StFX’s 19th President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Andrew Hakin and his wife Linda had their first chance to meet members of the StFX community on Feb. 24, while they were visiting campus, during a meet-and-greet reception held in Mulroney Hall, Joyce Family Atrium. Dr. Hakin will officially begin his tenure on July 1, 2020.
During the event, Dr. Hakin, who was announced as StFX’s incoming President on Feb. 13, spoke about what enticed him to the university.
“What attracts me to StFX?” he asked, answering his own question, noting StFX’s storied history, how iconic the university is in the country, and the fact that what is said in For The People, Dr. James Cameron’s history of the university, really captures the essence of the university—it is for the people.
“It’s an institution that gives back and builds community.
“StFX is a vehicle for social transformation. One of the best in the country. That is what attracts me to you.”
Never has society needed leaders than it does at this moment in time, he said. Building a better society is not something we do part time. It demands full engagement.
We want to prepare students for these challenging environments, he said.
Dr. Hakin spoke about how important StFX’s academic mission is and how important the faculty, knowledge translators and creators, are to help move the institution forward. He spoke about the role of alumni, whose support is crucial, and of the students themselves.
“The students are the lifeblood of this institution. They are the reason we are here. We are here to support them.
“They are the architects of that social transformation,” he said.
“I feel incredibly proud to be part of this community of StFX,” he said, noting he is mindful of the commitment he is taking on, and that the challenge is one he will take on wholeheartedly.
“We will move forward together.”
StFX Students’ Union president Cecil VanBuskirk offered a welcome on behalf of the student body.
“I am so glad to know generations of students will benefit from your leadership,” he noted, as he also welcomed a number of people to the podium to present welcoming tokens: a tartan blanket with the StFX crest on behalf of StFX alumni, a StFX tie on behalf of StFXAUT, and StFX sweaters presented on behalf of students. Dr. and Mrs. Hakin were also introduced to Father Stanley MacDonald, one of StFX’s most loyal alumni.
StFX Academic Vice-President Dr. Tim Hynes, acting on behalf of Interim President Dr. Kevin Wamsley who couldn’t be in attendance, acted as emcee. Dr. Hynes noted that Dr. Hakin will be more formally welcomed to StFX during an installation ceremony this summer, Today is rather a more informal welcome to the StFX family and the StFX community, he said.
Mary Lou O’Reilly, vice chair of the StFX Board of Governors and a member of the StFX Presidential Search Committee, also welcomed Dr. Hakin and his wife Linda, noting the committee led a thorough and comprehensive process to identify just the right leader, and Dr. Hakin personifies the values of academic excellence and community engagement, values of StFX.
“We are so glad to have you here,” she said. “We welcome you to our StFX family.”
