HONORS DAY ADDRESS
Terri E. Givens
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
APRIL 4, 2009

Good morning/afternoon.

As you can tell from the kind introduction by President Powers, I enjoy staying busy. People often ask, “How do you do it all?” Frankly, I get tired of hearing the question, and lately my response has been, a la Nike, “I just do it.”

As Honors students, you probably get asked the same question, about how you balance academics, student activities and life.

It is an interesting question for us – the so-called “over-achievers”--and carries with it a great deal of meaning. The implication is that “you can’t possibly do all of that”–and do it all well, particularly as the mother of two young boys. I beg to differ—as a matter of integrity. Integrity is defined as “the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.” So, for me, it all comes down to what it means to be a whole person.

From the time I was a little girl, people have told me what I couldn’t do.

• The youngest of seven kids couldn’t possibly excel in academics. • A girl couldn’t possibly be good at running track. •
• You can’t possibly run track (and win the city championship), be a lead in the school musical, be student body vice-president, be a soloist in the choir, and still get straight-As.
• A first generation college student couldn’t possibly succeed at Stanford University.
• …or get a Ph.D. in political science at UCLA.

I have taken great pleasure in proving the naysayers wrong. But it’s not only a question of what I can do. It’s a question of fighting stereotypes.

I’ve often wondered how much the stereotypes about me come from being black, and how much come from being a woman. I think this last election showed that in many ways it is harder to be a woman than it is to be a black man. Then there’s being a black woman. Shirley Chisholm once said, “Of my two ‘handicaps’ being female put more obstacles in my path than being black.” However, with my eye on women like Shirley Chisholm and Barbra Jordan, I have never dwelled on what the stereotypes said I couldn’t do–or any other obstacles. My parents taught me to be proud of who I am, to fight for what I believe in and to allow my light to shine, particularly when those around me tried to keep me down.

As you reflect upon your achievements with an eye to the future, focus on the priorities that have–and continue–to help you chart your course. Staying focused on your priorities will help you overcome any obstacles.

For me, life comes down to a few simple priorities,

• my husband and my children
• doing what I love to the best of my ability
• and finally, the golden rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

What I love first and foremost are my husband and children. If you’ve ever been to my office, it is filled with their images. Not because I spend all my time in the office, but because I am proud of being a wife and mother. Working to expand the university’s international programs and relationships is an exciting and demanding job that keeps me scheduled weeks in advance. But, when I started my job as vice provost, I told then-interim Provost Steve Monti that I had to leave at 5:00 every day to pick up my boys. I also take time to go running in the morning (usually around 6 a.m.), and run the occasional marathon. A rigorous—but regular–routine is critical to my success—and to me. I want my boys to know that I enjoy my work and it is important to me. I want them to see me running and exercising, so that they know this is an important and integral part of who I am, as well.

As a young assistant professor, I was told I should wait to have children until I had tenure. Of course I didn’t listen to that advice. I was also told that I should never bring my kids to work, or talk about them. My second son Brandon was born a few months after we moved to Austin, and I regularly carried him in his sling when I came to campus after he was born.

If none of us is willing to challenge the status quo, then what can we expect? I don’t believe in being confrontational, but I do believe it is important to challenge people’s expectations. In order for me to be a whole person, I have to incorporate my boys into my daily life, along with doing the best job that I possibly can. Frankly, being more family-friendly is not only liberating to women, but it is liberating to men, who are taking a greater role in caring for their children. In fact, I couldn’t do all that I do without an incredibly supportive husband.

Shirley Chisholm said, “At present, our country needs women's idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else.” This is truer today than ever. As a woman, I have something important to offer, not only to this university, but also to my country. I bring a particular perspective and expertise to political science that no one else can provide. However, women still face major challenges in academia.

Many of the people on this stage will be involved with moving forward on the recent gender equity report that was submitted to the president and provost. Increasing salaries and bringing in more senior women faculty are the easy part of the equation. What will be harder is making sure that women faculty, which I hope will include many of you in this audience in the future, enter an environment that is supportive of their many roles, including their service to students, their families and the university more broadly.

We need to make sure that every tenure decision is made fairly, so that a woman who goes up for tenure a year later than her male colleagues is not penalized because she took a year off with her child. That the associate professor who has spent years leading centers and serving on committees is recognized for her service and allowed to be promoted to full professor. That the newly hired assistant professor doesn’t have to worry about whether the students in her class are going to judge her by her intellect or by the clothes she wears. At the administrative level, decisions need to be made openly and with the involvement of all stakeholders, not on the golf course or at the white male dominated dining club. These are the smaller battles that play out on a regular basis that are not addressed by grand gestures. These are the everyday battles that women face.

I was very lucky to meet Ann Richards before she was diagnosed with cancer, and she was an amazing woman. Although she wasn’t the first to say it, she said during her keynote address to the 1988 Democratic convention, "If you give us the chance, we can perform. After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels."

In conclusion, I would like to share the timeless wisdom of Texas’ own Barbara Jordan:

“Let each person do his or her part. If one citizen is unwilling to participate, all of us are going to suffer. For the American idea, though it is shared by all of us, is realized in each one of us.”

It is important to the integrity of this institution, and of our country, that all of us are given the ability to achieve our highest selves, because that is what makes The University of Texas at Austin a great institution and the United States of America a beacon to the rest of the world.