President Barron gave the inaugural speech for this year’s Shaping the Future Summit on Monday evening, addressing the summit’s theme of “The Power of Money” as it pertains to higher education. The metaphor that served as the scaffolding for his message was “cathedral thinking,” an aptly named concept that James Rogers, former CEO of Duke Energy, identified in a commencement speech he delivered. Cathedral thinking is the sort of thinking that the architects of massive European cathedrals employed when they knew that the construction wouldn’t be finished within their lifetimes or perhaps for many decades thereafter. Indeed, it is the sort of thinking that entire societies and generations employed to allow for unimaginably magnificent cathedrals to be built, since such undertakings were not solely the dream of a single person. It is the sort of thinking that led to the Sputnik launch and the first human steps on the moon. Cathedral thinking is the setting of a vision so bold that some might call it impossible, paired with relentless tenacity and resolve in the pursuit of the goal. It is the opposite of what President Barron described as “driving by looking at the hood ornament.” Far-sightedness, determination, big dreaming, belief, and leadership are hallmarks of cathedral thinking. And it is this sort of thinking that President Barron called for on Monday evening in order to shape the future of higher education and the future of Penn State.
President Barron outlined three key aspects of higher education in which the power of money is particularly salient: Access and Affordability, Investment in Research and Development, and Philanthropy. Within each aspect, he gave examples of how the power of money can cause people to “drive by looking at the hood ornament,” but he also offered several bold cathedral thoughts to counter these and demonstrate that the present doesn’t have to be our destiny. Among these were— It should cost the same for any person to get an education; Universities should be driving economic development by putting their intellectual property into the marketplace and concurrently driving student career success in those domains shaped by their intellectual property; and Philanthropy and endowment will truly be the foundation of future cathedral thinking in the university place, rather than appropriations or operating budgets, because they free up financial restrictions and commit a belief that great things will occur with the freedom to be creative and bold. Like building a cathedral and not knowing how it will be possible to put the roof on it decades down the road, we as Penn State, and higher education collectively, ought to think outside the realm of what we know is possible or safe and think big, set a vision and a path, and have faith that we will be able to overcome gaps in our knowledge or problems as we reach them. I think it is fitting to envision Penn State and other American Universities as the cathedrals of the 21st century. But this vision doesn’t come without belief, thorough support, and the greatest force of teamwork ever mustered. President Barron has me convinced, at least on the final vision of Penn State. I hope Penn State will answer his call as a team and begin the construction of the future cathedral of public higher education and research for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the United States, and the world.
I was reminded of President Barron’s vision and words later in the week by a TED talk given by legal scholar Lawrence Lessig. Entitled “We the People, and the Republic we must reclaim,” the talk gave a blunt and honest consideration of the state of the American republic. His premise—that the way U.S. politics is funded fundamentally undermines our republic—may not be new news. It is a lament of many and a seemingly insurmountable problem that we manage to ignore on a regular basis. His thesis, however, is a fresh dose of cathedral thinking—This situation is completely remediable. (Watch the video here: http://www.ted.com/talks/lawrence_lessig_we_the_people_and_the_republic_we_must_reclaim). I have to admit, I was convinced and ready to cast my vote and write my check to a candidate running on a platform of citizen-funded federal campaigns. Similarly, he issued a call for bipartisan teamwork, belief, and commitment to change in order to save our republic. Interestingly, Lessig made the claim that the other big issues that we care about cannot be fixed until this root problem is uprooted. I thought back to President Barron’s brief discussion of state appropriations for higher education. But then I thought bigger, on a global scale, as well. Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki Moon, issued the call for action on climate change and called upon the support of world leaders to join him in this global effort. It is no coincidence that parallels have been drawn between the Space Race and what must occur in the near future if we are to salvage the present state of our atmosphere and global climate. Again, I was ready, and did, in fact, rush to support this, joining thousands in NYC and across the globe for the Climate March. But the subsequent lip service given by big players at the following UN Climate Summit meeting makes me think that Lessig’s insight may very well be true.
Taking stock of these big issues and opportunities for cathedral thought on a larger scale than humanity has ever known can be a bit overwhelming. There are a lot of big, seemingly insoluble issues in this world. But there are an equal number of big, bold opportunities for cathedral thinking, and that should be invigorating. But I can’t help but wonder if the world is ready and willing to answer the call. Global leaders did not seem ready to answer the call at the Climate Summit. U.S. politicians have not seemed especially invigorated or committed to answering the call. And as I sat listening to President Barron’s inaugural speech for the 2015 Shaping the Future Summit, an incredible opportunity to get in touch with our new president, I was disheartened by size of the student body in attendance. Only a few tables were populated by students. I couldn’t help but wonder— Is this the shape of our future? A small turnout? How will the Penn State cathedral ever be built if those who the task will fall upon in following generations don’t show up? Can the U.S. republic ever be restored with low voter turnout? Will we as a species be able to weather the problems that threaten our very existence if less than half a percent of the U.S. population shows up to voice their concern to world leaders? Sometimes I wonder if it is leadership so much as studentship, citizenship, and humanity that is the biggest challenge in facing these large-scale issues. If ever there was an opportunity for cathedral thinking, it is in bridging this gap. Eleanor Roosevelt once said that, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” These words ring ever true.
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