Virginia Schaefer Horvath As the Thirteenth President
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The Investiture of VIRGINIA SCHAEFER HORVATH AS THE THIRTEENTH PRESIDENT FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012 STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT FREDONIA The State University of New York at Fredonia has a rich tradition of teaching and learning. Its history began with the establishment of the Fredonia Academy in 1826 by the citizens of Fredonia. Today, SUNY Fredonia, with its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and schools of Music and Business, has over 5,500 students in nationally recognized undergraduate and graduate programs. Student life nurtures as well as challenges the next generation of leaders. Outstanding faculty and staff demonstrate a commitment to providing quality education to students, and offer a variety of teaching, research, internship and performance opportunities. Accessibility to faculty creates an open atmosphere, and small class sizes reflect the university’s dedication to excellence. The warmth and caring of the university’s faculty and professional staff is an attraction as strong as its fine academic reputation. Fredonia’s 249-acre campus is striking in its beauty and design. Surrounded by wooded areas, traditional buildings mix with the contemporary structures of I.M. Pei and Partners. Among its newest buildings is the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator in the nearby city of Dunkirk, serving as an economic engine for Western New York. Ground was officially broken in September 2011 for a new, $60 million Science Center, while the Williams Center – the hub of student life – just underwent an extensive renovation. Other recent additions to the campus include University Stadium, the acoustically outstanding 500-seat Juliet J. Rosch Recital Hall, and the beautiful Robert and Marilyn Maytum Music Rehearsal Halls. In 2013 construction will begin on an addition to the Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center and a new student townhouse complex. Central to the future of SUNY Fredonia is the Power of Fredonia strategic plan – a blueprint developed in an inclusive process and endorsed campus-wide. Work will focus on four key areas: Fredonia as a Community of Learning, an Engaged Community, a Sustainable Community and a Global Community. When coupled with the campus’ new Baccalaureate Goals, SUNY Fredonia is committed to ensuring that all its graduates, utilizing knowledge developed through a broad range of intellectual experiences, will be skilled, connected, creative and responsible. In its 2012 volume, “America’s Best Colleges,” U.S. News & World Report ranked SUNY Fredonia 12th in the North among public universities. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine has included the university in its list of the nation’s top 100 best values among public colleges and universities, and the Princeton Review perenially lists SUNY Fredonia in its publication, The Best Northeastern Colleges. STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT FREDONIA VIRGINIA SCHAEFER HORVATH Dr. Virginia “Ginny” Horvath became the 13th President of SUNY Fredonia on July 1, 2012. She was previously the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Fredonia for seven years, overseeing academic programs, Rockefeller Arts Center, Reed Library, information technology, graduate studies and research, Lifelong Learning and a range of academic support services. President Horvath, who also holds rank as a Professor of English, has academic specialties in medieval literature, British literature, children’s/young adult literature, English pedagogy, and poetry. Previously at Kent State University, where she was a recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award, Dr. Horvath was Dean of Academic and Student Services for the Kent State University (Ohio) Regional Campuses, and Assistant to the President for Strategic Planning. She has published, presented, and served as a consultant on a range of subjects, such as documenting faculty work, promotion and tenure policies, peer review, strategic planning, global education, service-learning, scholarship of engagement, leadership development and syllabus/course design. She served on the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Provosts Steering Committee, a national initiative for re-imagining undergraduate education in the United States. Originally from Amherst, N.Y., President Horvath is a graduate of the Buffalo Seminary and now serves on its board of trustees. She also serves on the board of trustees of the Lake Erie Regional Health System of New York. She earned a B.A. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo and an M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Kent State University. She is married to Dr. Brooke K. Horvath, a professor of English at Kent State University. They have four grown daughters: Emily Davey, Caitlin Carroll, Susan Horvath and Jordan Horvath. Past Presidents Dennis L. Hefner Donald A. MacPhee Dallas K. Beal Oscar E. Lanford 1997–June 30, 2012 1985–1996 1971–1984 1961–1971 Harry W. Porter Leslie R. Gregory Hermann Cooper Howard Griffth Burdge 1953–1961 1931–1948 1929–1931 1922–1928 Joseph A. Allen 1867–1869 Myron T. Dana Francis B. Palmer J.W. Armstrong 1908–1922 1898–1907 1869–1898 Earlier leaders had the title of Principal of the Fredonia Academy and are not included on this list. Traditions AND Symbols Academic Regalia The custom of recognizing the accomplishments of scholars through distinctive dress, color and ceremony began in the Middle Ages and has been adopted by various academic institutions throughout the world. American academic regalia have developed from the English traditions that originated at Cambridge and Oxford, and have been in continuous use in this country since Colonial times. Each institution of higher learning in the United States has adopted a unique and well-defined system for identifying different academic degrees by use of specific gowns, hoods and colors. The baccalaureate (bachelor’s) gown is identified by long pointed sleeves. The master’s gown has a very long sleeve, closed at the bottom, and the arm of the wearer is placed through an opening in the front of the sleeve. Doctoral gowns are distinguished by velvet panels around the neck and down the front of the gown. Three horizontal velvet bars on each sleeve also may mark the doctorate. The colorful hoods worn by master’s and doctoral graduates represent the specific degree earned and the degree- granting institution. Although each university may choose its own color for the body of the gown, the trim and hood colors representing the various academic disciplines were standardized by American universities in 1895. Some of these include: Arts, Letters, Humanities: white Philosophy: dark blue Commerce, Accountancy, Business: drab Public Administration: peacock blue Economics: copper Medicine: green Education: light blue Science: golden yellow Engineering: orange Theology: scarlet Music: pink Social Work: citron THE Mace During the Middle Ages, the wood mace clad in metal was an effective weapon in battle, but as newer and more powerful military arms developed, it was transformed into a symbol of dignity and authority. The earliest ceremonial maces were borne by bodyguards of 12th century English and French kings; by the end of the 16th century, they were used widely by officials of English cities and towns. Today the use of the ceremonial mace is found in the British Houses of Parliament, and is carried before ecclesiastical dignitaries and in university and college convocations and commencements. SUNY Fredonia’s current mace was presented by the Fredonia Alumni Association to the university in 1972 and is dedicated to the late Mary H. Cranston, former faculty member and Dean of Women, and the late Anna B. Haskin, a lifelong friend of the university. Assisting the alumni association with the creation of the mace was the late Helen (Clees) McKee, ’40, ’62. Order of Procession Mace Bearer The Platform Party: Alan G. LaFlamme, College Council Members Professor of Anthropology and Sociology Investiture Participants Student Marshals SUNY Trustees Official Delegates Chancellor Emeritus Faculty and Staff President Deans and Vice Presidents Faculty and Staff THE Presidential Medallion AND Chain of Office The tradition of a medallion and chain of office dates back to the Middle Ages. The mayor of a medieval town was presented, at his investiture, with a chain of medallions that represented the guilds working together for the welfare of the town. The chief official of a medieval university held similar authority and thus was honored with a chain of office, but his was composed of insignia of all the university’s colleges. Today, university presidents wear chains of office on ceremonial occasions such as commencements as a symbol of their leadership authority and their allegiance to the institution. The chain of office being unveiled to the campus today was commissioned by the Fredonia College Foundation with support from Dennis and Jan Hefner and Esther Lanford. Fashioned of antiqued bronze, the chain includes the university seal surrounded by a laurel wreath, suspended by a chain with links engraved with the names and dates of past campus presidents, as well as links engraved with names (and architectural icons) representing the four major historical eras of the institution: the Fredonia Academy, Fredonia Normal School, Fredonia State Teachers College and SUNY College at Fredonia. The design is emblematic of the idea that each president, as well as the campus as whole, stands on the shoulders of those that came before. Student Marshals Appointed by Student Association President Appointed by Interim Provost and Vice President