Monday Morning Message 1.30.2017

Please note: Today’s Learning Commons Dedication at 2pm is moving ahead as scheduled.

“The good ideas that underlie most of the great changes in our society…. have roots in the open kind of information commons of the university or the British coffeehouse. … In those environments, ideas are free to connect with each other and build on top of each other…that remixing is really where great ideas happen.”  - Steven Johnson, Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation

Monday Morning Message 1.23.2017

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” -Dr. Wayne Dyer

The past few days of our peaceful transition to power, the Presidential Inauguration, and the Million Women March, have prompted me to reflect more about the best framework and mindset for facing our mounting challenges. As a country, we face growing economic inequality, increased social and political divisiveness, and a world “in disarray.” As a law school, we face national declining enrollment, intense competition for the best students, mounting student debt, and a fast-changing legal market.

Monday Morning Message 1.9.2017

Each year, I choose 12 quotes, one for each month of the year, to serve as my guideposts for the coming year. So here’s some wisdom to live by in 2017.

·  “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

· "I haven't ever changed who I am. I've just gotten more accepting of it. Being happy isn't getting what you want, it's wanting what you have." -Carrie Fisher 

·  “It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.” -Muhammad Ali

Monday Morning Message 12.19.2016

“The story of our [Cleveland State University] success is told one student at a time.” Dr. Ronald Berkman, President, Cleveland State University, 2016 State of the University Address

Monday Morning Message 12.12.2016

“John Glenn went around the world three times today. Everyone brought radios to school and we listened. We saw it on television too. He’s the first man ever to orbit the earth.”

One of my most cherished possessions is the above entry in my diary on February 20, 1962, when I was 10 years old. Years later, after Peggy and I had the privilege of getting to know Senator John Glenn and his wife, Annie, I asked him to sign my diary. Underneath the entry, he wrote: “Lee- great entry above. Many thanks for your friendship through the years. John Glenn.” Senator Glenn was a mentor, and although Peggy and I were friends with John and Annie for over 30 years, we did our best to hide that we always were a bit awestruck in their presence.

Monday Morning Message 12.5.2016

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” -Cynthia Ozick, American writer

From time to time, I’ll share some of the inspiring notes that come my way recognizing the tremendous work of our students, staff, faculty, and alumni.

Professor Candice Hoke

Monday Morning Message 11.28.2016

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident”. - Arthur Schopenhauer

"Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have." - Emile Chartier

One of my major goals is to further foster a culture in our C|M|Law community where everyone is empowered to have a voice and a stake in our future. Where we value continuous trust, innovation, and creativity. That’s why we’ve initiated this weekly Monday Morning Message; our twice-a-month newsletter; the new twice-a-month “Dine with the Dean” sessions with students; and “pop-up” dialogues on timely issues such as the presidential election.

Monday Morning Message 11.21.2016

“ We have to remember that we’re actually all on one team… We’re not Democrats first, we’re not Republicans first, we are Americans first. We’re patriots first….we all go forward with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens….” -President Barack Obama, November 9, 2016

 “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King

 Last week a full classroom of our students, staff, and faculty shared their thoughts about the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. The thoughtful, respectful, and uplifting dialogue prompted me to share some thoughts about C|M|LAW and what I’m thankful for during this week of Thanksgiving.

Monday Morning Message 11.14.2016

“This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled, but there are moments when we can … reconcile and embrace the whole mess, and that’s what I mean by ‘Hallelujah.'” – Leonard Cohen (SNL's Kate McKinnon Sings Hallelujah)

Monday Morning Message 11.7.2016

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” –President Franklin D. Roosevelt