The Inauguration of Susana Rivera-Mills, PhD as the 14th President of Aurora University

Page 1

The Inauguration of SusanaRivera-Mills,PhD as the 14th President of Aurora University Friday, September 29, 2023 University Quadrangle Future Promise.

The Inauguration of Aurora University’s 14th President celebrates AU’s dedication to the transformative power of learning and 130-year history of embracing new populations into the realm of higher education. Today, we come together to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to students and their success. This is Aurora University’s future promise.

Aurora University is… Caring | Collaborative | Engaging | Inclusive | Innovative Inspiring | Resourceful | Spirited | Supportive | Transformative

You may have seen signs bearing these words as you arrived on campus today. When students, faculty, and staff were recently asked to describe Aurora University, several distinctive themes emerged. These are the values that reflect the spirit and lived experience of our university. As we enter the next chapter of the AU story, we will continue to champion these ideals as we prepare students for lives of meaning, service, and happiness in an ever-changing world.

Inauguration Ceremony

Processional

Artist March.................................... Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)

Arrangement by Lynne Latham

Aurora University String Ensemble

Conducted by Andrea LaFranzo, BM, Ensemble Director

Welcome

J. Andrew Prall, PhD, Vice President for Academic Affairs

Presentation of Colors

East Aurora High School Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps

National Anthem

The Star-Spangled Banner................... Francis Scott Key (1779–1843)

Olivia Novak ’24

Invocation

The Rev. Jesse Hawkins, Pastor, Cathedral of Grace | St. John

Music Selection

Portones Abiertos y Rostros Brillantes ................ Music by Paul Basler

Text by Gabriel Navar

University Chorale

Conducted by Lisa Fredenburgh, DMA, Roger Parolini Distinguished Professor of Music

Joyce Larson, MM, Piano

Lyrics and Translation

Portones Abiertos y Rostros Brillantes

Open Gates and Glowing Faces

claro que estoy contento, of course I am happy,

¿no estuvieras tú? cuando miro wouldn’t you be? when I look

a portones abiertos y veo un jardín lleno de vida, at open gates and see a garden full of life,

de buena salud y de sonrisas de rostros brillantes… of good health, and smiles of glowing faces…

enciende mi espíritu it ignites my spirit

nunca antes había estado tan excitado de estar vivo

I have never been more excited to be alive

y en el resplandor de paz que crece, and in the radiance of peace that grows,

se que cuando me entrego al dormir y el océano de noche

I know that when I surrender to sleep and the ocean of night

acúnese mis sueños, cradles my dreams,

puedo estar en solamente en un estado de ser…

I can only be in one state of being…

completamente abierto… completely open…

Reflections on Leadership

Chad DeKing ’83, Trustee

Poetry Selection

Our Deepest Fear............................................ Marianne Williamson

Rain Wilson, MFA, Artist-in-Residence, Interdisciplinary Catalyst

Reflections on Community

Mariza Rocha Gonzalez, Director of Latino/a Initiatives

Music Selection

Prelude 5 in D Major, W419............... Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959)

Francis Balquin ’24, Guitar

Installation of the President

John Ammons ’83, Chair, Board of Trustees

Presentation of the Presidential Chain and Academic

Ceremonial Mace

Renae Franiuk, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Chair of Faculty Senate

Hannah Anderson, PhD, Director of Institutional Reporting and Analytics and Chair of Staff Executive Council

Mason Brauer ’24, President of AU Students’ Association

Inaugural Address

Susana Rivera-Mills, PhD, President

The Alma Mater

Aurora................................................. Ross K. Tilton, Class of 1917

Revised by Dorman Smith

Arrangement by Georgia Angevine

Aurora, Aurora, with pride in our hearts A place of true learning, and Home to the arts, With love and devotion our Voices we raise, Alumni forever, we give you our praise, Alumni forever, we give you our praise.

Aurora, Aurora, we pledge you Our faith, To live for your honor and Love you till death, When future years echo the song of your fame, We’ll sing it: Aurora, O, long Live that name, We’ll sing it: Aurora, O, long Live that name.

Benediction

The Rev. Nannette Dixon ’92, Vice President for Community Engagement and Alumni Relations at McCormick Theological Seminary

Recessional

Coronation March........................... Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791–1864)

Arrangement by Kathy L. Fishburn

Aurora University String Ensemble

Conducted by Andrea LaFranzo, BM, Ensemble Director

Please join the Aurora University community for a fiesta following the ceremony.

The celebration will take place west of the tent near Vago Field.

About Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills

Susana Rivera-Mills, PhD, is the first Latina to lead Aurora University as president since the institution’s founding in 1893.

Before taking office at AU, Rivera-Mills had been provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Ball State University since 2018, where she oversaw all aspects of the academic mission, including supporting leadership for all academic units.

At Ball State, she played a crucial role in the development and implementation of the strategic plan and in academic innovation. Her responsibilities also included advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion; launching and supporting the Muncie Community Schools partnership; and developing and implementing Ball State’s Lifetime Learning initiative.

As a first-generation college student, Rivera-Mills understands the transformative power of education. Her goal is to create a learning environment where all students can access a high-quality education and succeed in order to reach their full potential. She remains committed to connecting universities to their communities for the benefit of both the individual student and the community as a whole.

Previously, she served in a variety of academic roles at Oregon State University from 2007 to 2018, including vice provost of academic programs and learning innovation, dean of undergraduate studies, executive associate dean of the liberal arts college, and department chair of modern languages. Before that, she was a faculty member at Northern Arizona University for 13 years.

Rivera-Mills earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Master of Arts in Spanish Linguistics from the University of Iowa. Her doctorate in Romance Languages is from the University of New Mexico.

During her academic career, Rivera-Mills’ research has focused on Latino communities, Spanish language and culture, and issues in sociolinguistics, as well as online teaching and learning.

Rivera-Mills is a sought-after guest speaker and presenter on innovation and leadership in higher education, digital and adaptive learning, and the role of culture and voice in student success and professional development.

She has participated in the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership (Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.); the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education (Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Institutes for Higher Education); Higher Education Resource Services Summer Leadership Institute (University of Denver in Denver, Colorado); and the ACE National Women’s Leadership Forum.

About Aurora University

Aurora University traces its origins to the 1893 founding of Mendota College, a seminary in the town of Mendota, Illinois. The institution soon adopted a broader mission and moved to a new campus in the nearby community of Aurora. With this change came a different name — Aurora College — and a growing enrollment. When World War II ended, the campus population swelled again as veterans enrolled in the college’s innovative evening degree program. The 1970s and 1980s saw an expansion of curricular offerings in a number of professional fields and the awarding of advanced degrees in selected disciplines. These changes culminated in the 1985 decision to rechristen the institution Aurora University.

Today Aurora University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. The university, which was designated as a HispanicServing Institution in 2018, enrolls approximately 5,700 degreeseeking students. AU students participate in a wide range of on- and off-campus learning experiences. They can join more than 50 musical, literary, religious, social, and service organizations and play active roles in campus governance. In addition, the university fields 24 NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic teams.

Mission Statement

Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. As a teaching-centered institution,

we encourage undergraduate and graduate students to discover what it takes to build meaningful and examined lives. Our singular goal is to empower our students to achieve lasting personal and professional success.

Statement of Core Values

Aurora University draws upon the rich legacy of Aurora College to welcome learners to our campus in Illinois and through Aurora University Online. Here all become members of an inclusive educational community dedicated to the development of mind, body, and spirit. Today, as in the past, we prize the twin virtues of character and scholarship and affirm our commitment to the values of integrity, citizenship, continuous learning, and excellence.

We will adhere to the highest standards of integrity in every aspect of institutional practice and operation. Through this proven dedication to honesty, respect, fairness, and ethical conduct, we will lead by example and inspire our students to do the same.

We will exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in an educational community, founded upon the principles of mutual respect and open discourse. We will live within our means and manage our resources wisely while creating an environment that fosters teamwork and promotes service to others.

We will work and live as an organization devoted to continuous learning. We recognize that the university exists in a diverse and changing world and know that we will succeed in helping students achieve their full potential only if we realize our own.

We will pursue excellence by embracing quality as a way of community life. Accordingly, we will set high expectations for ourselves, our students, and our university.

The university’s core values are the foundation upon which our aspirations rest. They undergird our belief in the transformative power of learning. As members of the Aurora University community, we enter into a voluntary compact with one another to live, learn, and work in ways consistent with these ideals.

Former Aurora University Presidents

Several presidents served terms at what was then Mendota College.

J. Oscar Campbell (1893)

Abial B. Sibley (1894)

George V. Clum (1895–1898)

Orrin Roe Jenks, DD (1911–1933)

M. L. Gordon (1898–1901)

Nathan C. Twining (1901–1906)

Bert J. Dean (1906–1911)

Jenks’ visionary leadership as the first president of Aurora College led to the establishment of the college in Aurora, Illinois. He oversaw the construction of Eckhart Hall and college residence halls, and secured the academic and financial future of the college.

Theodore (T. P.) Stephens ’29, DD (1933–1962)

Stephens led the school’s unprecedented growth, introduced expanded curriculum offerings to meet community needs, acquired North Central Association accreditation, and built a campus that included a strong athletic program and facilities to house the increasing student population.

James E. Crimi ’38 (1962–1973)

A model of character and scholarship, Crimi emphasized the liberal arts tradition, rooted in faith. He fostered academics, arts, and athletics; opened a new science building, library, and gymnasium; and supported the growing choir and theatre programs.

Lloyd Richardson, EdD (1974–1978)

Under Richardson’s tenure, the college thrived. He introduced new programs, such as computer science, maintained focus on faith and service, and supported a vibrant arts community with the addition of Perry Theatre.

Alan Stone, DMin (1978–1988)

Aurora College became Aurora University under the leadership of Stone. He guided expansion of academic programs, introduced new graduate degrees, and fostered internship experiences. Stone revived the football program and led the college to join the NCAA.

Zarle continued the university’s growth. He guided the institution into an affiliation with George Williams College, opened Dunham Hall and the first home to the Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures, and fostered partnerships between the university and the community.

Rebecca L. Sherrick, PhD (2000–2023)

Under Sherrick’s leadership, AU experienced record growth and the campus expanded with nine new buildings. She championed initiatives for students underserved by higher education, established AU’s first doctoral program, strengthened athletic programs, and enhanced offerings in the arts.

Presidential Chain

The presidential chain prominently features gold ivy leaves. Early in the 20th century, John W. Beach, professor of Greek and Latin, suggested that ivy leaves growing on the outside of Eckhart Hall could be awarded to students showing exceptional academic achievement each semester. In 1932, Aurora College created the Gold Ivy Leaf Award, which is still awarded to outstanding students every year. Medallions tell the story of Aurora University; they feature a torch and a lamp of learning, a powerful testimony to our understanding that education is a source of illumination and truth. Two medallions find their final expression in the Aurora University emblem encircled with the signature AU blue.

Academic Ceremonial Mace

The university mace was designed to represent the founding schools of Aurora University, including Aurora College. The mace, originally a weapon used in the Middle Ages, has become a symbol of order and authority over the centuries. The design of the center head of the mace includes the university seal. The mace is carried by a university official in the processions that begin and end academic exercises, such as convocation and commencement, and immediately precedes the president.

Board of Trustees

John D. Ammons ’83, Chair

Jonathan Birkey ’19

Hilary K. Brennan ’83

Matthew J. Cannon ’94

Thomas L. Choice

Douglas J. Craft ’75

Chad A. DeKing ’83

Austin M. Dempsey

Charles B. Doss

David R. Edelman

Ronald M. Hem

Chriss Johns

Amir K. Kirkwood ’94

Brian V. Konen

Gerald Palmer

Scott B. Palmer ’72, ’83, ’02 HON

Hilary A. Rantisi ’93

Myron J. Resnick

Susana Rivera-Mills

MaryMargaret SharpPucci ’83 GWC

Ann Sheets ’77 GWC

John D. Simms Jr.

Michelle P. Simms

Brian D. Stading ’85

Thomas T. Stuhley

Odie Washington ’72

Linnea A. Windel ’97, ’22 HON

Board of Trustees, Emeriti

James E. Benson

David R. Bergman

Donald A. Churchill ’68, ’85

Farrell L. Frentress ’64, ’71 GWC

Joanne B. Hansen

Michael K. Keefe

Donald E. Kieso ’58, ’03 HON

John F. McKee

Ruth A. Mendius ’67

Calvin R. Myers ’64

Thomas R. Scott ’61, ’63 GWC

David K. Stone ’67

Frank K. Voris

Thank you for joining the Aurora University community in celebration of our 14th president, Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills. Now we move forward with a steadfast vision to ensure all students are afforded opportunities for success.

This is Aurora University’s… Future Promise.

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.