Denice D. Denton will be invested as the ninth chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz, in an afternoon ceremony on Friday, November 4. Presided over by University of California President Robert C. Dynes, the public event will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall at UCSC's Music Center.
| Brief ceremony will follow two-day academic symposium on diversity |
The "Achieving Excellence Through Diversity" symposium, beginning on Thursday, November 3, launches three days of investiture activities that also include the annual Scholarships Benefit Dinner on Saturday, November 5.
The first day of the symposium gets under way at 2:30 p.m. in UCSC's Media Theater. The symposium keynote speaker will be Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Preceding her talk, Jackson will be honored with the third UC Santa Cruz Foundation Medal, an award recognizing individuals whose achievements illustrate the ideals and vision of UCSC. Following her talk, a discussion will take place on the best practices for enhancing diversity, access, and inclusion.
The symposium will continue on Friday, November 4, at 8:30 a.m. at UCSC's University Center. The second-day session, which ends at noon, will feature three "breakout sessions," including one in which President Dynes will preview a UC Faculty Diversity Study. The other two are titled: "What is diversity? Thinking at the edge" and "Teaching to a diverse student body."
The two-day symposium is expected to assist the campus in developing a plan for enhancing excellence. Both days of the symposium are free and open to the public, but online reservations are recommended.
Later on Friday, at the investiture in the Recital Hall, Dynes will present Chancellor Denton with the UC Santa Cruz Chancellor's Medallion. Chancellor Denton's inaugural address is titled "Excellence and Diversity: Leading in the 21st Century." George Marcus, vice chair of the UC Board of Regents, will represent the 10-campus University of California's governing body. Other participants include UCSC Academic Senate chair Faye Crosby and UCSC alumna Adilah Barnes. Overflow seating for the investiture will be available at the Media Theater, where a live audio/video feed will be transmitted. The investiture is also open to the public, but online reservations are required for both venues.
The "Celebration 2005" events, underscoring support for students as a theme of Chancellor Denton's administration, also include the Scholarships Benefit Dinner. The event raises badly needed funds for undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships.
The dinner, which was sold out by mid-October, will celebrate the success of the recently completed Cornerstone Campaign, which raised more than $67 million in private support. The event will also recognize Jack Baskin, a UCSC and Santa Cruz community benefactor; Baskin will receive the campus's first-ever Fiat Lux Award for his distinguished and sustained service to the university's programs and goals.
A number of regional events, held before and after the November 3-5 celebration, are also taking place-offering additional opportunities for the public to join in the investiture activities.
The six regional events began October 8, with a presentation on UCSC's New Teacher Center at a meeting of the Santa Cruz and Watsonville branches of the American Association of University Women. The last such event will take place on November 10, when So Percussion, one of the most exciting young ensembles in the country, performs at the Recital Hall as part of UCSC's Arts & Lectures program.
For more information about the investiture, symposium, and other Celebration 2005 events--and to register online for these events-please go to: celebration2005.ucsc.edu.
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Editor's Note: Chancellor Denton's brief biography and her official photograph are available on her home page at: chancellor.ucsc.edu.
