Hi. I'm Theo Kalikow and I've been the President of the University of Maine at Farmington since 1994. I'm often asked what makes Farmington so special, so different, so dear to my heart.

Well, I'd like to share with you a portion of a talk I gave to a recent incoming class. I think it sums it up pretty well:

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I want to make a few brief comments about this journey that you are beginning. First, as I said earlier today, you can too do this. Second, you may be wondering, what are the Liberal Arts? Here I am at Maine's Public Liberal Arts University, but what have I gotten myself into?

The Meaning of Liberal Arts
There are lots of answers to the meaning of Liberal Arts, but the ones I like best are the following:

First, Liberal Arts are the studies of all the things in the human heritage that make us free people, from "liber," Latin for "free." Free in the political sense, meaning free and able to govern ourselves because we understand something of history, of politics, of human nature, of art, of science. And "free" in the sense of being able to make up our own minds in a responsible way, not just be captured and persuaded by whatever anyone tells us, because we have the mental tools to evaluate, understand and make informed choices.

Transmitting the Past — Transforming the Future
Here's another meaning that I like — the Liberal Arts are what we study as we are transmitting "the best of what has been thought and written" from one generation of learners to the next. It is the stuff we pass on to assure that civilization continues from one generation to the next. All it would take is a "gap in transmission" of one generation, as all readers of science fiction know, for civilization to be much diminished or even lost. So we learn and teach science, arts, history, literature ... it does not matter what you plan to major in, or what profession you will choose to follow, the Liberal Arts are basic.

But you are not here to be mere passive receivers of tradition — the really inspiring thing about this view is actually that as we learn, we transform our heritage every time. So we — you — are never mere passive receivers but are always active re-workers of what has gone before. All the time you think you are just learning whatever is already known, you are transforming it. You can't help it, it comes with being of your special time and place, where nobody has ever been before.

So you are here to do your parts as active receivers, adders-to, transformers of, and passers-on, of all the learning, art, literature, and sciences that have gone before. Actually a huge, powerful and indispensable role.

You will find the parts you can do, and you can too do it!

The Residential Nature of a Liberal Arts Experience
We at Farmington also claim to be "residential" in nature. And this means lots more than just that many of you are now living in residence halls. You-all who are living off-campus, or who may be later, are still included in "residential" living and learning. What this means is, learning at Farmington is much more than just what you do in a few hours per week in class.

Now granted, classes are at the heart of the enterprise, but the learning we mean to provide extends outside of classes, to your interactions with peers, with community, with faculty and staff, and pretty much 24 / 7, as you study, participate in sports and recreation, do service-learning and community involvement, become a leader in campus activities, go on trips and excursions, work, and engage in undergraduate research. And more. Oh yes, occasionally you can sleep, too.

Transforming Your Life
This is a special time in your lives, and the residential, Liberal Arts mission of Farmington means that you can and will be transformed by the opportunities here. You'll choose a path, begin careers, evolve into change-makers and leaders, figure out the ways that are right for you to be socially and politically engaged, and craft meaningful, personally satisfying, lives.