April 20, 2024

Northwest begins next era with inauguration of Tatum

Pomp, 周五下午，网上赌博网站十大排行庆祝其第11任校长的就职典礼，气氛和新开始的光芒充满了熊猫体育馆, Dr. Lance Tatum, 仪式上，人们对新任领导人的成功表示了良好祝愿，同时为该机构的未来设定了方向.

University faculty, dressed in colorful academic regalia, filled seating on the arena floor as staff, alumni and students packed the bleacher seating, joining community supporters, delegates from across the state and friends of the Tatum family. The ceremony also featured stirring music performed by the Northwest Wind Symphony and Tower Choir.

The day’s culminating moment occurred when Board of Regents Chair Roxanna Swaney and Vice Chair Mel Tjeerdsma placed Northwest’s chain of office and medallion – a new set unveiled for Tatum’s presidency that replaced the one in use since Dr. B.D. Owens’ inauguration in 1977 – over his shoulders. Then, Tatum – flanked by his wife, Jill, and the couple’s children, Thad and Zoe – placed his left hand on a large Bible passed on to the family by Jill’s mother, 他举起右手，接受斯瓦尼宣读的命令，履行西北航空公司总裁的职责.

Upon the action, Tatum was showered with applause and a prolonged standing ovation by the Bearcat Arena crowd.

“今天标志着我总统任期的开始，也是网上赌博网站十大排行学校卓越和社区传统的延续,” Tatum said as he concluded his inaugural address. “I am deeply committed to the vision of growth, sustainability and empowerment that lies at the heart of our journey forward.”

Northwest’s Board of Regents selected Dr. Lance Tatum to lead the University last year, and he began his tenure June 1, 2023. 就职典礼是学院和大学的一个长期传统，庆祝校长就职，重申一个机构的使命和承诺，标志着塔图姆在网上赌博网站十大排行第一年的高潮.

除了感谢许多支持他个人和职业成长的人，包括家人, 过去的老师和导师——塔图姆感谢西北和玛丽维尔社区成员，他们在他和吉尔过渡到大学期间帮助了他们. He thanked Northwest leaders, faculty and staff – past and present – for their encouragement and dedication to the University.

“It was immediately clear to me that students were the focus at Northwest Missouri State University,” Tatum said. “That attribute, a well-developed legacy from the days of this institution's role as a Normal School, spoke to my student experience. An experience connected to committed faculty and hardworking staff. An experience that built and shaped me into who I am today. Through the hard work and support of faculty and staff at Northwest, we will continue to uphold the mission and values of this University. Values of delivering outstanding instruction, 有意义的指导和承诺的支持，以成长和培养网上赌博网站十大排行的学生，使他们能够实现他们的教育和职业目标.”

Thanking Northwest students, Tatum said, “你们愿意让吉尔和我参加你们的校园活动和庆祝活动，这给了网上赌博网站十大排行许多美好的早期回忆, and the energy, 你表现出的激情和自豪感激励着我继续专注于让你在西北的经历变得最好.”

塔图姆回顾了他为什么决定从事教育事业，并将这一决定归因于“对教育变革影响的深刻热情和坚定信念”.”

“To me, education stands as the cornerstone of progress and advancement within any society,” Tatum said. “它是打开机会之门的钥匙，使个人能够实现最大的潜力。. From the moment I stepped into a classroom, I envisioned myself not merely as a source of knowledge but as a facilitator of learning, arming students with the skills, values and self-assurance necessary to navigate the complexities of our ever-changing world.”

In outlining goals for Northwest during his presidency, Tatum said he is focused on enrollment growth and sustainability, providing students with the best possible collegiate experience, and investing in the University’s people. 他承诺加强网上赌博网站十大排行的关怀文化，同时培养人们的团结意识和相互尊重，把大学称为家.

随着公立大学资金的转移，学费成为支持网上赌博网站十大排行等机构的主要收入来源, 塔图姆说，该机构必须继续关注战略增长和可持续性，以保持其在该地区提供无障碍高等教育的使命.

Several initiatives to meet those goals are underway at Northwest, Tatum noted. Last summer, 该大学扩大了其熊猫优势奖学金计划，以吸引更多优质的州外学生. Also, 网上赌博网站十大排行正在与堪萨斯大学学者合作，扩大招收来自堪萨斯城的低收入学生的机会, and a robust international student population is helping to grow and diversify the University’s enrollment portfolio. Additionally, 该大学对招生和招生方法进行了全面审查，以指导其未来五年的招生策略.

Speaking to the collegiate experience, 塔图姆承认，与几十年前的大学生相比，如今的学生学习方式有所不同. Still, he said, Northwest remains positioned to help its students cultivate deep connections with faculty, staff and peers that contribute to a holistic education.

“Today, students have the flexibility to enroll in either traditional classroom settings, online or in hybrid formats, blending both,” Tatum said. “再加上通过社交媒体和其他各种交流平台与朋友和同龄人交流的能力, and the contemporary collegiate experience differs significantly from that of past generations. Nevertheless, irrespective of the mode of connection, the time spent at Northwest should remain the most transformative experience in our students’ lives.”

Tatum added, “网上赌博网站十大排行充满活力的网上赌博网站十大排行证明了定义和塑造网上赌博网站十大排行机构的社区精神. It’s the experiences and interactions with faculty, staff and the campus community that bond our students to Northwest. Once they become alumni, 正是这种联系奠定了他们对网上赌博网站十大排行机构目标的兴趣和支持意愿. Our aim is to cultivate a Northwest experience that sparks inspiration, for it is the inspired who inspire others. Lest we forget, once a Bearcat, always a Bearcat.”

Finally, 塔图姆表示，他希望投资网上赌博网站十大排行的人才，培养一个有利于个人和职业发展的校园环境. 朴槿惠校长表示，网上赌博网站十大排行将探索加强现有领导力课程的方法，并将资源分配给专业发展，培养领导者, leadership training, mentorship and providing platforms so aspiring individuals may assume leadership roles.

“At Northwest, faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends serve as the backbone, the driving force, and the very essence of our success,” Tatum said. “Investing in people is not just merely a strategic decision; it is a fundamental expression of our belief in the transformative power of education.”

University leaders congratulate, welcome new president

Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr., the chancellor of Troy University in Troy, Alabama, and a valued mentor to Tatum, provided the event’s keynote address. 霍金斯自1989年以来一直担任特洛伊大学的校长，是美国公立大学中任职时间最长的首席执行官.

While emphasizing higher education’s responsibility to preserve culture and values, Hawkins reflected on Tatum’s growth and development as a servant leader.   

“我认为，作为一所学院，网上赌博网站十大排行面临的最大挑战之一是需要强有力的领导——能够做出符合学生最大利益的决定的领导,” Hawkins said. Addressing Tatum, Hawkins added, “I’ve watched you grow up from being a lifeguard at Troy University to a faculty member, to a departmental chair, 然后我记得我请你做副校长，然后是网上赌博网站十大排行学院的首席学术官. I’ve been so incredibly proud of the work that you’ve done.”

仪式还包括西北利益相关者团体领导人的问候和贺词, Matt Gaarder, president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors; Elizabeth Motazedi, Northwest’s Student Senate president and student regent; Leisha Barry, president of the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors; Selena Foreman, chair of the Staff Council; and Dr. Rhonda Beemer, president of the Faculty Senate. Chad Mayne, pastor at The Bridge in Maryville, provided an invocation.

“As we stand at the horizon of a new era, 这是合适的，网上赌博网站十大排行反思在整个历史上定义了网上赌博网站十大排行大学的价值观-对学术卓越的承诺, dedication to a culture of family and a belief in the transformative power of education,” Barry said. “Dr. Lance Tatum brings a wealth of experience, passion and vision to lead us forward. He has a proven track record of team building and higher education experience, and I look forward to his leadership that will steward Northwest to continue to thrive and evolve.”

In addition to the afternoon inauguration ceremony, the Tatum family and friends gathered during the morning at The Bridge for a prayer brunch. After the inauguration ceremony, 与会者有机会在拉姆金活动中心大厅与塔图姆打招呼并合影留念. Evening activities included a social and dinner at the Agricultural Learning Center, attended by the Tatum family and friends as well as University leaders, prior to the Student Activities Council-sponsored concert featuring Russell Dickerson at the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse.