Read Chancellor Lee H. Roberts’ installation address

Remarks as prepared for University Day celebration on Oct. 11:

Welcome, everyone — President Hans, Chief Justice Newby, Chair Murphy, Chair Preyer, members of the Board of Governors and the Board of Trustees, elected officials, distinguished guests, faculty, staff, students, alumni, family members and friends: it’s a great day to be a Tar Heel. 

I’m grateful for your presence today.  

I want to begin by acknowledging the pain and suffering of our friends and family in western North Carolina. We know that it is hard to put into words what you are going through.  

At the same time, we are inspired by the countless acts of generosity, of bravery, of compassion that our fellow North Carolinians have shown. Supporting the recovery and renewal will be a vital element of our mission now and into the future. 

I also want to mention two people who are not with us.  

We lost my mother, Cokie Roberts, about five years ago, and her voice is in my head most of the time. Right now, she’d be saying, “Keep it short. Don’t make these poor people sit here any longer than necessary.” 

And just last week, we lost Joel Fleishman, Carolina class of ʼ55, a friend and mentor to me and so many others. Joel was a part of my family even before I was born — he first met my mother in 1958, and his guidance and support lasted through the decades. May his memory be a blessing.  

We come together each year on this University Day to commemorate the laying of the cornerstone of Old East, the first building at the first public university in a country that itself was still an adolescent.  

In 1957, University Day also became the traditional inauguration day for new chancellors. I am most grateful to the Search Committee, the Board of Trustees, President Hans and the Board of Governors for giving me the extraordinary opportunity to join this illustrious group.  

Over the past several months, I have talked with all of my living predecessors. We agree on many things, including the fact that the chancellor’s office in South Building has the best view on campus. 

Looking out the window, you see the Old Well, our landmark and symbol, and one of the most recognizable objects in our state.  

Yet what always catches my attention isn’t the Old Well, but the large white oak tree behind it. Tom Bythell, our University arborist, told me that for the past 20 years, he has been pruning that tree to give the impression that it’s embracing the Old Well.  

As the tree grows and changes, it marks the passage of time each semester. Once you see it you can’t help but marvel at it.  

More than any of the buildings, our campus is defined by its trees. Older than the University itself, the Davie Poplar is at the center of the story of our university. And of course Davie Poplar Junior, standing tall next to it, is itself more than one hundred years old and still growing.  

At our bicentennial celebration in 1993, school children from 100 counties received saplings from the Davie Poplar to plant throughout the state as a symbol of our role as, in the immortal words of Charles Kuralt, “the University of the people.”   

Generations of Tar Heels have walked past the trees on McCorkle and Polk Place. I’ll bet that many of you have a favorite, one that holds a special memory or that caught your attention.  

As we reflect on the last 231 years, I believe there is no more fitting symbol of Carolina, no better image of who we are as a University, than the trees that fill this campus.  

More than the brick walkways or the low stone walls, the trees are old. The trees are strong. The trees are constantly growing, changing and evolving. The trees are different sizes and shapes, their leaves different colors. And they are only as tall as they are deep.  

No tree can grow without its roots. And like the trees, this University’s roots are anchored firmly in the rich North Carolina soil.  

Our state has nourished and supported this University since its inception. Even in times of conflict, with great divisions in society and economic uncertainty, the people of North Carolina have invested their hopes and dreams in our University. 

Our state has made us, this university, into the model of excellence and enabled us — I would say demanded of us — that we grow to the tallest heights. We would not be who we are today without this historic commitment.  

At the same time, our faculty, staff and students have shaped the state itself. Like trees and roots that shape a landscape, we have helped make North Carolina the place it is today. 

Our faculty train our state’s doctors, lawyers, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, artists and government officials. Our social workers learn here how to serve our state’s families. Graduates from the number one public school of public health are helping our state flourish. In every field, we are educating experts who will leave this campus to sustain and increase our impact in every corner of North Carolina. We are creating new knowledge that changes the state and the world.  

Like a tree and its roots, there is a deep, unbreakable covenant between UNC-Chapel Hill and the state of North Carolina. You can’t have one without the other.  

What makes Carolina truly exceptional is our ability to stay grounded by the people and needs of our state while engaging in research and educating students who will change the world.  

The future of the University is found in the branches — reaching outward and upward, stretching toward new ideas, new fields and new communities. Yet the stronger the roots, the further the branches can reach, allowing us to touch more lives and create a canopy of opportunity across the state and beyond. 

Our challenge and our opportunity as we enter this new chapter of our University’s history is to grow with and alongside our state. We must continue expanding our reach and ensuring that our University reflects the dynamism and evolution of the state we serve. 

I believe that Carolina must grow as North Carolina grows — not just in numbers, but in the ways we think about education, research and service, if we expect to make a meaningful impact on the communities around us.  

We will reinforce our ability to serve our students, staying true to our commitment of an accessible and affordable education, while increasing our capacities in career services, leadership, and civil discourse. And we have to make sure North Carolinians from every nook and cranny of this state know they are wanted and welcome at Carolina.  

We need to augment key programs in engineering, data science and AI, so that Carolina leads the way in providing capable experts to tackle the demands of a rapidly changing world. 

We will break ground on new infrastructure and continue work on repair and renovation needs. Carolina North offers incredible potential for the needs of our campus and the Triangle region.  For Carolina to grow, we need to have labs, classrooms and affordable housing to support that growth. 

Carolina has always set the bar high. We don’t only respond to the needs of our time, but set the standard for what higher education should be, here in North Carolina and beyond.  

Today marks a new chapter in the inheritance of a remarkable legacy. I commit to all of you that I will tirelessly protect and champion that legacy. I will do everything I can to support your good ideas, encourage opportunities and continue building a community where everyone can thrive.   

I began by talking about the view outside my office, that large white oak embracing the Old Well. The surrounding flowers are the third piece of that beautiful setting. Encore azaleas framed that space for decades, but recently reached the end of their lifetime — as so many things do.  

The Old Well is now surrounded by native plants representative of the natural areas around our state. Now, there will always be flowers blooming around the landmark that has looked the same for generations. 

We hold to tradition, but we know how to adapt and change. We have a reinvigorated and resilient landscape because of it. All three pieces — the solid and unchanging Old Well, the magnificent oak, and the adaptable flowers — remind us to hold tightly to our unwavering mission, look toward the future and remain willing to think big.  

May God continue to bless our wonderful country, our remarkable state and this incomparable University. 

Thank you very much, and Go Heels.