You are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. While the transition from high school to college is significant (and, maybe, a little scary), it is one of the most meaningful experiences you will have. You have made such a powerful choice to come to Oxford and Emory — one of the very best schools in the country and in the world. You have chosen, and you have been chosen.
The term “college” stems from the Latin collegium, meaning “colleagueship” or “partnership.” While you are a new student, you are not a blank slate. One of my academic heroes, Paulo Freire, wisely argued that “knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.” Thus, while you will learn from brilliant scholars and innovative and dedicated teachers, they will also learn from you. And those relationships are what make “college” such an incredibly rich and rewarding opportunity for those who have the privilege to experience it.
I am certain that your network of friends, teachers, coaches, mentors and family have offered a wealth of advice in preparation for your first year as a college student. I’ll add to the list by simply encouraging you to continue to exercise the discipline, curiosity, creativity and the commitments to service and academic excellence that brought you to Oxford and Emory. As importantly, I hope that you embrace new challenges and experiences, seek knowledge and wisdom (rather than answers and “information”), and are open to changing your mind and courageous enough to change the minds of others.
Your lives are far more complicated than when I was a college student. You have lived through a global pandemic and have inherited a world plagued by political polarization, racism, mass shootings, climate change, international conflict, and challenges to democratic norms and ideals. Your college experience will offer a way for you to examine these and other issues through the lens of multiple disciplines — across the arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences. Here you have a chance to test ideas, use your imagination and think the world anew. By engaging in mentored research, experiential learning and community-based service, you will be empowered to grapple with the challenges we all face as a society and, most importantly, create structures of hope.
As the new dean of Oxford College, I also am in transition — to a new state, a new community and a new university. One of my top priorities is to ensure that you have abundant resources, meaningful experiences and ample opportunities to succeed — academically, socially and emotionally. Oxford has so much to offer — small class sizes with dedicated professors who also serve as your advisors; significant experiential and practice-based learning opportunities on campus and in the community; an impressive working organic farm; exciting Discovery Seminars (“Beauty of Algorithms,” “Authenticity” and “The Biology of Pets”); and a tight-knit community of faculty, staff and alumni who are wholly committed to your success. I often joke with my family that I loved college so much that I never wanted to leave. Now I have the honor and good fortune to facilitate your learning and make key investments that will impact your lives for the better. This is an incredible opportunity and responsibility, and I could not be more excited to begin this journey with you.
One question that I’ve been asked frequently over the past few months is, “Why Oxford?” I have chosen Oxford and Emory because I believe that a liberal arts education affords you the practical means by which you can achieve your goals, as well as the opportunity to develop the social character and sense of responsibility that will positively transform your lives and the communities around you. I am dedicated to student flourishing and positive psychology, which are at the heart of my research and teaching and deeply inform my role and priorities as an administrator.
In the coming days and weeks, I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and learning more about your interests, passions and aspirations. Together with our exceptional faculty and staff, I know we will make your time at Oxford an exciting and meaningful launch of your college careers — and the rest of your lives.
Dr. Badia Ahad is the Dean of Oxford College of Emory University.
