Chancellor Victor Boschini addressed the importance of listening as his goal for the 2011-2012 school year at TCU’s Fall Convocation yesterday.

Classes were dismissed from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., allowing students and faculty to attend the Convocation. The procession line-up formed outside of Ed Landreth Hall at 10:45 a.m. Chancellor Boschini, faculty, and administrators dressed in full regalia leading the procession, celebrating the opening of TCU’s 139th year.

“It’s a great time to be a Horned Frog and I think that’s universal,” Boschini said in his opening statement.

Despite TCU being recognized as The Hottest School in Texas by Fort Worth Magazine and the Best of the West by Princeton Review, Boschini said his “biggest fear for TCU is that we will get too caught up in ourselves.”

“I encourage everyone to be humble,” he said.

Although the recognitions exceeded his expectations and captured the goals of TCU becoming a world class university, Boschini said he wanted students, faculty and staff to be able to both manage and embrace change.

He said he wanted this year to be a year of dialogue, discussion and discourse among many new members of the TCU community.

After he explained the goals for 2011, he recognized two TCU faculty members for their accomplishments and actions. The award winners displayed a “TCU connected culture” with a faculty-friendly environment for students.

Boschini presented The Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar. The award recognized both extraordinary teaching and extraordinary scholarship for an “ideal teacher scholar.”

Out of 8 nominees from different academic divisions, Dr. Molly Weinburgh from the College of Education won.

The other award Boschini presented was the Wassenich Award for Mentoring in the TCU Community. The award honored a member of the faculty or staff in recognition and celebration of their mentoring.

Boschini read an anonymous student’s testimonial that said “what many students want is a chance to be heard and someone to help them envision their dreams,” which described the award winner Dr. Ken Morgan, the director of the School of Geology, Energy and the Environment.

As the procession came to a close, Boschini reminded attendees the key to community learning is listening.

Boschini informed attendees of TCU’s plans for meeting and embracing the challenges of change as well as the vision and action of listening to one another.  He said this will result in the ultimate TCU experience.

Anna Livingston, a sophomore communication studies major, said listening to the goals for the year was motivating because it informed her of what people thought about the school academically and professionally.

“I am very happy that I did go. Hearing from [the] provost and the chancellor made me feel like I got to know them on a personal level,”  she said. “It also gave me a sense of pride our school.”