Thirty delegates from universities and colleges in Michigan and other states, two past Grand Valley presidents and an audience of more than 1,000 will watch President Thomas J. Haas formally take office at his investiture ceremony on Friday, October 27.
Rich with pageantry, the ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. in the Fieldhouse Arena. The event will be webcast live. Follow the link at www.gvsu.edu. The program includes musical selections from Grand Valley Brass, Symphonic Wind Ensemble and University Arts Chorale. Patricia Clark, professor of writing and Grand Valley's poet-in-residence, will read a poem, "Looking for a Trail," she wrote for the occasion.
Donna Brooks, chair of the Board of Trustees, will preside over the event. Others offering formal greetings are Rob Franciosi, professor of English and chair of the University Academic Senate; Frank Foster, Student Senate president; Frederick Davison, president of the Alumni Association; John Canepa, of Crowe Chizek and community representative to the Presidential Search Advisory Committee; and immediate past President Mark A. Murray.
President Emeritus Arend D. Lubbers will join the platform party of Grand Valley faculty and staff members. Thirty delegates from colleges, universities and national associations will be represented. Faculty and staff who are processing and who have responded that they will be attending the ceremony and luncheon are invited to a reception that begins at 9:45 a.m. Lineup for the procession is at 10:30 a.m. and the procession will begin promptly at 10:45. Lunch will be served in the Recreation Center immediately following the ceremony for faculty, staff and students who have responded.
Tickets are required for students; they can get complimentary tickets at the 20/20 Desk in the Kirkhof Center, DeVos Center Bookstore, reception desk at the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences and the Meijer Campus in Holland. For more information, contact Katie Humphrey, Office of the President, at (616) 331-3086 or [email protected].
Bus service added
Additional bus transportation from Grand Rapids to the
Allendale Campus will be provided for those attending the
ceremony. Buses, specially marked "Investiture," will
depart at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 from the GVSU bus stop under
U.S.-131. They will run non-stop directly to the Fieldhouse. They
will depart from the Fieldhouse at 1 p.m. and 2 for non-stop trips
back to the GVSU bus stop under U.S.-131.
