As the school year started, my daughter, A.J., was asked to write a story about a girl who stumbled over something on a beach. A.J. wrote that Kelly had stumbled over a rock and hurt her foot in the process. She got mad at the rock and wanted to get rid of it, so she picked it up to hurl it into the sea. Once in her hands, however, the rock was strangely light. Wanting to know why, Kelly tapped the object of her initial anger on a neighboring stone to break it apart. As the rock split open, diamonds scattered at her feet in the sand. She gathered them together and decided to invest them for her family’s future.

A.J.’s story appears to me reflective of our learning processes as adults and as organizations. It is easy to continue what we are doing without really being mindful of all that is going on around us. It takes an obstacle in our path to trigger our awareness. When we reach an obstacle, often the first reaction is to get angry and lash out at the symbol of our distress. If we don’t pause to reflect on the teaching that obstacle is providing, we miss diamond opportunities for change and growth.

Let the rocks not be targets of anger
Neither dashed to the elements,
Nor used as weapons of destruction.

Let us find beauty in that which confronts us,
Let us learn and understand,
That we may celebrate the past and Plan for a better future.

This past year as a country, we have certainly faced a number of stumbling blocks. The general state of the economy in Connecticut still seems relatively healthy, but the stock market has certainly had an adjustment and with it, publicly supported and assisted programs. The University of Connecticut and many of the College’s public and private partners across the state have been severely affected by budget cuts in operating funds. Amid the rocks, however, there has been one filled with diamonds. The faculty, staff and administration of the College want to thank Governor Rowland, the legislature, and President Austin for 21st Century UConn. This bill contains the diamonds that provide an investment in the future.

In order to ensure that the College maintains awareness of all that is going on (we do not want to have to fall over a rock to wake us up) and provides the appropriate curriculum for the evolving future of Connecticut’s workforce, we have established a College Advisory Board with excellent representatives from each of the major regions and many of the major industry clusters, as well as current and former BGS students. An introduction to the Advisory Board is on page 3 of this newsletter.

This newsletter begins with a very special story for us, that of the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Bachelor of General Studies program. As the future is built on the past, we are taking this year to honor our graduates, faculty and staff who have made this program so successful and one that has truly transformed lives. Celebratory receptions will be held throughout the year around the state at or near each of the regional campuses as well as at Storrs in our home in the Bishop Center. We sincerely hope that you will come to these receptions to meet each other, to reconnect with former colleagues, and to see current and former counselors. A number of alumni are interested in starting a BGS chapter of the Alumni Association, and we hope the receptions will be the springboard for this to happen. An Alumni Chapter will help us take what is best about the BGS and develop programs to meet your evolving learning needs.

I hope you will join us at the BGS Anniversary receptions this year.

Sincerely,

Krista K. Rodin