Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs James C. Bean, who started at Northeastern this summer, presided over his first Faculty Senate meeting on Wednesday, praising the university’s position as a leader in higher education.

“It has been a wonderful opportunity to get to know this community,” Bean said at the meeting, held in the Raytheon Amphitheater. “You can see why this institution is able to go where others are not able to when you get to know the faculty and students.”

Bean came to Northeastern from the University of Oregon, where he held several leadership roles, including five years as provost. His academic career has spanned multiple disciplines including business and engineering.

During his remarks, Bean discussed the forthcoming academic strategic planning process, Northeastern’s first since the 2006-07 academic year. “Much of what was in that strategic plan has been accomplished,” Bean said. “We are in a completely different place now.”

President Joseph E. Aoun said of Bean, “Innovation is something that he believes in. And he very much embraces that excellence cannot be compromised.”

Aoun also delivered his annual address to the senate. He touted Northeastern’s numerous achievements during the 2014-15 academic year, including breaking its all-time fundraising record, increasing annual research funding from $48 million to $127 million, and noted the highly accomplished incoming freshman class. He called upon the entire Northeastern community to aim high in its ambitions, and to help identify fields where the university can be dominant.

“We are happy, but not satisfied,” Aoun said, noting the need to identify opportunities “and build the Northeastern that we want.”

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, Associate Vice Provost of Curriculum Katherine Ziemer gave the senate an update on NU Core 2016, the full-scale implementation of which is now underway. Neal Lerner, an associate professor of English, was elected to the senate Agenda Committee, as well.