WMU News

WMU to inaugurate Floyd April 6

March 2, 1999

KALAMAZOO-Drawing on the theme of "a presidency of vision, vigor and passion," Western Michigan University will inaugurate Dr. Elson S. Floyd as its sixth president at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, in Miller Auditorium.

Floyd came to WMU Aug. 1, 1998, from the position of executive vice president of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the state's flagship university, where he served as its chief operating officer. He replaced Dr. Diether H. Haenicke, who retired from the presidency to return to the faculty after 13 years of service.

The inauguration theme comes from remarks Floyd gave in his first appearance before the University's Faculty Senate Sept. 18, 1998. There he pledged "a presidency of vigor, thoughtfulness, decisiveness, passion and vision," declaring that WMU's first commitment is to its academic mission as "one of the nation's premier student-centered research universities."

Floyd has demonstrated leadership in the administration of public higher education in several settings. He was executive vice president at Eastern Washington University and headed the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Before that, he held several student and academic affairs positions at UNC-Chapel Hill and was assistant vice president for student services of the 16-campus UNC system. A native of Henderson, N.C., Floyd has three degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill, including a doctoral degree in higher and adult education.

Tickets will be made available without charge to the public beginning Monday, March 29

Media contact: Mike Matthews, 616 387-8400, michael.matthews@wmich.edu


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