ADICE

            By Auburn Mann           

Accountability, Diversity, Integrity, Civility and Excellence. I hope these five words sound familiar. They should --- they are Bowie State University’s core values.  All of us at Bowie State have probably been exposed to the core values numerous times, whether it’s by seeing them on the university website, hearing them spoken at convocations and other assemblies or just seeing them hanging over your head on a campus light poles or posted on the walls of campus buildings. The problem is that many of us are probably taking these core values for granted.           

 I’m guilty of this, too. After two years at Bowie State, I have routinely passed by these five words, and though I initially realized their importance, after a while their depth and significance became trivial.  I would like to thank my friend Oladipo Adedeji for bringing my attention and appreciation back to the power of these philosophical gems. When he came to me with this creative idea of ADICE, we were both in the cafeteria, and we were very impressed and enthusiastic over the arrangement of the values. He claimed it is no coincidence they are the values and should be valued as such. “Each has a touch of truth to it that matches perfectly with our alma mater: Flame of faith, and torch of truth.”  

Well, I’ve got to tell you, that after that conversation I started reflecting, and I realized that he had a valid point. Each of these values is a great principle on which to model your life and character. The responsibility that accountability presents, the beauty and unity only diversity can bring the honesty and moral strength of integrity, the tact of civility, and the brilliance and sense of awe excellence inspires.            

BSU President Mickey L. Burnim was strategic in his establishment of these five principles as Bowie State’s core values. Each one has genuine merit for success for students, faculty and anyone else who desires positive achievement. In 2006, when President Burnim and his cabinet initiated these plans to improve this university, these core values were one of the first features of the plan, and without a doubt instrumental in how they implemented their course of actions.         

So for the next five issues of The Spectrum, I will dedicate this space to the enunciation of how each value has triumphantly guided the Bowie State University family in becoming more strong, productive and unified on campus and beyond.