Inauguration of President Rebecca Chopp

The inauguration of Rebecca Chopp as the 14th president of Swarthmore College took place on May 8, 2010. The ceremony focused on the leadership role that the College should play in an increasingly divided, clamorous, and dysfunctional world. Liberal arts education has never been more relevant nor endowed with such a profound duty to produce students who have developed the capacity to think critically and who will go on to use that skill in all walks of life - whether as scientists, humanists, engineers, or business people. The skill of critical thinking - linked to that of ethical judgment-is essential for leadership and equips graduates to set their own paths as responsible citizens toward shaping a more inclusive, just, and compassionate world.