Photo gallery/streamed broadcast: Chancellor Alexander says, ‘Dream Bigger, Rise Higher’

In its annual celebration of the start of a new academic year, Interim Provost Kate Burns and Chancellor Michael Alexander shared their thoughts on the year ahead and how UW-Green Bay will dream bigger and rise higher in support of it’s mission to educate everyone who wants to learn.

“Student access without support does not equal opportunity,” Provost Burns said. “We have risen to this challenge and are doing more to support student success. We will continue that in the year ahead.”

Chancellor Alexander graciously acknowledged the work of the faculty and staff to keep the four-campus community on a positive trajectory.

“We will not let the pandemic define us, but rather define how we handle the pandemic,” he said. “In the year ahead we will continue to put safety first. ​We will act humanely and compassionately, understand the equity issues it brings and start accepting the possibility that we may need to learn how to coexist with COVID. ​While we can’t single handedly end the pandemic, we have to not be part of the problem.​ We must continue to strive to be comfortable with being uncomfortable​ and choose to focus on education and our mission despite the pandemic.”

Alexander asked those 250-plus in the Weidner Center audience and hundreds watching virtually to imagine a University that served its region to the same extent that other UW institutions are serving theirs.

“We must accept that higher education is not only changing rapidly, but that it has already changed,” he said. “The game has changed and we will be courageous in the face of change. We will dream bigger and rise higher. In doing so, we must grow to point where two percent of the regional population enrolls at UW-Green Bay. Doing so would result in enrollment of more than 20,800! Think of what this does for our region. Think of how many lives this changes. Think of the equity impact if this falls along the demographics of the region. Think of the economy and quality of life.

“I am excited to dream bigger and rise higher with you. Have a great year!”

Click to advance slideshow or view the album on Flickr.

– Photos by Sue Pischke and Dan Moore, Marketing and University Communication.