April 20, 2024

Northwest begins next era with inauguration of Tatum

Pomp, circumstance and the glow of a new beginning on Friday afternoon filled Bearcat Arena as Northwest Missouri State University celebrated the inauguration of its 11th president, Dr. Lance Tatum, with a ceremony that featured well wishes for the new leader’s success while setting a course for the institution’s future.

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, 来自全国各地的代表以及塔图姆家族的朋友们. 仪式上还有由西北乐队演奏的激动人心的音乐 Wind Symphony and Tower Choir.

The day’s culminating moment occurred when Board of Regents 主席Roxanna Swaney和副主席Mel Tjeerdsma放置西北的连锁办公室和奖章 塔图姆总统就职时推出的一套新套装，取代了自塔图姆博士上任以来一直使用的那套. B.D. Owens’ inauguration in 1977 – over his shoulders. Then, Tatum – flanked by his wife, Jill, and the couple’s children, 萨德和佐伊把他的左手放在吉尔的母亲传给家里的一本大圣经上, held up his right hand and accepted the charge read by Swaney to carry out the duties of Northwest’s president.

Upon the action, 塔图姆赢得了阵阵掌声，熊猫体育馆的观众长时间起立鼓掌.

“Today signals the beginning of my presidency and the continuation of a legacy of excellence and community that defines our institution,” Tatum said as he concluded his inaugural address. “I am deeply committed to the vision of growth, 可持续发展和赋权是威尼斯人在线前进的核心.”

Northwest’s Board of Regents selected Dr. 兰斯·塔图姆去年被任命为校长，他于2023年6月1日开始任职. The inauguration ceremony – a long-standing tradition at colleges and universities to celebrate the installation of presidents and reaffirm an institution’s mission and commitments – marks the climax of Tatum’s first year at Northwest.

In addition to thanking the many people who have supported his personal and professional growth – including family, past teachers and mentors – Tatum thanked Northwest and Maryville community members who have assisted him and Jill during their transition to the University. He thanked Northwest leaders, 过去和现在的教职员工，感谢他们对大学的鼓励和奉献.

“我立刻意识到，威尼斯人在线的重点是学生,” Tatum said. “That attribute, 从这所大学作为师范学校的日子里，这是一项发展良好的遗产, spoke to my student experience. 这种经历与忠诚的教职员工和勤奋的员工有关. 这段经历塑造了今天的我. 通过威尼斯人在线教职员工的辛勤工作和支持, 威尼斯人在线会继续秉持大学的使命和价值观. Values of delivering outstanding instruction, meaningful mentorship and committed support to grow and nurture our students so they may achieve their educational and professional goals.”

Thanking Northwest students, Tatum said, “Your willingness to include Jill and me in your campus events and celebrations has given us so many great early memories, and the energy, passion and sense of pride you demonstrate inspires me to remain focused on making your Northwest experience the best it can be.”

Tatum reflected on why he decided to pursue a career in education and attributed that decision to “a profound passion and strong belief in the transformative impact of education.”

“To me, 教育是任何社会进步的基石,” Tatum said. “It serves as the key that unlocks doors of opportunity and empowers individuals to realize their utmost potential. From the moment I stepped into a classroom, 我设想自己不仅是知识的源泉，而且是学习的促进者, arming students with the skills, 价值观和自信是驾驭威尼斯人在线这个不断变化的复杂世界所必需的.”

勾勒出威尼斯人在线在总统任期内的目标, 塔图姆说，他关注的是入学人数的增长和可持续性, 为学生提供最好的大学体验, and investing in the University’s people. He pledged to strengthen Northwest’s culture of caring while growing a sense of togetherness and mutual respect for the people who call the University home.

As funding shifts for public universities have made tuition the primary revenue source to support institutions like Northwest, Tatum said the institution must continue its focus on strategic growth and sustainability to maintain its mission of offering accessible higher education in the region.

塔图姆指出，西北航空公司正在采取一些措施来实现这些目标. Last summer, the University expanded its Bearcat Advantage scholarship program to attract more quality out-of-state students. Also, Northwest is partnering with KC Scholars to expand opportunities to recruit low-income students from Kansas City此外，强劲的国际学生人数也有助于学校的发展和多元化 the University’s enrollment portfolio. Additionally, the University has conducted a comprehensive review of admissions and recruiting approaches to guide its enrollment strategy during the next five years.

Speaking to the collegiate experience, Tatum acknowledged students are learning in different ways today than the students attending colleges and universities decades ago. Still, he said, 威尼斯人在线仍然致力于帮助学生与教师建立深厚的联系, 为全人教育做出贡献的员工和同伴.

“Today, 学生可以灵活地在传统的课堂环境中注册, online or in hybrid formats, blending both,” Tatum said. “Pair this with the ability to engage with friends and peers via social media and various other communication platforms, 当代大学生的经历与过去几代人有很大的不同. Nevertheless, irrespective of the mode of connection, 在威尼斯人在线度过的时光应该是威尼斯人在线学生一生中最具变革性的经历.”

Tatum added, “Our vibrant campus life is a testament to the spirit of community that defines and shapes our institution. It’s the experiences and interactions with faculty, 教职员工和校园社区将威尼斯人在线的学生与威尼斯人在线联系在一起. Once they become alumni, it is this bond that serves as the foundation for their interest in and willingness to support our institutional goals. 威尼斯人在线的目标是培养一种激发灵感的西北体验, for it is the inspired who inspire others. Lest we forget, once a Bearcat, always a Bearcat.”

Finally, Tatum spoke to his desire to invest in Northwest’s people and nurture a campus environment that is conducive to personal and professional growth. The president said Northwest will explore ways to enhance existing leadership programs and cultivate leaders by allocating resources to professional development, leadership training, 指导和提供平台，使有抱负的个人可以承担领导角色.

“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.”

大学领导祝贺，欢迎新校长

Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr., the chancellor of Troy University in Troy, Alabama, and a valued mentor to Tatum, provided the event’s keynote address. Hawkins has served as Troy’s chancellor since 1989 and is the longest-serving chief executive officer of a public university in the United States.

同时强调高等教育有责任保护文化和价值观, 霍金斯回顾了塔图姆作为仆人式领导者的成长和发展.   

“I think one of the greatest challenges we face as an academy is the need for strong leadership – leaders that can make decisions that are in the best interest of students,” Hawkins said. Addressing Tatum, Hawkins added, “我看着你从特洛伊大学的一名救生员成长为一名教员, to a departmental chair, to a dean and then I can remember asking you to be a vice chancellor and then the chief academic officer of our institution. 我一直为你所做的工作感到无比骄傲.”

The ceremony also featured greetings and congratulatory remarks from leaders representing Northwest stakeholder groups, 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. 马里维尔桥教堂的牧师查德·梅恩(Chad Mayne)祈祷.

“As we stand at the horizon of a new era, it is fitting that we reflect on the values that have defined our University throughout its history – a commitment to academic excellence, 致力于家庭文化，相信教育的变革力量,” Barry said. “Dr. 兰斯·塔图姆带来了丰富的经验，激情和远见，带领威尼斯人在线前进. 他在团队建设和高等教育方面有着良好的业绩记录, 我期待着在他的领导下，西北航空将继续蓬勃发展.”

In addition to the afternoon inauguration ceremony, 塔图姆的家人和朋友在早上聚集在桥上，吃了一顿祈祷早午餐. After the inauguration ceremony, attendees had an opportunity to greet and pose for photos with Tatum in the Lamkin Activity Center lobby. 晚上的活动包括社交和晚宴 Agricultural Learning Center，塔图姆的家人和朋友以及大学领导出席了仪式 Student Activities Council罗素·迪克森(Russell Dickerson)在 Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse.