I want to be clear here, that adopting the "student as scholar" model is not just about actual research experiences, although it bears noting that such experiences are important and that Miami has some absolutely terrific research opportunities for students. Rather, I am emphasizing that "student as scholar" is a frame of mind that should motivate all of our teaching and learning, from large introductory classes to the special opportunities to work on a scholarly project with a faculty member. In fact, I would argue that it is particularly important to adopt this approach to introductory-level courses because it is in those classes that we have the unique opportunity to introduce students to the expectations of the University and to the habits of mind of a scholar. Even in a large class, it is possible to effectively create a course that is inquiry-driven and active, the hallmarks of a learning-centered education that engages students. At the University of Washington we had considerable success rebuilding our foundation courses around these attributes, resulting in better learning outcomes and more engaged students. We don't know yet how this experience will affect the way that both students and faculty approach higher levels of courses, but the goal at Washington was to use the transformation of introductory courses to change the expectations of both groups over the entire curriculum.
I believe that this approach is tailor-made for Miami, drawing on our strengths. Not only would the successful transformation of Miami Plan courses provide even better learning outcomes, I believe that such a transformation of our foundational courses would affect our entire curriculum and add greatly to Miami's national reputation as a university that teaches "academically ambitious undergraduates" to lead "intellectually vigorous lives."
It is difficult to refrain from providing numerous examples of Miami courses that embrace the learning paradigm, but there simply isn't time today. So let me conclude this section on the student as scholar by highlighting our excellent progress in addressing a core learning skill: writing. As most of you know, we were fortunate to receive a $10.5 million gift from Roger and Joyce Howe to support the Center for Writing Excellence. The Center and the many faculty and staff who have been involved in advancing writing in the University recognize that good writing is an active endeavor. While a primary goal is to ensure that our students can express themselves clearly and persuasively, writing is also a primary vehicle by which we learn. As we work to present an argument that is persuasive, we are forced to confront and critically evaluate our evidence, we are forced to link arguments into a conceptual whole, and we are forced to draw on our imaginations to describe our results. Thus, the Center is not only about doing a superb job of helping students learn to write, it is also about teaching faculty to teach students how to use writing to learn.
Throughout much of my life, the pursuit of diversity in the U.S. has been the pursuit of individual and group justice. Especially since 1954, the nation has been actively engaged in a struggle to overcome the legacy of two centuries of discrimination and separation of educational opportunity by race. Regrettably, that struggle continues today, and we must not, for even one moment, let up on our resolve to change the differential rates of success that reflect the widely divergent paths for both students of color and students from lower economic circumstances. At Miami, we will redouble our efforts in the years ahead to change the opportunities and success that all K-12 students should enjoy, and we will work ceaselessly to make sure that Miami is attractive and accessible to all academically ambitious students, regardless of their social and economic background. This is our pledge.
In more recent years, however, we have also come to understand that diversity is central to a high-quality education. This is a key argument in many of the high-profile court cases dealing with racial preference in admissions. Several universities have argued vigorously, but with only modest legal success, that increasing diversity is a compelling interest; that is, having a racially diverse student body is integral to the experience of all students.
But increasingly, the number of students of color or of other social minorities, while valuable in and of itself, does not necessarily yield a high-quality education. Learning is predicated on embracing our differences so as to challenge our conventional understanding of the world around us. We need to strongly encourage our students to push the envelope of their comfort, to take risks, and to avoid the safe and mundane routes by pushing on into new areas, experiences, and development. We can do some of this in the classroom. We can shape the curriculum to include more diverse perspectives, and we can create learning situations where students are forced to engage their sense of self and their own boundaries. We are fortunate to have two groups of 12 faculty each, led by Ron Scott, professor of Communications, who have joined together in a faculty-learning community, dedicated to making our curriculum embrace diversity as well as accommodate diverse learning styles.
A critical dimension of learning by embracing difference is to encounter circumstances that are beyond our experience as well as our comfort level. A major opportunity for student engagement with circumstances different from their own is through service learning. Service learning can and should be as much about the mind as it is about the heart. At its best, service learning provides opportunities for students to see their academic material at ground level as well as pushing them into situations that stretch their comfort level. A great service learning experience is a true fusion of scholarship, teaching, and service, creating a highly motivating and engaging learning experience. Let me note that while opportunities to participate in service learning are limited in Oxford, the two regional campuses are portals to communities with a great many opportunities for students to both contribute and learn.
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