NYS TESOL Publication: Idiom

The Power of Partnerships
by Anthony G. Collins, President Clarkson University

First, thank you for inviting me to share the power of partnerships with the NYS TESOL membership. Your personal dedication in working with international students, immigrants and many first-generation Americans to develop their English writing and speaking skills is critical to universities like Clark-son. Cultural diversity truly enriches our campuses and provides all students with opportunities to learn in an environment that reflects the world in which they will live and work.

Here is a quiz to start your school year: What do an ice cream cone, a Nobel prize, the moon, and a horse possibly have in common? The answer lies in partnerships.

The start of a new academic year is an occasion to reflect on your accomplishments, plans and possibilities for the future. As you reflect, also think about how you have helped others and how others have helped you get to this point­­—people who have been partners in almost every facet of your life.

We begin hearing “partner” early in life. A kindergartner cannot make a move without finding his or her classroom partner. In swimming lessons, the lifeguard blows the whistle at regular intervals to do the buddy check, making sure everyone has a partner—someone to help in a time of need. Early on we recognize that others help to support and nurture us just as we help them.

Life is a vast network of partnerships in which all of us are givers and takers. Partnerships shape our career, our personal life, and ultimately define the mark we each make in this world.

Partnerships are not developed at the expense of individuality. At Clarkson we stress project-based team learning. I am frequently asked, “With all this attention to developing team skills, what happens to individual learning?” Many see the development of teaming skills as diametrically opposed to individual development. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Why? Because partnerships are a means by which the creativity in one individual can touch all of humanity. They help us enhance and harness individual intelligence and ambitions. They focus individual goals. They make us mindful of the needs of others. They give us the chance to expedite our own learning. They provide us with human interactions that bring fulfillment and enjoyment to our daily lives.

In business, partnerships are sets of mutual responsibilities and obligations, precisely defined by legal documents. But that is really just one aspect of one kind of partnership. For me, partnership represents broader and deeper ties between people. It is an unspoken contract, a tacit agreement that involves mutual feelings of obligation and commitment to connect our talents, values and personalities. In the field of entertainment alone, there are many examples of talents coming together in partnerships to enhance artistic quality and entertainment value, including Abbott and Costello, Rodgers and Hammerstein­—and even in Sesame Street, what would the character Bert be without Ernie?

And so … back to that ice cream cone, the Nobel prize, the moon, and a horse.

An ice-cream cone. Today, we all know Ben & Jerry’s. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield became business partners in 1978 after they split the cost of a $5 home-study course in making ice cream. And, thanks to their unique combination of personality, talent and hard work, their tiny store in Burlington , Vt , expanded into a multimillion-dollar global business. The key to their success: a partnership.

The Nobel Prize. Since 1901, the most important advances in science have been honored with the award of a Nobel Prize. And look at the trend: In physics, during the first 25 years, 75 percent of the prizes were awarded to individuals; in the past 25 years, 75 percent have gone to collaborative teams. In physiology and medicine, during the first 25 years, 80 percent went to individuals; in the past 25 years, 80 percent have gone to collaborative teams. Partnerships have become critical in advancing science.

The moon. In 1969, the world watched the first walk on the moon. Afterward, astronaut Neil Armstrong said it was “the culmination of the work of 300,000 or 400,000 people over a decade.” There was only one way we could put people on the moon: through partnership—in this case, partnership on a mind-boggling scale.

And a horse? Six high school pals from Sackets Harbor , N.Y. , stayed in touch over the decades and decided to start a stable together. They became business partners and when their racehorse, Funny Cide, made it to the Kentucky Derby, these friends arrived together on race day in a school bus. Against odds of 150 to one, Funny Cide won!

Partnerships. They begin for all kinds of reasons. They can lead to places and things we can barely imagine.

Through firsthand experience with NYS TESOL colleagues, your students, and collaborating agencies, many of you understand the power of partnerships­—and the importance of personal responsibility and commitment within these partnerships. We succeed by working together. But we must do the hard work, apply ourselves, and be measured as individuals.

Consider the examples I mentioned earlier. Without partnerships, no human would have walked on the moon, a majority of key advances in science and medicine would not have happened­—and our lives would not be nearly as rich, fulfilling or interesting and our ice cream choices would be limited.

We accomplish more by working with others, whether in pairs, small groups, large teams, or in teams of teams, than any one person could ever manage alone. Seek, nurture, value partners.

Again, it has been my honor sharing this with you, and I wish you good fortune in your pursuits.

Anthony G. Collins began serving as Clark-son University ’s 16th president on July 1, 2003 , with tremendous support from faculty, staff, alumni and trustees. Growing up outside Melbourne , Australia , Tony earned an undergraduate civil engineering degree from Monash University , then a master’s degree from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania . Returning to Australia, he developed a small environmental engineering consulting firm and then worked for Utah Development Company, a coal and iron mining company. His involvement with ground and surface water issues generated by huge open- pit mines inspired him to return to Lehigh four years later to begin Ph.D. studies as the foundation for a university research and teaching career. After earning his Ph.D. in 1982, Tony launched his career at Clark- son as an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. Subsequently rising to the rank of professor, he also assumed increasing levels of administrative responsibility, including department chair, dean, vice president for academic affairs, and provost.

<president@clarkson.edu> www.clarkson.edu

Editor’s Note: Anthony Collins delivered the commencement address for Jefferson Community College in May 2004 inspiring graduates to think about the partnerships and the people with whom they had collaborated to achieve their accomplishments. I spoke with President Collins afterward about NYS TESOL and the partnerships our members create every day. He welcomed our invitation to adapt part of his commencement address for us as the lead for the Fall 2004 edition of Idiom.

Located in the foothills of the Adirondacks in Potsdam , N.Y. , Clarkson is a nationally ranked research institution offering comprehensive programs in business, liberal arts, engineering, the sciences and health sciences.