President Clayton Rose delivers his Convocation 2017 address, while Michael Franz and Timothy Foster look on.

A piece by President Clayton Rose, adapted from his welcome to the Class of 2021, August 26, 2017, and from remarks delivered at Bowdoin’s 216th Convocation ceremony August 29, has been published online by TIME.

President Rose took the opportunity to reinforce the value of a liberal arts education and its foundation for the achievement of intellectual fearlessness “through the development and enhancement of competence, community and character.”

Read  “Why We Need the Liberal Arts Now More Than Ever” in TIME.