President Middleton accepts the Distinguished Public Service Award on behalf of Roosevelt University
President Charles Middleton

Acceptance Remarks – American Immigration Law Foundation
April 14, 2008

Thank you Ben (Johnson). I am honored to accept the Distinguished Public Service Award on behalf of Roosevelt University.

This is a very significant honor for the University because it recognizes the value of social justice that's at the core of our mission as an institution and continues to guide us every day. All of us at Roosevelt are deeply appreciative to the American Immigration Law Foundation for this recognition and for all the work that the members of this organization do to advocate for fairness in immigration policy and law.

Several years ago at the end of Roosevelt's commencement ceremonies, I began asking the new graduates to stand if they were the first member of their family to earn a college degree. I discovered that each time I do this, commencement after commencement, approximately two-thirds of the students rose to loud applause. These students, many of whom are from immigrant families, international countries and underrepresented communities, personify Roosevelt University's social justice mission and our commitment to providing equal access to higher education for all students. This has since become a tradition for me at graduation each year. And it never ceases to be the most moving moment of this momentous occasion in the lives of our graduates and their families.

For those of you who haven't had an opportunity to visit our campus, Roosevelt University is located just three blocks north of here at 430 S. Michigan Avenue with a second campus in Schaumburg, a suburb just past O'Hare Airport. We are a comprehensive university with 7,200 students taking undergraduate and graduate courses in arts and sciences, education, business and performing arts. Roosevelt is named in honor of both Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the only University in the country — and indeed the world — named after these two great Americans.

Roosevelt's founding in 1945 was quite controversial. We were one of the first colleges in the nation to open its doors to all qualified students regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or immigration status. Throughout its history, Roosevelt has had a proud heritage of being more progressive than the mainstream, or dare I say "a little left of center." Our passion for social justice not only attracts students and faculty to the University, but also keeps them actively engaged once they walk through our doors. We see that activism and commitment to social justice continue in our alumni around the world.

At Roosevelt University, it has never mattered "what" you are or "where you're" from. For us, the real importance is "who you are," "where are you going" and how can we help you get there.

• Our second president came to America in 1936 to escape the Nazi persecution of the Jews.
• One of our original trustees, Percy Julian, was the first African-American board member of a college that was not exclusively black.
• Our 65,000th graduate immigrated to the United States from the Ukraine in 1997 when she was 13 and couldn't speak English. Today, Tanya Butvinnik is an MBA candidate at New York University.

Higher education is a transformational experience. A college degree is the springboard to success in this country, and we believe that higher education should be a right for all, not a privilege for a few.

Unfortunately, as those of you here today know so well, despite graduating from high school, many immigrant students are often unable to attend college because of their document status or financial situation. At Roosevelt, we believe all qualified students should have an opportunity to attend the college or university of their choice. For us, this is a matter of fairness and equality, regardless of immigration status. We strive to prepare our graduates for active, engaged citizenry so they can return to their communities as productive citizen leaders.

Allow me to tell you about one of our new programs that follows in Roosevelt's long tradition of reaching out to underrepresented communities. It is about a wonderful partnership we established with Social Justice High School in the Little Village Neighborhood — one of Chicago's largest immigrant communities.

I met Rito Martinez, the principal of Social Justice High School in 2005, and we soon discovered that our two schools had much in common, not the least of which is our shared devotion to social justice. You will not find a principal and staff more devoted to making the dream of higher education a reality for their students than Rito and the teachers at Social Justice High School.

After learning more about Social Justice High School and its hard working students, I made a commitment to every student in Social Justice High School who will graduate in 2009 and 2010. At a press conference with Mayor Daley, I told them that if they meet our admission requirements, Roosevelt University would provide every one of them with four years of tuition for free. A number of universities have "adopted" high schools before. But, this is the only instance I know of where a university has offered free tuition to every student. Every means every, included undocumented students.

This summer we will be holding a week-long college immersion program for the new rising seniors at Social Justice High School — and their families. They will live in one of our residence halls and take a variety of classes. Our goal is to help them and their families to prepare for college, whether they decide to attend Roosevelt or another school.

I suspect that many of the students who do come to us from Social Justice High School will be the first members of their families to attend college. Regardless of who they are, I know that that they will fit into our truly diverse student body. Our Chicago and Schaumburg campuses are comprised of 50% minority students and women make up 68% of the student body

To me, another wonderful aspect of this partnership is the great support it has been receiving throughout the University. This program is being embraced by people in biology, education, English, student life, fundraising, student activities and other areas. I'm proud to say that the entire University has wrapped its arms around Social Justice High School and is fully vested in the success of its students.

As you can tell, we are passionate about the opportunities which come from a first-rate university education. We want all types of students to come to us, and we want them to succeed. That has been Roosevelt's mission from its inception, and continues to be true today.

Thank you for this marvelous award. I look forward to sharing it with the entire Roosevelt community.