GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – UPDATE: The ceremony inaugurating Ben Sasse as the 13th president begins at 3 p.m.
You can watch it live streamed here.
ORIGINAL: Former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse has been on the job as the president of the University of Florida (UF) since early February.
But the official ceremony to install him as the 13th president of Florida’s flagship university takes places this week and UF invites you to attend.
“We’re incredibly excited to officially welcome and celebrate our 13th president while deepening our service mission as a public, land-grant university,” said UF Interim Provost Scott Angle. “This is a time for everyone in the UF community to celebrate, embrace fresh possibilities, and unite around one of the key purposes that brings us together: service.”
UF will host an investiture ceremony this Thursday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. at the historic University Auditorium.
Advance Registration Required
Doors will open at 2 p.m. UF says the inauguration ceremony and reception are open to members of the UF community, alumni, and the public. Space is limited and advance registration is required. To register, fill out the form here.
Registration closes at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, or when seats are filled whichever comes first.
Visitors will park at the O’Connell Center. A bus will provide shuttle service to and from the event location.
In addition to Sasse giving an inaugural address, the investiture ceremony will feature the presentation of colors by the UF ROTC Color Guard and a variety of musical performances from the UF School of Music students and faculty. Here’s a look at the program line-up.
Community Service
As part of the inauguration festivities, UF says it’s using this week to focus on a “service initiative aimed at helping the university’s neighbors in need in Gainesville and other UF locations.”
“The Sasse family has emphasized service to UF community members and neighbors, personally participating in Habitat for Humanity and other Gainesville and campus service projects and visiting IFAS extension and other offices statewide dedicated to serving Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and growers,” said the university in a statement posted on its website.
Starting this past Sunday and continuing through Thursday, Nov. 2, UF says it’s capturing the spirit of ‘service to neighbor’ with activities in Gainesville, statewide and globally.
Some of the activities include stocking food pantries, organizing health fairs, and assisting homeless shelters.
UF is encouraging all members of the university community to participate in volunteer activities, learn more here.
If you can’t make it to the ceremony in person, it will be live streamed. You can watch it here or on the UF Facebook page.