When most people think of jazz music, a few words come to mind. There鈥檚 improvisation: an extemporaneous process to create, innovate and discover 鈥� to grow from the present into the new. Another might be ensemble, as in to bring together a group of many who act as one.
Is it any surprise, then, that jazz is an area in which Vanderbilt excels? And what does it mean to excel? To surpass, outperform, rise above鈥攖o achieve more.
Excellence is the first principle set forth in the updated Code of Bylaws approved at the start of this academic year by Vanderbilt鈥檚 Board of Trust. Along with our other two guiding principles鈥攁cademic freedom and free expression, and growth and development鈥攅xcellence drives our core purpose: to provide transformative education and pathbreaking research. It is our foremost commitment and our steadfast promise in all that we do.
You could even say it鈥檚 who we are. The quality of working together to achieve more鈥攁nd then even more鈥攊s inherent to our community. It is so much a part of our nature that to exceed expectations is the Vanderbilt norm.
It鈥檚 a theme that pervades every page of this issue. Like the vision of our alumni at Blue Origin who are working together to make space travel routine, the extraordinary is Vanderbilt鈥檚 aspiration. We like to set our goals high, break right through them and keep going. When our Dare to Grow philanthropic campaign broke its ambitious initial fundraising goal of $3.2 billion many months ahead of schedule, our only question was 鈥淗ow high will we go now?鈥�
Breaking our own records is also the standard among our Commodore student-athletes and coaches. When the evolving landscape of college athletics poses new challenges, we evolve right along with it. They challenge and support one another as they become ever better鈥攁nd as their historic victories and top rankings rise, they unite our entire community along the way.
And while unity may not be a common experience in society today, initiatives like Dialogue Vanderbilt and The Future of Free Speech are doing the work to help make it so. Last year, we held our highly successful inaugural Global Free Speech Summit, and this issue鈥檚 interview with Jacob Mchangama explains how our second summit will do even more to restore the civil discourse that is urgently needed in these polarized times. And as the interview with Major Jackson advises, reading poetry has the great power to break down barriers and foster understanding too. In other words, it is yet another way to dare to grow鈥攁nd if you鈥檙e new to it, his expertise will help you take it on.
Much like an improvisational jazz ensemble, the Vanderbilt community explores new territory, together. And in a time when uncertainties for universities abound, Vanderbilt鈥檚 dare to grow era is as limitless as the potential of our every performance鈥攁nd it extends with every new thing we create.
From our plans for new campuses in West Palm Beach and New York City, to establishing our College of Connected Computing, to our Institute of National Security鈥攐ur remarkable momentum shows no signs of stopping. Indeed, true to Vanderbilt form, it will only grow more.
鈥擠ANIEL DIERMEIER, CHANCELLOR
