 Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the inauguration ceremony of Barbara Latir, 10th President of Immaculata University. To allow visibility for all, please remain seated during the processional. Please stand and join in the singing of our national anthem. Kindly remain standing for the invocation by Father Samuel Verruni, Chaplain of Immaculata University. Can you see those broad stripes and bright stars? Let's pray together. In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Almighty God, we ask you on this inauguration day to bless President Barbara Latir. She comes to Immaculata University with the wealth of knowledge and experience. In ways that only you can provide, may she be a force for good in the lives and the hearts of our students and an agent for change according to the tradition of the sister servants of the Immaculata Mary. As the first late president of this institution, which has enjoyed strong and creative leadership in the past, may she receive your fullest blessing now and for years to come. And may all that she does be a benefit to our school community. Faculty, administration, alumni, staff, and most of all, students. In any moment of need, please let her know that she is your instrument because Immaculata University longs to do your work and the work of the church under the patroness of our blessed mother whose heart was always set on you. Amen, amen. Let's pray together. I am the father and the son of the Holy Spirit. Please be seated. At this time, I am pleased to introduce the master of ceremonies, Janet Garrity, Vice President for Finance and Administration. Welcome. Barbara LaTeer, Tom Cancelmo, Sister Lorraine McGrew, Immaculata Presidents, members of the Board of Trustees, esteemed clergy, honored guests, distinguished faculty, alumni, students, and friends of Immaculata. It is my privilege to welcome you to Immaculata University. Today we celebrate a memorable occasion. We honor a great day in the history of Immaculata. We gather with two-fold purpose, the first to celebrate the inaugural ceremony of the 10th President of Immaculata, Barbara LaTeer. We are assembled to express our support, our joy, our recognition of Barbara's qualities of leadership, and commitment to Immaculata, Barbara's alma mater. Welcome, Barbara. We welcome Barbara back to Immaculata and to a special role in the institution's history and heritage. We also gather to celebrate and rejoice in all that Immaculata represents. 97 years of inspiring minds, 97 years to commitment to excellence in education, 97 years of dedication to proclaiming that knowledge flourishes in virtue, and over 97 years of growth, response to change, and the forging of new paths. I welcome each of you to the inauguration of Barbara LaTeer as the 10th President of Immaculata. Your presence honors Immaculata University. Together, we join in the celebration to welcome Barbara and continue to honor the IU heritage, treasure her legacy, and build the future. So welcome. Many are celebrating with us the inauguration of our new president and wish to bring greetings to Barbara. Please welcome a student representative of the three colleges, Dia Veneziano, a member of the class of 2018. Dia. Good afternoon, President LaTeer, faculty, staff, administration, and student body. I am truly honored to represent the students of the College of Undergraduate Studies, the College of Lifelong Learning, the College of Graduate Studies, and the members of the Lifelong Learning Institute here at Immaculata University. I am honored to welcome President Barbara LaTeer back to this amazing university that we all call our home under the doom. As students, we wanted a president who was going to be invested in the school as a scholar, a leader, and a motivator. We wanted a president who would listen to our ideas in order to make this university better than when we found it. We were fortunate enough to find all of this in President LaTeer. Although she began her role officially as president in July, she has served Immaculata in more ways than one before now. She was a very involved student when she was here, being the class president of student government. She had a work-study job. She was a member of the women's tennis team and was even a member of the Immaculata Honor Society. She continued her education after Immaculata and received an MA in economics and statistics from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Ryder University. After a few years away from Immaculata, President LaTeer returned as the first lay chair of the Immaculata University Board of Trustees in 2010. In this position, she helped move this campus in the right direction and she truly wanted to bring as many students to this campus as possible. To help with this process, she donated money to build the Lillian P. LaTeer Center, which is our admissions and financial aid building across from DeChonel Hall. President LaTeer has always had a vision to make this school great and to always put the students first. Now, as the 10th president of Immaculata, she continues to develop and execute this vision in order to contribute to the needs of the university. President LaTeer brings new energy, optimism and inspiration to the faculty and students here today. In her short time as president, she has already made connections with majority of the student body, has been working to create a student center for all of us to enjoy, and you'll even see her supporting all of the Immaculata sports teams. Even if there are four games in the same day, she will make sure to stop at every single one. President LaTeer, on behalf of the student body, we pledge our support to you as you embark on your tenure as the 10th president of Immaculata University. We look forward to the learning from your leadership and guidance and hope to create a better community with your help. It is my honor to welcome you back to this university and I look forward to getting to work with you more throughout the year. Welcome home to Immaculata. We are extremely lucky to have you as our 10th president. Thank you, dear. Joanne McAdam is unique among our greeters today. Joanne received her bachelor's, master's, and doctorate from Immaculata. Currently, she is president of the Board of Governors of the Alumni Association. Joanne brings greetings from this segment of the Immaculata community. Joanne? Good afternoon and welcome, Bishop Fitzgerald, Sister Lorraine McGraw, Sister Marion William-Hobbin, Sister Marie Rosanne Bonfini, Sister Patricia Fadden, Mr. Thomas Conselmo, and especially President Lutier. As well as the Board of Trustees, Reverend Fathers, sisters, faculty, students, alumni, and friends. It is my great pleasure to represent the alumni at the inauguration of the 10th president of Immaculata University. We, the alums, are very proud that the first lay president of our university is an alumna. President Lutier, you are an exception to the saying, you can never go home. Welcome back to your alma mater. The Alumni Association was begun in the Green Room of Villa Maria on June 1st, 1925 by 13 women members of the first graduation class. They began by composing a constitution for the Villa Maria College Alumni Association. The name and the constitution have changed over the years. The latest constitution change was last spring. So we're still learning to work within it, too. But the intent of the association was always the same, to represent the interests of the college. Over the years, the structure of the Alumni Association has changed to become more relevant and effective. Involvement in the association provides social and professional opportunities for alumni to stay connected with each other and with Immaculata. Inclusion can also lead to opportunities for Immaculata's current student body, whether through financial support, career mentoring, or recruiting prospective students. Our vision is to inspire the heart of a fully engaged community. We believe in Immaculata. It is in this concert with this sentiment that we say, welcome home to the dome, President Lutier. Thank you, Joanne, for your words of greeting and for all you do for your alma mater. Immaculata University is proud of its outstanding faculty. One such dedicated faculty member is Barbara Gallagher, chair of the Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, and a member of the University Council. Barbara delivers greetings from the Immaculata faculty. I present Barbara Gallagher. Good afternoon, President Lutier, distinguished guests, and members of the Immaculata University community. On behalf of the faculty and staff, I am honored and very excited to welcome President Lutier to Immaculata University as our 10th president. Immaculata University first welcomed President Lutier in 1968 when she arrived on campus as a freshman, and ever since that first day on campus, President Lutier, you never really left. You have been a strong supporter of the university through the Alumni Association, and you have served as a member and the first lay president of our Board of Trustees. What more could a university ask for in a president? That is a question one may ask our 10th president, but I know that President Lutier has the answer. I read it in the university magazine. President Lutier is committed to maintaining our tradition of excellence at Immaculata University. How will she do this by being tough? I recently read a book by Jay Billis entitled Toughness, and I immediately thought of our new president. We often talk about someone being tough, but what does it really mean? Toughness is one of those words that is hard to define. The dictionary defines it as being able to withstand great force without tearing or breaking, being strong and resilient. Yes, these are the words that definitely describe President Lutier, but there's more to being tough than just that. You have to be committed. Commitment is defined as engagement or involvement. Tommy Amaker, the headman's basketball coach at Harvard believes people who are truly tough just don't show up. They are totally into it when they do show up, and that's commitment. President Lutier, ever since I first met you a few years ago at an IU Baseball game, you have been totally into it. Whether it is cheering up ball games, walking the campus during summer renovations, meeting and greeting our students, or talking to faculty and staff about your vision and plans for a maculada's future. You have truly demonstrated these qualities of toughness and commitment, that there is one more quality that is important for our next president and leader of our university, and that is caring. President Lutier, you care and are proud of the many accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students. You care and are proud of our community and the relationships that a maculada university has developed within our community, but more importantly, you care and are proud of each one of us here at a maculada. President Lutier, you have the heart, the vision, and the toughness to lead a maculada university into our next 100 years as an outstanding institution of higher education. In closing, I would like to quote you from the a maculada magazine. Be mighty, be proud. Welcome to maculada. Thank you, Barbara. Patricia Canarino, vice president for student engagement and development, represents the university administration and staff, providing greetings on their behalf. Please welcome Patty. Good afternoon, and welcome to a maculada university. All day everyone is saying how beautiful it is and the weather and what a great place. I want to be clear for our outside visitors. It is like this every day on this campus. If you were to Google or go on a weather app, it would be raining at Newman, Cabrini, and Gwynedd. That is for fact. I would like to welcome all of you today. We are honored to have three of our former presidents with us here today, Sister Patricia Fadden, Sister Marie Roseanne, and Sister Marion William. We say thank you for all you have done for a maculada, and a heartfelt thank you to all the IHMs. You've had such a positive, you've had such a positive impact on so many, not just on this campus, but around the world. Sister Catteron said to me a month ago, Patty, we may not be all over the world, but we educate people who go out there and spread what we've taught them here. You taught us to dream big and believe we can live up to our God-given potential. We can never thank you enough for all you've done for this university. Today, we welcome Barbara LaTeer as the 10th president of a maculada university. President LaTeer's history with a maculada is long and storied, from class president to board member, to donor, to president of this great institution. We welcome her presence and her commitment to her alma mater. Her passionate dedication to a maculada is inspiring and contagious. I knew President LaTeer was the real deal on July 1st when she started her official day at a maculada university. It was a Saturday of the 4th of July weekend. I was on the beach with my family, my eight nieces and nephews running around, and I received an email from President LaTeer, and she said to me, Patty, today is my first day. I felt I should come into the office and I should file or do something. But it's like a ghost town around here. So my mom, who immediately gets in panic mode, says, should you drive up? I said, do you have a jet? I can't get there that fast. I wrote, my mom said, you need to tell her that it's a holiday weekend and people would be there to welcome her if it wasn't a holiday weekend. So I quick texted Barbara LaTeer back and my mom said, you wrote everything I just said that fast? And I said, Barbara, what time did you leave? I must have just missed you. I tell that story because President LaTeer is relentless in her work ethic. The only thing I believe she procrastinates about is rest. After a long day and on weekends, you will often find President LaTeer taking in an athletic event, as many people have already said, or another student program or a faculty presentation. She is constantly emailing asking, should I be there? Do you think it's important for me to be there? Even if you say no, she still goes. It's easy to recognize that it's important to President LaTeer that she connect with every person on this campus, but most especially our students. She takes that time to let others know their efforts and successes are valued, a true leader. And so on behalf of the staff and administration, President LaTeer, we pledge our wholehearted support to you as we work with you to fulfill the mission of Immaculata University. For you, President LaTeer, we pray that God may bless you as you lead us forward. And President LaTeer, I think your parents must look down and smile at all you have accomplished. But most especially, I think they look down and smile at what a good person you are and how much you are bringing to our university and how blessed we are to have you as our 10th President. Thank you, Patty. With greetings from the Board of Trustees, I'm pleased to present Sister Stephen Ann Rodriguez. Good afternoon, everyone. On behalf of the Immaculata University Board of Trustees, I extend congratulations and a pledge of support to Barbara LaTeer, class of 1972, on her inauguration as the 10th President of Immaculata University. In the fall of 2015, the Board of Trustees of Immaculata University embarked on a daunting, sacred task of a presidential search. With the help of a consulting agency and ad hoc committee of trustees, conducted a national search to find the person best suited to become the 10th President of IU, several competent candidates emerged. However, in biblical David-like fashion, one among us emerged. More than convinced, competent and ready to hurl her intense loyalty, persuasive grit and proven skills at the goliath-like landscape of the opportunities and challenges of higher education in these historic times on behalf of our beloved Immaculata University. Barbara is exactly what Immaculata needs as it comes close to celebrating 100 years of higher education excellence. With deep respect for the IHM legacy and an eagerness to move the university, to achieve an even greater exceptional status in the present moment, she brings her hands-on proactive and compassionate style to leadership. Recent publications in the business sector have defined a thought leader as the go-to leader. The thought leader is a trusted source who moves and inspires people with innovative ideas, turns ideas into reality, and shows others how to get there. President LaTeer, with her passion, her determination, and her collaborative approach, fits the thought leadership description very well. You will not find a complacent attitude nor any side-stepping of adversity when it comes to the welfare of this Immaculata University. From the most tenured professor to the most recently enrolled undergrad, Barbara, you with your mighty Mac devotion, your tenacious graciousness, and your demonstrated expertise will lead and inspire the Immaculata community to answer this compelling question attributed to Nelson Mandela. Your playing small does not serve the world. Who are you not to be great? Thank you. Thank you, sister. Sister Lorraine McGrew, IHM, is the general superior of the sister's servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and vice chair of the Board of Trustees. Sister Lorraine brings greetings to Barbara from the entire IHM congregation. Welcome, Sister Lorraine. Good afternoon, everyone. In her recent message in Immaculata Magazine, President LaTeer spoke of how our students are the reason we are here and our goal is their success in life. It has long been an Immaculata tradition to send out graduates who provide presence and leadership in all phases of society. Here in our local area, throughout the country and around the world. As general superior of the IHMs, I bring today the prayers and good wishes of all the IHMs for Barbara LaTeer and the Immaculata community. We congratulate President LaTeer on her inauguration as the 10th president and first lay president of the university. As a graduate, she knows the doors which an Immaculata education can open for someone who has the passion and desire for educational and professional success. We know that her commitment to this legacy of Immaculata will help to instill the IHM Charism of love, creative hope, and fidelity in the hearts and minds of current and future Immaculata students. There is a second characteristic of the Immaculata legacy which gets much less attention. Throughout its history, Immaculata has embraced thoughtful, significant, ongoing changes designed to meet the needs of the people we serve. We remember examples like creating the Evening Division, achieving university status, and initiating the bachelor's degree for RNs. President LaTeer's background in transformational planning seems well suited to lead the university during this time in Immaculata's history, as we are once again called to meet the needs of the times while maintaining the traditions which are at the heart of the university. Barbara, as you look around this beautiful campus and accept the mission with which you are being entrusted, may you recognize the great potential present in Immaculata's dedicated administration, faculty, staff, and the loyal, far-reaching network of alumni and more recently alumni. Be assured as well of the ongoing support of the IHM congregation. May God bless your efforts. May Mary, as always, intercede for this university named in her honor. God bless you, Barbara. Thank you, Sister Lorraine. It is a pleasure to present the Immaculata Precussion Ensemble under the direction of Joseph Gehring. This is a good audience, you know exactly when to participate. Thank you, director and members of the ensemble. It is now my honor to present Tom Cancelmo, chair of the Board of Trustees, who will share information on Barbara LaTeer and conduct the investiture of the 10th president of Immaculata. Tom? Thank you, Janet. I just whispered to Barbara that we only have about 10 more speeches left, so hopefully she can sit tight for a few more minutes. It is my honor to be here today because I truly believe that a new era in Immaculata's rich history is upon us. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire Immaculata family, I would like to extend our congratulations to Barbara in becoming Immaculata's first lay president. As a fellow board member, I have known Barbara for nearly seven years now, and there is no doubt in my mind that she is uniquely qualified to be the next president. But I think there's a little bit more there. I honestly believe that there is some divine providence that has played a role in bringing Barbara back to campus today. Even though Barbara would rather not hear me talk about her, let me tell you a little bit more about her. Let me tell you about her stellar education background that laid the foundation for the type of leader that Barbara is today. After earning a degree in mathematics from Immaculata, Barbara continued her education, earning a master's of arts degree in economics and statistics from the University of Notre Dame. And then finally, an MBA in decision sciences and finance from Ryder University. Even though Barbara would rather not, let me tell you how excited, let me tell you about how she excelled at every level of her corporate career at Bell Atlantic, spending nearly 28 years of her career rising through the ranks of Bell Atlantic, holding various positions within the operations, marketing, and finance sectors. In 1992, she became Vice President and Treasurer at Bell Atlantic before assuming the presidency of Bell Atlantic Federal Systems. Looking for a change and a new challenge, Barbara entered the higher education arena, taking on a new role as Vice President and Finance and Administration at Trinity University in Washington, D.C., where she remained for over a decade leading and navigating the university through a variety of challenges and preparing her for her role today as Immaculata's President. Even though Barbara would rather not, I want to tell you why we have the right person for the right job and more importantly, what makes Barbara our new leader so special. After a tremendous corporate career and then over a decade in higher education, Barbara was ready to do what any of us would do, if given the opportunity. She would have been very content in getting up each morning, sipping on her Starbucks French roast coffee. Tell me if anything's wrong here, Barbara. Popping up, popping on her iPad in Wall Street Journal or some other financial or educational paper and then heading off to the links to carry her bag for allegedly nine or 18 holes. Retirement, meaning more time with family, friends, and all the good things in life, whether she was aware of it or not, retirement would have to wait. Over the many years Barbara has demonstrated what an important role Immaculata has played in her life and each time the university needed something, she answered that call, always giving of her time, her talents, and her treasures. Whether she initially realized that or not, her alma mater was calling on her yet again and the ask, as I think they say in the development office, was a big one. As the presidential search process moved along, I think in her heart of hearts, she realized that she just might be the best person for the job. Yes, her skill sets, knowledge and expertise had prepared her to become the next president, but I believe it is her passion and love of this university that allowed her to accept this new position. And it is that very passion and love and might I add determination that will truly distinguish her as she guides this university through a variety of challenges and into a new era of growth and prosperity. Barbara, please stand for a minute. At this time, it is my privilege to initiate the presentation of the president and the symbolic transferral of authority. I have the honor to present to you on behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire Immaculata community, Sister Patricia Fadden, the ninth president of Immaculata University. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, may I present the 10th president of Immaculata University, Barbara LaTier. The passing of the University MACE represents the transferral of authority. Sister Patricia Fadden will now pass the University MACE symbol of the presidential office to Barbara LaTier, representing the transfer of power of the chief executive. That'll have to wait, Barbara. Barbara, with the conferring of the presidential medallion, you are charged with the leadership of Immaculata University. Yours will be the great privilege and responsibility of leading Immaculata to the fulfillment of its great promise for years to come. Sister Marion William Hoban, seventh president of Immaculata, has placed over your shoulders the great seal of the University, which represents the mission of Immaculata, symbolizes your authority and the trust placed in you by the trustees and members of the University Communion. May the Holy Spirit guide you and protect the University in its quest for the knowledge that flourishes in virtue. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you the tenth president of Immaculata University, Barbara LaTier. Thank you very much. I know I have some prepared remarks here, but as many people know, I normally don't stick to the script. First of all, this has been an overwhelming day, absolutely overwhelming day. I have been taken back by all the dedication of the folks that worked on this event today. The people that have set up, broken down, painted. Sister Marion, her team, it's just been overwhelming. And before I forget, people that know me know I'm to bling, and the value of my jewelry collection has troubled, but I wear it proudly. Trustees, students, faculty, staff, special guests, and alumni, I am truly honored and humbled to be standing here before you today. And I am grateful for the confidence you've entrusted in me to lead this great university. On this incredible afternoon, we honor Immaculata University, a remarkable institution with a proud past, which several of you have built, and a promising future that we will all build together. First, let me say that I have never been to a presidential inauguration of any sort, even after having lived in D.C. for close to 20 years. In learning about what past inaugurations have been like at Immaculata, I understood that I would have to make some remarks. What does one say at these things? When in doubt, Google it. Well, I read a few presidents' inaugural remarks. Many got off on some esoteric rants about the state of higher education. Others were downright boring. Google was no help. So, left to my own devices, I hope you are neither perplexed nor bored. I begin my remarks with gratitude. I am very grateful to those of you who have welcomed me here today. Probably cost me my next two paychecks, but that's alright. Second, and again, can't probably say this enough. I do want to thank sister Mary who said yes when asked to head up the inauguration committee. Many people on this committee also graciously shared their time and talents to put this event together. I'm very appreciative of everything that you have done. When the planning for the inauguration got started, I had just a few simple requests. Make it be about the students, and please don't spend a lot of money on it. As best I can tell, they have taken my wishes into account. The students are a part of all aspects of this celebration and because I wanted to keep the focus of this event on the Immaculata students, we will be funding the 2017 inaugural scholarship of $15,000 which will be given to deserving students from New Jersey, my home state. To the trustees, thank you for your confidence and partnership and for replacing the ring I lost many years ago. We have a lot of work to do and I appreciate your guidance and support. Together, we will develop mutual expectations for change and a timetable for achieving them. We are dealing with the kind of issues that demand board members, myself, and the team I work with to not only perform at the highest level, but to work more closely than ever before. To the students, I thank all of you for being here today. It's a beautiful day. I am sure that you have other things that you would prefer to be doing, but I appreciate you being here. I'm inspired every day by the future you represent. If you remember one thing from today's proceedings, I hope it's this. The mission of this institution is to prepare you for lives of moral purpose and distinction. You are the reason we are here. We are on your journey together. I think Tom said, and I'll say it again, when you succeed, so do we. To the faculty, we are at the very front. You are at the very front, line of the school. No matter what, nothing is more important than a faculty that is passionate about Immaculata and that is willing to do anything that's necessary to create a transformational environment for our students. This transformation takes place in an environment in which our students learn how to learn, to read critically, to think, to analyze, to write, to communicate, and to work in teams. These are all skills that employers actually value and this is what our faculty strives to do. To the staff, I am proud to join your ranks in my role as president. I benefit from your support every day. Whether it's a clean office, a safe environment, financial reports, human resources information, advancement support, enrollment management, student services, this team, along with the faculty, will ensure that Immaculata remains a strong and caring institution. Finally, I am grateful to my friends who have traveled near and far, from D.C. to North and South Carolina. I am sure you're sitting there having what amounts to an antibody experience. There are days when I do too. Nevertheless, your presence here today means a lot to me. You represent the many sides of my storied past, that story not sorted. Family, work, and friendship. Thank you for being here. As one of the other speakers said, we are very fortunate to have with us today and on the stage three former presidents, Sister Marion William, Sister Marie Roseanne, and Sister Pat Fadden. These three sisters represent the sister servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, otherwise known as the IHMs. It is this order of sisters who almost a hundred years ago started Villain Maria College. Their fierce determination, business savvy, and laser-like focus on mission are what make Immaculata what it is today. They are still an integral part of the Immaculata community. They have seats on our board and hold faculty and staff positions. Their foresight and unwavering dedication and commitment to Immaculata over the years is truly remarkable. And I am humbled to be following in the footsteps of so many incredible women. Many times I will meet a sister during the course of the day and almost without exception they offer their support and prayers. I am grateful for both. Although I must admit when they offer prayers as much as they do is it because they know something I don't? On a more serious note and while on the subject of prayers I ask that you please keep Sister Marie D. Ellis in your thoughts and prayers. She wanted to be here today but she's been hospitalized. I believe she's in Jefferson and Sister Marie D. if you're able to watch this today we wish you all the best. And now this new chapter in my life Immaculata. As I said this decision to take on this challenge didn't come very easily. However given the experience I had working at Trinity Washington under the tutelage of my former boss who is here today Pat McGuire I learned a lot and I felt as though that training, that learning prepared me for what I am about to do in the foreseeable future. So I find myself here at this point knowing that now is the time to make our university even better. We start from a position of great strength. This is a university with many, many great qualities and fundamental core values. The charge before us is simple our goal must be to be a leader in all that we do and to have a commitment to excellence. Leadership means shaping the hearts and minds of our students for a lifetime of learning, service achievement and fulfillment. Leadership to me means continuing to innovate not only what is taught but how it is taught. And finally leadership does not mean settling for something less. Leadership means holding each and every part of this university to the highest standards of excellence in each and everything we do. To be a leader among all of America's liberal arts colleges will require an extraordinary level of passion energy and resolve new and creative ideas and an equally extraordinary level of help from trustees faculty and staff and alumni. Our agenda is not modest. But as they say, go big or go home. Now is the time for Immaculata. We can applaud all about Immaculata that makes us so proud but we must never ever be complacent. We provide excellent undergraduate and graduate education but we owe it to our students to be focused on their total experience both inside the classroom and where so much of their education takes place in the dorms and the places they gather, their workplaces and on the playing fields and courts. We justifiably celebrate academic achievement, community outreach, so much more but we must be careful whenever possible to identify our desired outcomes for student success and achievement and to hold ourselves accountable in our progress toward meeting them. So Immaculata is a somewhat different and wonderful place. A mix of tradition, innovation dedicated to the pursuit of a distinctive and essential academic mission. But we live in a landscape full of challenges, costs, competition, the perceived value of a liberal arts education, disruptive technology and the loss of public confidence. In fact, when I met one of the presidents of the SEPCI schools, that's a southeastern Pennsylvania Catholic higher education. That's a mouthful for Cabrini, Newman and all the rest that we deal with in the marketplace. I met one of the presidents who was just about to retire and she didn't hesitate to tell me that I must be a glutton for punishment. I said, oh, nice to meet you too. One look at me doesn't in any way suggest gluttonous tendencies and I learned in grammar school that punishment was something to avoid. Now I'm standing here because Immaculata is in a position to not only cope with this environment but to thrive in it. I am optimistic because we understand our core strengths and we will be unwavering in our commitment to them. Our liberal arts model, our faculty of scholars, our distinguished programs, a diverse student body and a first rate staff dedicated to the highest of professional standards. We know who we are and we know what we do well. This enables us not to be threatened by a changing landscape but rather to have the flexibility, the confidence and the spirit of innovation necessary to imagine the liberal arts in a time of exploding information technology unparalleled global connectivity and social, political and economic uncertainty. We can meet those challenges head on. As we take stock of what we do, we must also communicate our outcomes in a way that I think is new for us. That's loud and proud. This is one area where Immaculata's culture of modesty does not serve us well. I have been described as a humble person but trust me, that adjective only applies to me personally. When it comes to this school, I'm not at all humble. I am proud. We must not be afraid to speak boldly about our excellence. We will continue to let our actions and accomplishments communicate volumes about us. As a community of students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees, we must get the word out about what we do, how well we do it and why it's so important. We will be graceful but we will not be quiet. As Immaculata community, I make the following commitments. First, I will continue to listen. You have helped me learn so much already and I know that I can be effective only if I stay intently in that listening mode. Second, I pledge to communicate continuously so that we can increase understanding whenever and wherever possible. Third, I will pour my heart and soul into building relationships that will strengthen and sustain this university. Finally, I commit to you to make decisions however difficult using one simple guiding principle and that is what is best for Immaculata and its students. I have no other agenda. In return, I make a few requests of you. First, I ask you to join me as we work together toward our great objectives of making our university better in every way, every day. Only by working together, collegially and with determination will Immaculata stand the greatest chance of advancement. I ask that you make the commitment to excellence in everything you do. And finally, I do ask for your prayers. This is a difficult journey and without your prayers, this will be even more challenging. You have entrusted me to be your president to guide, lead and steward this university. You have asked me to preserve and protect the traditions, values and virtues that define this school and to build upon the achievements of the nine presidents who have walked this path before me. It's a profound responsibility and honor and I look forward to both the challenges and the opportunities. We may be small don't overlook us. We may have our challenges don't count us out. I am proud to say that we are Immaculata University. To end, I take a page out of our athletics teams playbook. Before the start of a game the team gets into some form of huddle, raises their arm in unison and shouts, I you. So, if the coaches will allow me go I you. Congratulations Barbara. Barbara I hope you don't mind if I paraphrase rascal flats instead of Kenny Chesney although I can say mostly young. Our wish for you is that this life becomes all that you wanted to. That your dreams stay big, that your worries be small and you never need to carry more than you can hold and when you're out there getting us where we're getting to I hope you know that we support you and want the same things too. This is our wish for you. As we bring the inauguration ceremony to a close please know that all are invited to the inauguration reception in the Great Hall. You are invited to enter by the side entrance off the porch of the campus safety entrance. Now please stand for the benediction offered by Bishop Michael Fitzgerald. Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia. Following the benediction all join in singing the Alma Mater and please remain standing until the completion of the academic procession from the hall. Thank you. Bishop Before our prayer just a little advice Barbara as you pass through the campus and the sisters are offering all those prayers never turn them down. We can all use all the prayers we can get. I bring with me today the congratulations, prayers and best wishes of our Archbishop, Archbishop Charles Tripew and our own wish to extend the wonderful relationship we have with the McElott University and the Archdiocese and the partnership and the enterprise of Catholic education forward to working with you. Let us pray. Lord God, we thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon McElott University for the past 97 years. We ask you to bless the McElott community as this new era of leadership begins in educating and empowering students to use wisely their gifts and talents to make a difference in the church and in the worldwide community. Bless them as they minister in the spirit of the founders of Immaculata, the sisters of servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Bless each member with grace and abundance to foster the IHM charism of love, creative hope and fidelity each day. May the Lord bless you with clear vision, determined hearts and attitudes that reflect gospel values as you continue to proclaim God's gracious love on this campus and beyond. We ask this in the name of your son Jesus who is Lord forever and ever. Please join in singing our Alma Mater.