David H. Getches, Dean, Univ. of Colo. Law School, Remarks upon receiving the Robert L. Stearns Award, presented by the Alumni Association at the University of Colorado at Boulder (May 4, 2011). Transcript reproduced with permission of the University of Colorado Law School and the David H. Getches family.
Stearns Award Remarks May 4, 2011 Like the other recipients, I am deeply honored to receive this important award from the University of Colorado, presented by the Alumni Association. And honored to be in their company. It is also moving to share the award with eleven law faculty members who have won it in years past. It is, after all, named for Robert Stearns who served as dean of the Law School in the 30s. I thank my nominators who are here for their faith. And how sweet it is to look out at family, colleagues, and friends who share this hour with me. To my family –
Ann, Matt, Liza, Kelley, Rudy, Owen, I say: I borrowed your time all these years; consider it a donation to CU. As with almost any recognition, the person receiving the award is a surrogate for the many who made it possible. In my case the service that Jimmy mentioned is not mine alone. It is as much the work of our faculty and staff, some of whom are here tonight, who built a curriculum and a national scholarly reputation. It is the result of generous support of our students, alumni, and friends who built a building and a scholarship program. We will not forget that CU students taxed themselves heavily with a fee that made possible not only the Wolf Law Building but also Business, ATLAS, and Visual Arts. As I look back over 8 years of deaning – not to mention decades of teaching – our students, now alumni, stand out as the deepest source of pride. It is their
accomplishments, and their service to society, that makes me proudest. I have been privileged to have several exciting and challenging jobs over the years. But the job of a law professor, all things considered, may be the best job in the world. And the honor of serving as a dean at the University of Colorado is humbling, an award in itself. This is an era when some could see work in higher education as thankless, and avoid it. And there are those, who seem to know no better, who criticize what happens here. Some imagine political indoctrination in the classrooms. And some think that the drastic decline in state funding can continue to be met by cutting expenses. We who know better know that this is a place that values free exchange of ideas, critical thinking. We know that it is one of the most innovative and efficient higher education institutions in the country. We are
proud of these things and that we have leadership like Chancellor Phil DiStefano and Senior Vice Chancellor Ric Porecca who continually find ways deal with potentially devastating budget cuts without compromising quality. They have supported me and the Law School. They have given their professional lives to CU. In closing, I want to appeal for the good people who love CU, its alumni especially, to stand up for the future of this venerable, world-class institution. The faculty and the administrators are giving their all. Alumni and friends of CU must not only give of their resources, but must step up and insist that political leaders see the vitality of higher education as the key to the state’s vitality – culturally, socially, and economically. A brand of our Law School is a commitment to service. That is needed more than ever to preserve our system of higher education, to preserve dear old CU.
This great institution will prevail, but only with renewed commitment from those who love it.