Colleen M. Hanycz, PhDXavier's 35th President
Join us in welcoming Xavier University's 35th president, Colleen M. Hanycz, PhD, through a variety of Inauguration events from Saturday, October 23, to Thursday, October 28, 2021.
The theme of the Inauguration, The Ignatian Year, celebrates Xavier University's Jesuit heritage by honoring the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Inauguration events highlight Xavier's Jesuit tradition of cultivating lives of reflection, compassion and informed action while marking the 500th anniversary of Ignatius' injury during the Battle of Pamplona. Learn more about The Ignatian Year.
Inauguration Schedule
Read through the full schedule of Inauguration events happening Oct. 23-28, including event details, locations and times. All are welcome on October 28 to celebrate President Hanycz’s installation ceremony.
Meet President Hanycz
President Hanycz’s leadership, academic credentials, character and commitment to Catholic higher education highlight her ability to lead Xavier into the future.
The Ignatian Year
The theme for President Hanycz's Inauguration is The Ignatian Year. As we are called "To see all things new in Christ," so too, Xavier celebrates the opportunity to explore our future.
Office of the President
Find more information, including Office of the President contact details, Board of Trustees and University leadership information and links to our mission and strategic vision.
Schedule of Events
Please join us in welcoming Xavier University’s 35th president, Colleen M. Hanycz, PhD, through a series of Inauguration events across the region that will be celebrated from Saturday, October 23, 2021, through Thursday, October 28, 2021. Additional information about these events will be shared below, as planning evolves.
National Day of Service and Solidarity
We invite you to join our Xavier family and friends across the United States as we mark the 530th anniversary of the birth of St. Ignatius Loyola through participation in the National Day of Service and Solidarity. Please check back as we confirm details on the actions, locations and times of this event.
Saturday, October 23
Registration:
President and Jesuit Community Continental Breakfast with Families
As we wrap up our celebration of Family Weekend 2021, President Hanycz and members of our Jesuit Community look forward to hosting a continental breakfast for Xavier students and their families on campus. All are welcome.
Sunday, October 24
10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
James and Caroline Duff Banquet Center, Cintas Center
Academic Showcase and Reception
Faculty members from each of Xavier’s four academic colleges–Arts and Sciences, Business, Professional Sciences and Nursing–will present work on the various ways in which the experiences of our students are influenced by the Universal Apostolic Preferences, animated on our campus.
Monday, October 25
3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
James and Caroline Duff Banquet Center, Cintas Center
Campus Reception for Students
President Hanycz is excited to enjoy some time with our students, over pizza, discussing vocation, purpose and life after Xavier. All are welcome.
Tuesday, October 26
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Gallagher Student Center
Missioning Mass and Reception with Members of the Board
Our Xavier community will gather with friends and the Cincinnati Catholic community to mark President Hanycz’s Inauguration with a special liturgy celebrated at Xavier’s iconic Bellarmine Chapel. We invite you to join us as we come together in this historic setting, thankful for the many blessings that Xavier University has received and hopeful in the continued blessings that the future will hold.
Wednesday, October 27
3:00 p.m.
Bellarmine Chapel, Xavier University Campus
Installation Ceremony and Reception
Finally, we invite you to join the entire Xavier University community as we formally install our 35th president, Colleen M. Hanycz, PhD. This culminating ceremony will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m., with all classes suspended between 12:45 - 3:45 p.m. so that all may participate in this celebration.
Thursday, October 28
Installation at 1:30 p.m. with reception to follow
Cintas Center Arena
Inauguration ThemeThe Ignatian Year
The Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Arturo Sosa S.J., called for an "Ignatian Year" to celebrate the life of St. Ignatius Loyola the founder of the Jesuits. The Year opened on May 20th, the 500th anniversary of when Ignatius the soldier was injured by a cannonball in the Battle of Pamplona. The Year concludes on July 31, 2022, the feast day of St. Ignatius. The peak of the celebration falls on March 12, 2022, the 400th anniversary of the canonization of St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier.
While the Ignatian Year honors the past, we are invited to be future-focused and attend to the four Universal Apostolic Preferences: showing the way to God, journeying with youth, walking with the marginalized, caring for the earth. College students in the Jesuit global network are called to reflect on their vocation and service, "From profession to purpose."
The motto of the Ignatian Year, "To see all things new in Christ," is a fitting theme for this historic time at Xavier University in our 190th year.
"Xavier's lived mission is deeply appealing to me. As a Jesuit Catholic university committed to serving society by forming students intellectually, morally and spiritually for lives of solidarity and service, Xavier's values strongly align with my own. Building on the tremendous legacy of Fr. Michael Graham, S.J., I am excited to partner with Xavier’s community in writing the next chapter in its storied history."
- Colleen M. Hanycz, PhD
Xavier University President