The inaugural festivities will provide opportunities for the entire Cornell community to participate. The Inaugural Committee, chaired by Vice President of University Relations Henrik N. Dullea, has requested all managers and supervisors to allow employees to take part in this historic occasion. Cornell's last inauguration was held 18 years ago for Frank H.T. Rhodes.
Specific details about the inaugural events will soon be released. Briefly, the following activities on Oct. 12 are open to campus community participation:
The inaugural ceremony at 3:00 p.m. in Barton Hall is a ticketed event since, given the Hall's seating capacity at 6000, it will be impossible to accommodate the entire campus community and invited guests. A number of tickets will be available for campus distribution prior to the inauguration; details will be announced. For those unable to attend the ceremony in person, a live television broadcast will be available in Alumni Auditorium and Statler Auditorium, as well as on a local cable television channel.
An academic symposium entitled "History and Humane Values in American Life" will take place on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 11 in the Alice Statler Auditorium. This, too, is a ticketed event, limited in seating to 900. Ticket distribution will be announced to the campus community via the Cornell Chronicle and the Cornell Daily Sun. The symposium can also be seen live in Alumni Auditorium and Martha Van Renssalaer Auditorium and Amphitheater, as well as on a local cable television channel.
Classes and laboratories will not be cancelled on Oct. 12; the inauguration ceremony was scheduled in the afternoon in order to reduce the number of conflicts for both faculty and students.
Volunteers will be needed to assist with inaugural events. David Yeh, associate vice president for student and academic services, will release a roster of staffing needs to the campus community in the near future.
Since a presidential inauguration occurs so infrequently during the life of the university, supervisors are encouraged to make every effort to release those employees who wish to participate, either as spectators or as volunteers. With approval from supervisors, release time will be granted with pay for those hours that cut across employees' normal work schedules. Some support functions may not be able to grant time off due to business needs. However, supervisors in discussion with employees are asked to be creative in meeting such needs. Questions concerning leave policy, can be addressed to Vashti Peagler, Employment Services Consultant, at extension 254-8385.