Inauguration for Union College President Vinita Sauder Set for March 5
Union College issued the following release today concerning President Vinita Sauder:
Union College will install Vinita Sauder, Ph.D., as the 29th president of Union College in a special installation ceremony on March 5, 2015, at 10:30 a.m. in the College View Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Named as president by the Board of Trustees in May 2014, Sauder took the post in late July. She previously served as vice president for strategic initiatives at Southern Adventist University in Tennessee.
In her brief time at Union, Dr. Sauder has helped the college prioritize the strategic plan as well as develop and implement action plans for three specific goals—enrollment growth, the addition of new programs and partnerships that will strengthen the college, and the creation of a new facility master plan to address needs in nursing, health sciences, and student recreation.
Sauder brings extensive experience as an educator and administrator, including teaching in the School of Business and Management and serving as associate academic dean, institutional research director and vice president for marketing and enrollment services at Southern Adventist University.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southern Adventist University, Sauder earned an MBA from the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and a doctorate in educational leadership from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich. She is also a graduate of the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University’s School of Education.
Sauder and Greg, her husband of 33 years, have two married sons. After working at McKee Foods Corporation in Collegedale, Tenn., for 29 years, Greg now works for Stanley Healthcare Solutions in Lincoln.
The event will feature a keynote speech by Gordon Bietz, Ph.D., president of Southern Adventist University and Executive Director, Association of Adventist Colleges and Universities, and remarks from Sauder and Thomas L. Lemon, chair of the Union College Board of Trustees.
A wide variety of exhibits will be open for viewing all day Thursday featuring the artistic and academic work of Union’s faculty and students in the college library, the McClelland Art Gallery and the lobby of the church.
Wednesday night, March 4, will include an academic roundtable: “The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship at Union College,” at 7:00 p.m. in the Lang Amphitheater of the Krueger Center for Science and Mathematics. Five Union College professors will discuss how their beliefs have enhanced both their research and their ability to connect with students in the classroom. Refreshments will be served.
Both events are open to the community and will also be webcast live on UCLive. For more information, please visit www.ucollege.edu/inauguration.
Ryan Teller is Director of Public Relations at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Read our Spectrum interview with Vinita Sauder here.
