President Hall prepares for inauguration, State of University Address
The events for President Hall’s Inauguration will begin Friday at 3 p.m. at the Taggart Student Center in the Sunburst Lounge, in which he will deliver his State of the University Address.
Other events will include an Inaugural Student Showcase, reception and dinner
Instead of spending $50,000 on an inaugural ball, President Kermit L. Hall will be donating the funds to the Inaugural Scholarship Fund.
President Hall donated $10,000 of his own money to the fund, and challenged the community to raise $250,000, said Tim Vitale, assistant director of public relations and marketing.
“We will exceed that,” said James MacMahon, university Advancement vice president.
Before President Hall’s address, an Inaugural Student Showcase featuring students’ work from the various departments will be held from 3 to 4 p.m.
Each college has been asked to provide good examples of students’ work, MacMahon said.
“The public should be aware of how good our students really are,” he said.
“The student showcase is meant to showcase students success in each of the colleges,” President Hall said.
President Hall said the showcases are “meant to be a celebration of student success” for everyone “to see the success of students.”
The State of the University Address will outline the president’s goals and accomplishments, Vitale said.
It will provide a “compass setting on the future of the university,” President Hall said.
He will assess where the university is and where it is heading, he said.
Before the address, USU Board of Regents’ Chairman Charlie Johnson will present Hall’s duties as president.
President Hall will deliver the State of the University Address from 3 to 4 p.m. It is open to the public. There will be seven main topics addressed.
First, President Hall will talk about how to build the university’s reputation for learning, discovery and engagement. Building diversity, enhancing recruitment, retention and graduation, and placement of students will also be addressed.
Other topics include infusing new energy into graduate education on campus. He will also discuss adopting a new business model embracing efficiency, accountability and responsiveness to the needs of the university community and external partners with which it does business, President Hall said.
Finally, President Hall will discuss fostering new partnerships both internally and externally and the building of the case for an agenda of a major capital campaign in support of faculty, students and staff of Utah State University, President Hall said.
Following the address, there will be a reception open to the public from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Then, there will be an Inaugural Scholarship reception which will include entertainment provided by USU students, flowers prepared by students in the horticulture department and food prepared by students. The reception will be at 5:30 p.m. in which reservations are required, Vitale said.