[Hopkins' first trustees] consecrated our university with the values that were distinctly American: "can-do" pragmatism, boundless optimism, lofty ambition and brave daring.
The result was a new and stirring model for higher education. Our history shows that our commitment to bold experimentation did not pass with our founding. It is in our DNA and at the core of who we are. ...
When President Gilman delivered his inaugural address on that glorious day 133 years ago, he ... recognized that the university was not yet complete; the university was not yet perfect.
Even 133 years later, that is still the case.
This is not an admission of vulnerability or of failure. Rather, it is an expression of our bond to each other and to the world beyond that we will, we must, progress. ...
It is only fair that, today, you ask of me: Where and how will I work with you to make our university better?
The second part is easier than the first.
The president's role at Johns Hopkins is not to supply pat solutions to our most demanding challenges. Rather it is to convene the conversation that allows us to shape our destiny in a way that manifests appreciation of our most sacred ideals: mutual respect, openness, and devotion to rigorous debate and analysis. And once this conversation has taken place, to ensure that we act responsibly, respectfully and vigorously on the conclusions we draw.
This is the "how."
As for the question of "where" we ought to focus, I unabashedly confess that I do not offer a detailed blueprint. Instead, what I offer are three areas that I believe are worthy of our university's earnest engagement:
First, our effectiveness in nurturing an environment that supports and celebrates individual achievement; second, the strength of our identity as one coherent university; and third, our commitment to the communities of which we are part.
Let me start with the simple idea: At the core of our university stands the individual.
It is our duty to craft an environment that attracts the most talented faculty, students and staff. Once they are here, we must ensure that they can fully realize their promise.
For our faculty, this means the creation of an atmosphere in which they regard Johns Hopkins as simply the best place in the world to pursue discovery - not just at the start of a career, but throughout. It means that we should expect our faculty not just to contribute to the great contemporary debates but to define them.
