On May 8 Mark Blegen was officially inaugurated as the 21st president of Linfield University. Despite being in the job since last July, university presidents traditionally aren’t ceremonially inaugurated until the end of their first academic year.
The ceremony was flanked by musical acts. The instrumental ensemble, directed by Florian Conzetti, began with a pair of songs followed by the processional as Blegen, the board of trustees, delegates from other institutions, guests and staff walked in. Also in attendance was McMinnville mayor Kim Morris, Yamhill County commissioner Kit Johnston and Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-OR).
Representatives from ASLU, ASLU-Portland, alumni leadership and the elected officials gave speeches about Blegen and giving him charges on how to best act for their constituents and maintain their relationships.
“[McMinvilles relationship with Linfield] feels less like a partnership but more like a shared way of living,” said Morris.
They also praised how Blegen has acted in his first year on the job.
“What you do in the classroom sets an example for what happens across campus,” said ASLU Vice President of Student Events Sydney Downing.
After speeches some several representatives in attendance, Blegen was presented with the ceremonial gown for the university president. The choir, directed by Julie Cross, did a performance just before Blegen gave his speech.
Blegen began by recounting a story from when he first began teaching. He was on the phone with his mother, who is also a teacher of the year award winner, and was something he says guides his actions to this day.
“If you want your students to learn, it’s not about the content,” Blegen said. “It’s not about standing on high and pouring information into them. It’s about the relationship you create with them. It’s about getting down on one knee, looking them in the eye, and saying, we’re going to learn this together. Get the relationship right, and those students will go anywhere with you.”
Blegen then began talking about what he has learned about Linfield over the past year. He addressed some of the issues that higher education is facing.
“Our commitment to people, programs, and places are not abstract aspirations,” Blegen said. “They are a clear-eyed acknowledgement of where we are, and a concrete plan for where we are going.”
Blegen explained what those three commitments are and briefly how he plans to follow through on them. He wants to pitch Linfield in a way that is easy for students to understand and explain to their families back home, rather than in the language of plans and reports. He said this can be done by focusing on three words: range, reasoning and relationships.
Blegen described range as the ability for students to expand their horizons, such as being able to double major while participating in a sport or other extracurricular. Reasoning is the learning process at Linfield, more than just reciting information but learning how to think critically. Finally relationships that are forged between students, faculty, coaches and anyone else in the Linfield community.
“These are not just the pillars of our value proposition,” Blegen said. “They are a description of what it means to live a full and engaged life, and they are what Linfield at its best has always offered.”
Blegen then gave a message to Linfield students.
“Explore the full breadth of what this place has to offer. Don’t let anyone, including yourself, talk you into being smaller than you are.”
Blegen went on to promise that he would do the same thing he did with the students from when he began his teaching career.
“I want to offer you the same promise I made to those early students” Blegen said. “We are going to do this together, not leading from a distance, not strategy handed down from on high, but together, with honesty about the challenges and confidence in our capacity to meet them.”
Blegen concluded his speech by thanking many of those who made the inauguration possible and those who had guided him throughout his career, such as past mentors, colleagues and his family.
“Linfield connects learning, life, and community. Today we connect them again, and tomorrow we continue our mission,” Blegen said.
After finishing his speech, the Wildcat Band, directed by Joe Ready, played the Linfield alma mater for the recessional as those in attendance left the room, concluding the inauguration.
