Greg Williams: University of Cincinnati should aim high
University of Cincinnati's new president Greg Williams hasdelivered his first formal speech at UC at an all-university faculty meeting, pushing the idea that UC should keep the same priorities but dream bigger.
TRYING TO raise expectations for all of the University of Cincinnati, Greg Williams suggests using the unbeaten football team as a model.
UC’s new president delivered his first formal speech at UC at an all-university faculty meeting, pushing the idea that UC should keep the same priorities but dream bigger.
“The programme dreamed big, set high goals and went from obscurity to a national ranking of number five in about five years,” said the 66-year-old Williams. “They have truly changed the way people think about UC football. How did they do that? It can’t be just money, because we have one of the smallest athletic budgets in the Big East.”
Publicly using football as a measuring stick for academic improvements at UC may have seemed bold, considering Williams’ audience in the Tangeman University Center. Only minutes before, faculty senate chairwoman Marla Hall had once again criticised UC for borrowing 9.7 million dollar to build new football practice fields without consulting professors first.
“Our successes may not be played out on prime time and on the big screen, but they are innumerable,” Hall said.
The athletic complex along Jefferson Avenue will start construction before the end of the year and Williams said the “robust” discussion had been a positive.
His speech was short on specifics and long on inspiration.
“What are the big ideas that will galvanise action in pursuit of UC as a world-class research university?” he asked.
He spelled out a couple of themes sure to be repeated during his early days at UC.
“The programme dreamed big, set high goals and went from obscurity to a national ranking of number five in about five years,” said the 66-year-old Williams. “They have truly changed the way people think about UC football. How did they do that? It can’t be just money, because we have one of the smallest athletic budgets in the Big East.”
- Text of the president's speech
Publicly using football as a measuring stick for academic improvements at UC may have seemed bold, considering Williams’ audience in the Tangeman University Center. Only minutes before, faculty senate chairwoman Marla Hall had once again criticised UC for borrowing 9.7 million dollar to build new football practice fields without consulting professors first.
“Our successes may not be played out on prime time and on the big screen, but they are innumerable,” Hall said.
The athletic complex along Jefferson Avenue will start construction before the end of the year and Williams said the “robust” discussion had been a positive.
His speech was short on specifics and long on inspiration.
“What are the big ideas that will galvanise action in pursuit of UC as a world-class research university?” he asked.
He spelled out a couple of themes sure to be repeated during his early days at UC.
- Capitalising on semester conversion. UC is using the conversion, scheduled to be done by 2012, to restructure thousands of courses. Williams called for the project’s completion ‘in a way that truly renews our curriculum for the 21st century’.
- Raising the profile. From international education to the reputation of the academic health center to relationships in Washington, DC, Williams seems determined to spread the word. He has already met with White House Urban Affairs Director Adolfo Carrion and called for even more outreach efforts.
- Raising the money. Completing the one billion dollar capital campaign is one of Williams’ highest priorities. UC is slightly more than halfway to that goal.
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