Gov. Mitch Daniels will swear in Jo Ann Gora as Ball State's 14th president today at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.
While Ball State is her home, Gora is traveling to the statehouse for her inauguration to accommodate Daniels' schedule.
"I really wanted to have the inauguration here, and so did the governor," Gora said, "but his schedule tightened up. By having it in Indianapolis, it has enabled other legislators, the Speaker of the Indiana House and the Indiana Senate president to be there as well."
The emphasis of the inaugural ceremony will be on the scholarship recipients, not the inauguration itself, Gora said.
Twenty-five Ball State students will receive scholarships at today's inauguration. The amount raised exceeded expectations, Gora said. More than $275,000 was raised altogether for the scholarships. Medallion donors, who donated $10,000 each, provided over $250,000.
Gora said she decided to forego the traditional inaugural ceremony and use the $150,000 price-tag for one-time scholarships for students in the incoming 2005-2006 freshman class.
Through the inaugural scholarships, Gora hopes she can emphasize her message that students come first, she said.
"I've always felt actions speak louder than words," Gora said. "If you say you stand for something, you need to demonstrate that."
All students chosen for the inaugural scholarships live in Indiana, and Gora hopes that fact will demonstrate to legislators that Ball State is attracting the best and brightest in the state, Gora said.
Muncie Mayor Dan Canan plans to be in attendance at today's ceremony in an effort to support Ball State's 14th president, he said.
"The relationship between the Muncie community and Ball State has greatly improved since [Gora] came to Ball State," Canan said. "She has an open mind and is always willing to work hard."
Former Ball State Provost Warren Vanderhill said Gora's decision to have the inauguration in Indianapolis may start a new tradition for Ball State presidents to follow.
"I don't know of any Ball State president having done anything like this," Vanderhill said. "In the past, the governor and legislators have always come to Muncie, but Gora certainly deserves high marks for her scholarship idea. That was a great, unique idea."
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