| |
John O. Schwenn will be inaugurated as the fourth president of
Dalton State College on Friday, May 1. The 10 a.m. ceremony will
take place in the Bandy Gymnasium on campus.
Following a luncheon for invited guests, faculty, and staff, the
dedication of the Bell Tower will take place around 2:00 p.m. on
the quadrangle at the center of campus, followed by a Carillion
concert.
Erroll B. Davis Jr., University System of Georgia (USG)
Chancellor, will conduct the presidential inauguration. Also in
attendance will be special guests, including Robert E. Watts,
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice Chancellor for
Administrative and Fiscal Affairs for the USG, and presidents
and representatives from colleges and universities throughout
the System, the state, and the nation.
College and university presidential inaugurations vary widely
from one institution to another, but all are steeped in
century-old traditions that reflect the history and traditions
of higher education.
The processional march that begins the ceremony, the donning of
academic regalia and the use of the college mace are all
traditions which date back to the Middle Ages, making the
presidential inauguration stand out as a celebratory milestone
in a college’s life.
Schwenn‚ who assumed the post of president of Dalton State on
March 1, 2008, follows James A. Burran, who served as president
from May 1995 through February 2008.
Prior to coming to Dalton State, Schwenn served as Interim
President of Emporia State University in Kansas, where he had
also served as Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of
Graduate Studies and Research, Chair of Psychology and Special
Education, and Professor of Psychology and Special Education.
A native of La Crosse, Wisconsin, Schwenn received a bachelor of
science degree in 1971 from the University of Wisconsin-La
Crosse, a master of science degree in 1973 and the doctorate in
Rehabilitation and Special Education with a minor in Educational
Psychology in 1976, both from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Schwenn was presented the University of
Wisconsin-La Crosse Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005.
|
|
