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- University Remarks 1.25.12
University Remarks 1.25.12
Over the last couple of years we have been talking about a birth at Mercyhurst College; the birth of a diverse and vibrant Catholic University in the Mercy spirit. Yesterday, the signature of the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education has made it official. We are Mercyhurst University.
In the life of an institution there are events, there are moments, and then there are momentous events; and this is a momentous event par excellence. At such times it is proper to begin by looking back to acknowledge the Sisters of Mercy, the founders of Mercyhurst, whose courage and foresight have reached a certain fulfillment in the achievement we are announcing today.
Often such momentous events may look abrupt, but they actually bring to a tangible fruition, forces and movements that have been gathering energy largely out of sight for some time. That is how I understand the move from Mercyhurst College to Mercyhurst University. The emergence of Mercyhurst University is an outward and visible sign of the intellectual creativity, educational passion and administrative excellence of this entire community. This transition is a testament to the intellectual and educational vibrancy of the institution; it is an important step for Mercyhurst and another feather in the cap of this region.
It is instructive to remember that this region is home to five universities, which bring more than 20,000 students to Erie every year. These institutions, their faculty and staff and students add, not only an economic boost, but also creativity, energy and vigor to the community that many places would envy. Far from being competitors, I think our five schools know that we are stronger together, a university town is a great place to live, work and study and Erie is becoming just that. We should all embrace that identity and that future. In closing I want to thank Marlene Mosco and a very supportive Board of Trustees, as well as all the folks here at Mercyhurst and in Harrisburg who have made this great day possible. We know that while pride is a sin, gratitude is not, and I must say I feel a great deal of gratitude this afternoon. Madam Chair will you come to the podium and make a few remarks?
Thank you Marlene, thank you all for being here this afternoon. As you all know we have tried to live our motto for more than 85 years - Carpe Diem – seize the time and Mercyhurst has done so once again – we are Mercyhurst University.
