UWA sets presidential inauguration ceremony for April 10

LIVINGSTON — The University of West Alabama will hold a presidential inauguration ceremony on Friday, April 10, marking the beginning of the administration of Dr. Ken Tucker, UWA’s twelfth president. The week’s schedule also includes several events on campus that will commemorate the inauguration.

The week’s inaugural festivities begin with a reception by the UWA Student Government Association on Tuesday from 3 until 4 p.m. The students will host the president for an ice cream social at the courtyard of Gilbert Hall dormitory.

On Tuesday at 7 p.m., UWA Fine Arts and the Sumter County Fine Arts Council will present their 2015 Legacy Concert, a tribute to André Crouch. The performance will be held in Bibb Graves Auditorium. Admission for the event is free and open to the public.

On Wednesday at 2 p.m., a faculty and staff reception will be held at UWA’s Bell Conference Center. The event includes a pinning ceremony recognizing UWA faculty and staff for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years of service at the university.

Members of the campus community will travel to Montgomery on April 9 for the annual Higher Education Rally led by Alabama’s Higher Education Partnership, for which Tucker serves on the board of directors.

The culmination of the week’s events is the presidential inauguration ceremony, set for 2 p.m. on Friday, at UWA’s Bibb Graves Auditorium. The ceremony will include a faculty processional and a host of campus, civic, and political leaders, as well as Tucker’s inaugural address. The public is invited to the community inaugural reception in Bell Conference Center immediately following the ceremony.

Tucker, a longtime member of the UWA faculty, assumed the role of president on Jan. 1, following a seven-year administration as dean of UWA’s College of Business. Among his top priorities for UWA in the coming year are increased enrollment through recruiting and retention, enhanced visibility as a regional university, and an overall collaborative effort to extend UWA’s mission of service and education.

Founded in 1835, the University of West Alabama holds within its mission a commitment to serve its region through education, service, and development. A four-year university offering the traditional campus experience, UWA also offers an array of degrees online. For more information, visit www.uwa.edu.