Mar 13, 2013
Greater Madison Inauguration Week Breakfast
Remarks to Greater Madison
Inauguration Week Breakfast
Jonathan R. Alger
James Madison University
March 13, 2013
President Alger shaking hands and receiving a gift at the Inauguration Week Breakfast
Welcome,
everyone. Thank you to Jim Sipe for his continued leadership of the Greater
Madison board and organization. The signature on the original 1970 agreement
between Greater Madison and Madison College is by none other than Jim Sipe
Senior—Jim’s father. In addition, a group of city fathers led an effort in 1907
to lobby the General Assembly to locate a new college in Harrisonburg. A member
of that group was George Sipe. Thank you also to the board members, and members
at large, of Greater Madison.
Greater Madison
has undergone a metamorphosis over the last few years, and those changes
continue. Just before my arrival, the university elevated the status of Greater
Madison to a “strategic partnership.” Now the role of Greater Madison will grow
even more central to many of our efforts moving forward.
JMU is an
institution that can become a model for the Engaged University. This idea of
“engaged” means that we connect with ideas and the world, including our
community. The Carnegie Foundation recognizes James Madison University in its
Community Engagement classification, which includes only 8 percent of all
colleges and universities nationally. This is quite an honor. As others have clearly
recognized, we are doing a lot together, but we can still do much more.
Tomorrow, I will
be leading a walk from campus to downtown Harrisonburg. The walk will serve as
a symbol of our solidarity with the community and our dedication to it. I will
be presenting the keys to the university to Harrisonburg Mayor Ted Byrd and
County Supervisor Fred Eberly. This tradition of presenting keys dates back to
medieval times and symbolized welcome and free entry to dignitaries when cities
had high walls and locked gates. I hope this gesture will usher in a new era of
closeness between the university and our community.
There is much
more for us to accomplish together and I look forward to working with all of
you in Greater Madison. It is an exciting time to be at the university, and it
is certainly wonderful to be a member of Greater Madison.
