Installation address by Lawrence S. Bacow

Installation(ˌinstəˈlāSHən) address(əˈdres,ˈaˌdres) by Lawrence(ˈlär-,ˈlôrəns) S. Bacow(bākal)

These are challenging(ˈCHalənjiNG) times for higher education(ˌejəˈkāSHən) in America.

For the first time in my lifetime, people are actually questioning the value of sending a child to college.

For the first time in my lifetime, people are asking whether or not colleges and universities(ˌyo͞onəˈvərsətē) are worthy(ˈwərT͟Hē) of public support.
For the first time in my lifetime, people are expressing(ikˈspres) doubts(dout) about whether colleges and universities are even good for the nation.

These questions force us to ask: What does higher education really contribute to the national life?

Unfortunately(ˌənˈfôrCHənətlē), more people than we would like to admit(ədˈmit) believe that universities are not nearly as open to ideas from across the political(pəˈlitikəl) spectrum(ˈspektrəm) as we should be; that we are becoming unaffordable(ˌənəˈfôrdəbəl) and inaccessible(ˌinakˈsesəbəl), out of touch with the rest of America; and that we care more about making our institutions(ˌinstiˈt(y)o͞oSHən) great, than about making the world better.

While there may be — may be — a kernel(ˈkərnl) of truth here, if I believed that these criticisms(ˈkritəˌsizəm) fundamentally(ˌfəndəˈmentl-ē) represented(ˌrepriˈzent) who we are, I would not be standing before you today. All of our institutions are striving(strīv) to make wise(wīz) choices(CHois) amidst(əˈmidst) swirling(swərl) economic(ˌekəˈnämik, ˌēkəˈnämik), social, and political currents(ˈkə-rənt,ˈkərənt) that often make wisdom(ˈwizdəm) difficult to perceive(pərˈsēv).

We need, together, to reaffirm(ˌrēəˈfərm) that higher education is a public good worthy of support — and beyond that, a pillar(ˈpilər) of our democracy(diˈmäkrəsē) that, if dislodged(disˈläj), will change the United States into something fundamentally bleaker(blēk) and smaller(smôl).

It’s worth remembering that most of the nation’s founders were first-generation college students. They not only shaped(SHāp) our form of government, they built new universities. Having had their own minds opened and improved by learning, they were certain(ˈsərtn) that government by and for the people requires an educated(ˈejəˌkātid) citizenry(ˈsidizənrē, ˈsidisənrē).

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https://www.harvard.edu/president/speech/2018/installation-address-by-lawrence-s-bacow