Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. will address the University community during Convocation at 11 a.m. Thursday in Ed Landreth Auditorium. Faculty and administrators in full regalia will lead the colorful procession, marking the opening of TCU's 139th year.

 

Classes will be dismissed from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. to allow faculty and students to attend. Line-up for the academic procession will form in front of Ed Landreth at 10:45 a.m. Faculty planning to participate must register no later than today, Sept. 6, by going to my.tcu.edu, click on event register and register for events.

 

Chancellor Boschini also will present the Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar. Nominees are eight faculty members who have already received their School and College awards this year: Charles Lockhart (Political Science) and Darren Middleton (Religion) from AddRan College of Liberal Arts, William Cron (Marketing) from the Neeley School of Business, Linda Curry (Nursing) from Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Susan Douglas Roberts (School for Classical & Contemporary Dance) from the College of Fine Arts, Molly Weinburgh from the College of Education, Paul Witt (Communication Studies) from the College of Communication and Timothy Lee from Brite Divinity School.

 

The Wassenich Award for Mentoring in the TCU Community will be presented to a member of the faculty or staff in recognition and celebration of this person's mentoring of students. The honor was created in 1999 through an endowment established by TCU alumni Mark and Linda Wassenich of Dallas. Because of their own rich experiences as TCU students, the couple founded the unique mentoring award to highlight the value TCU places on key relationships with faculty and staff which help students develop, succeed and contribute to their communities.

 

This year's finalists are: Melissa Gruver (Community Involvement and Service Learning), Christopher Hall (Athletic Training), Jacqueline Lambiase (Schieffer School of Journalism), Ken Morgan (School of Geology, Energy & the Environment) and Pamela Stuntz (Psychology).

 

Joe Butler (University organist) will play for the processional and recessional. The TCU Concert Chorale, under the direction of Dennis Shrock, will perform Gloria Fanfare by Jeffrey Ames,  Richard Estes will lead the singing of the Alma Mater. University minister Angela Kaufman will deliver the invocation and Newell Williams (president of Brite Divinity School) will give the benediction. As long as offices are covered, all faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend.

 

As soon as Convocation lets out, please join Chancellor Boschini on the lawn in front of Jarvis Hall where a historical marker will be unveiled. A Founders Celebration afterwards will be held near the Clark Brothers' statues on the east side of University Drive.