing emotional support during challenging times, or simply being a constant source of motivation.
I am a great fan of the historical relationship between our second president, John Adams, and his wife, Abigail. It has been written that President Adams considered his wife his equal, his ballast. The great writer David McCullough wrote in his biography of Adams, “Adams would never have been what he was without his wife, Abigail.” I would not be standing here today without Jill.
Jill, your infinite support fuels my determination and instills a deep sense of confidence, knowing that I have you by my side, cheering me on every step of the way. You continue to be my inspiration, my collaborator, my joy, my equal, my heart. Your service to this University exemplifies your strong belief in the importance of education and your deep faith in the power of embracing others. You never fail to make sure that everyone you encounter feels embraced and loved. Thank you, sweetheart, for all you do to support and uplift my efforts. I love you.
I contemplated that I might stop at this point in my remarks but was assured you would want to hear a little more from me.
Throughout my career, I’ve often been asked about why I decided to pursue education as my career. My response has always been rooted in a profound passion and strong belief in the transformative impact of education. To me, education stands as the cornerstone of progress and advancement within any society. It serves as the key that unlocks doors of opportunity and empowers individuals to realize their utmost potential.
From the moment I stepped into a classroom, I envisioned myself not merely as a source of knowledge but as a facilitator of learning, arming students with the skills, values and self-assurance necessary to navigate the complexities of our ever-changing world.
And, in my opinion, what an ever-changing world needs, perhaps more than ever, are responsible citizens. Citizens who think before they act, who build instead of destroy and who are willing to embrace the role of leader.
As I begin my presidency, I am committed to shaping my vision and leadership around three key areas: Enrollment growth and sustainability, providing our students with the best possible collegiate experience, and investing in our people.
The noted Missourian Mark Twain once famously said, “The two most important days in one’s life are the day you are born and the day you figure out why.” Today, I’d like to take the next few minutes to talk about the “why” for Northwest.
Over the past 25 years, funding for public universities has shifted significantly. The shift has placed a greater focus on tuition as the primary driver for revenue. To safeguard our mission of accessibility to higher education in northwest Missouri, we must continue focusing on strategic growth and sustainability. In short, the University’s long-term financial health and success will depend on a sustainable enrollment strategy.
The strength of Northwest is found in our rich history of academic excellence and fostering a community where students flourish both academically and personally.
However, in the face of an evolving educational landscape – and with societal perceptions about the value of a college education declining – growing and sustaining enrollment will require input from internal and external stakeholders and proactive measures with appropriate investment.
I’m pleased to say that many initiatives are already underway. Last summer, we expanded our Bearcat Advantage scholarship to attract more quality out-of-state students. Northwest has also partnered with KC Scholars to expand opportunities to recruit low-income students from Kansas City, and a robust international student population continues to grow and diversify our enrollment portfolio. In addition, over the past five months, a comprehensive review of our admissions and recruiting strategy has provided opportunities to sharpen our focus and approach to building a growth-oriented and sustainable enrollment strategy for the next five years.
This strategy will help ensure we invest appropriately and have greater accountability for meeting our enrollment expectations. And I am confident we will make positive strides in building a long-term sustainable model that will balance our overall enrollment portfolio and add to our on-campus population.
My second area of focus will be enhancing the collegiate experience. For the past 200 years, millions of young adults have left home after their senior year of high school and embarked on one of life’s most important developmental experiences: life on a college campus.
The American philosopher and educational psychologist John Dewey said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” What is most clear is that education is a life experience today, but it is not the collegiate experience of the past. Simply put, the collegiate experience has changed considerably over the past 30 years. The most fundamental change has come in the way students experience their courses.
Today, students have the flexibility to enroll in either traditional classroom settings, online or in hybrid formats, blending both. Pair this with the ability to engage with friends and peers via social media and various other communication platforms, and the contemporary collegiate experience differs significantly from that of past generations.
Nevertheless, irrespective of the mode of connection, the time spent at Northwest should remain the most transformative experience in our students’ lives.
For me, the significance of connecting has been reinforced time and time again as I have met and spoken with Bearcats who expressed their deep connection to Northwest – a connection that comes from their experiences on campus. I submit that a student’s time on and around campus contributes to a holistic education, where students learn not only from textbooks but also from the challenges, triumphs and shared moments with their college peers. Simply said, there is something special about experiencing a university campus.
Our vibrant campus life is a testament to the spirit of community that defines and shapes our institution. It’s the experiences and interactions with faculty, staff and the campus community that bond our students to Northwest. And once they become alumni, it is this bond that serves as the foundation for their interest in and willingness to support our institutional goals. Our aim is to cultivate a Northwest experience that sparks inspiration, for it is the inspired who inspire others – lest we forget. Once a Bearcat … always a Bearcat.
The third area of focus will be our people. Without dedication, passion and hardworking people, we will struggle to meet our full potential. At Northwest, faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends serve as the backbone, the driving force and the very essence of our success. Investing in people is not just merely a strategic decision; it is a fundamental expression of our belief in the transformative power of education.
We will explore avenues to enhance existing leadership programs and implement innovative strategies to cultivate our own leaders. This will involve allocating resources toward professional development, leadership training, mentorship and providing platforms for aspiring individuals to assume leadership roles. My commitment lies in nurturing an environment conducive to personal and professional growth, where everyone can flourish. As President Kennedy famously said, “A high tide floats all boats.” By prioritizing leadership development, we not only empower individuals but also foster a culture where leadership encourages more leadership.
I pledge my dedication to growing our culture of caring for each other and growing a sense of togetherness and mutual respect for those who call Northwest home.
In closing, as I stand here overwhelmed by the immense support and goodwill extended to me and Northwest, I am filled with a sense of purpose and responsibility.
Today signals the beginning of my presidency and the continuation of a legacy of excellence and community that defines our institution. I am deeply committed to the vision of growth, sustainability and empowerment that lies at the heart of our journey forward.
As we embark on this collective effort, let us remember the core values that bind us: a commitment to our students, a dedication to academic excellence and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of education. Together, we will navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, drawing strength from our shared experiences and forging new pathways toward success.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to every member of the Northwest family – past, present and future. Your support and tireless dedication inspire me, and I am honored to serve as your 11th president.
Together, let us write the next chapter of our storied history. May our journey ahead be filled with boundless possibilities and collective achievements.
Thank you, go Bearcats, and God bless.
