Mississippi State President Mark Keenum will undergo an official inauguration in a series of ceremonies on the morning of Oct. 16.
Keenum said he wants the investiture ceremony to focus less on him and more on the goals of the university. In fact, he will announce a new financial initiative to provide scholarships for students and support faculty.
“Mississippi State is playing a vital part of helping our state move forward,” he said.
Amy Tuck, special assistant to the president and chair of the investiture committee, said Keenum asked for the event to be scaled down in light of the state’s rough economic times.
The investiture will begin with a prayer service at the Chapel of Memories from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m.
Then there will be a reception in the Covard Studnt Union Foster Ballroom from 9 to 11 a.m.
The official inauguration ceremony will begin with a processional march across the Drill Field that will make its way into the Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall. The processional will include faculty, members of the Institutions of Higher Learning, members of the Mississippi Supreme Court, statewide officials and others representing universities and community colleges from across the state and nation, Tuck said. She said everyone will don full regalia for the occasion.
Special guest speakers will include Gov. Haley Barbour and Sen. Thad Cochran. All events will be open to the public.
“Dr. Keenum has a lot of goals he wants to see accomplished for Mississippi State, and he’s providing that leadership to accomplish those,” Tuck said. “We’re looking forward to his official investiture.”
Student Association President Blake Jeter said although these events will have limited seating, he encourages all students to come to the Drill Field at noon to watch the processional. Furthermore, there will be overflow seating with television coverage in the Foster Ballroom and the Hunter Henry Center Ballroom.
During the inauguration, Jeter will give a speech he hopes will add a personal touch to the day’s occurrences.
“We sometimes forget there are two parts of communication, not just talking. There’s listening too, and [Keenum] has always been willing to listen to a concern we have as students,” Jeter said. “He’s very sincere and upfront.”
The ceremonies are set to include performances from some of the university’s performing ensembles, including the Concert Choir and Wind Ensemble, Tuck said. A choir from the Palmer Home for Children will perform in the prayer service in the Chapel of Memories.
Tuck said there will also be exhibits in various buildings across campus, including the Union and Mitchell Memorial Library, to showcase outstanding alums, Student Association leaders, MSU presidents and distinguished scholars.
Jeter said the investiture’s theme, “A New Chapter of Service,” is fitting for the event and Keenum is the president Mississippi State needs as a land grant institution founded to educate the working class.
“Sometimes we lose what we were actually built to do. That’s what this ‘New Chapter of Service’ is,” Jeter said. “Service encompasses a lot of different things. It’s the embarking of the new mission of Mississippi State to be devoted to service, service to Mississippi and service to our fellow man.”
For information about the investiture, visit msstate.edu/web/keenum.