South Carolina ? President Bush, ignoring faculty members who stood in silent protest of his commencement speech, admitted Saturday that when he left college, thinking about how to be a “model citizen” was the furthest thing from his mind.

Yet that was the goal the president set for the 2008 graduating class of Furman University in Greenville, S.C.

“As you move ahead in life, you will find temptations and distractions that can take you off course,” Bush said. “You might also find that years may pass before you learn some important truths: That who you are is more important than what you have. And that you have responsibilities to your fellow citizens, your country, your family, and yourself.”

Scores of Bush supporters lined his motorcade route and the crowd gave Bush a warm welcome as he strode into the university stadium for the outdoor commencement ceremony. But about 15 members of the faculty stood in silent protest during the president’s speech. They wore white T-shirts emblazoned with “We Object” to show their opposition to Bush’s policies on the Iraq war, global warming and other issues.