Acceptance Speech
Thank you Eric Clark, for your kind words. Members of the Senate, Colleagues: I greatly appreciate this honor and the opportunity to say a few words to you.
I first stepped foot on this campus 30 years ago while scouting universities suitable for my graduate studies. What immediately enchanted me was the arboreal beauty of the campus. But even during this first short visit, I could tell that the University of Oregon was more than an attractive campus; it is in fact a vibrant community of scholars. During the past three decades, I’ve continually experienced that sense of community, as a graduate student, as a GE in two different departments, as a part-time career NTTF, and as a member of the classified staff. It is as a staff member that I have had the opportunity to serve as a UO senator for the past two years. In my work in the Senate and on various committees, I have endeavored to bring to the table a classified-staff perspective, leavened by own experiences as a student, an instructor and a proud alumnus of the School of Music & Dance.
While I’m thrilled to be recognized today, a degree of humility is warranted. I am one of 1600 classified employees at the University of Oregon, and throughout this institution, I repeatedly witness leadership practiced in a myriad of different ways. I see it when I watch staff from the Mills International Center and the Rec Center team up to offer an inspiring presentation on student employee success. I see it when our building coordinator in Knight Library finds creative ways to complete an astounding array of special projects, while keeping on top of an unending series of daily problems. And I see it in the men and women who serve in leadership positions in our unions– those who volunteer as officers, stewards, bargaining delegates, and other roles working tirelessly in an effort to help make this university a place where everyone is treated fairly, valued and respected.
Committees can act with prudence, and the Senate can act with wisdom, only when the voices of all stakeholders are heard, and I’d like to thank Senate president Bill Harbaugh, past president Chris Sinclair and incoming president Elizabeth Skowron for giving me regular opportunities to share my views. I believe that having all constituencies represented on deliberative bodies is sensible practice, for it means that the decision-making body will have had an opportunity to hear a fuller spectrum of viewpoints before taking action.
I am grateful that my managers in UO Libraries have allowed me to take the time to serve. When I started my job with the library in April, 2000, I did not envision participating in campus-wide committees and certainly not in the Senate. But once I was appointed to a few library committees and task forces, I found that even someone who identifies as an introvert can feel comfortable speaking out.
Whatever leadership characteristics I may have shown are probably not the classic traits of those whom we dub “leaders.” I admit that there are times when I’d love to have the fearlessness of Malala Yousafzai and the leadership skill of Dr. Martin Luther King, not to mention the voice of Morgan Freeman and the looks of George Clooney. I’d also like to strive to achieve a little of the Dalai Lama’s patience, Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s sagacity and Mr. Rogers’ empathy. That’s a high bar. But if I take the time to listen carefully, if I examine each issue from all sides, and if I treat people with compassion — If I can do that most the time, I feel I will have succeeded.
To Zach Fairchild, Jay Butler and Bing Li, who nominated me for this award, thank you very much, and to my colleagues who came to here today – especially those from UO Libraries – a thousand thanks.