Focus on Excellence: An Address Given to the Faculty of Governors State University

I would like to examine with you for the remainder of my address the nature and quality of the education our students should receive. What should this University be doing for its students? And why? What should be the purpose of this new University, which was born with a sense of mission and aspiration seemingly different from those that many other universities claim? How really different are we or should we be? I intend to address these questions by examining Governors State University within the larger context of American higher education. I want to take both a historical and philosophical viewpoint. The major assumption is that Governors State University is and will continue to be devoted to the pursuit of excellence. There are a number of approaches I could take in discussing the quality of this University with you, and there are some very important aspects I will not havetime to discuss. It is my intention, however, to discuss Governors State University\u27s place within the long tradition of American higher education, the importance of the faculty, the nature of the curriculum, the legitimate expectations of the students, and finally, what you can and should expect from me