JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Friday will be a day of ceremony and celebration at the University of North Florida.
Dr. Moez Limayem took office in August but will be formally inaugurated tomorrow.
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President Limayem seems excited about Friday’s ceremony and events as well as the future of the school.
“Our message is: UNF is open for business,” he said. “We will listen, we will provide the talent needed, in the area needed, in the numbers and quality needed. We will work with all of our leaders to make this community even better.”
Limayem promised to spend the beginning of his tenure as a good listener. He said that’s a big reason why the investiture hasn’t happened until now.
“I really wanted to take again, a few months, to know a little bit more about the university, know the challenges, but also work with the great team that we have to start developing a vision for the future,” he said. “So the investiture, the inauguration, is yes, it’s a celebration for the entire UNF community, for the Jacksonville community, but also, for us to re-energize everyone and tell them about the very bright future for this university.”
While the University of Florida just reached an agreement to expand with a satellite campus in downtown Jacksonville, and while Jacksonville University has already invested heavily in areas like healthcare sciences, Limayem said UNF has a great opportunity as a collaborator and pointed to FSCJ and Edward Waters University.
“We’re ready to collaborate with UF. We want all of these programs to be additive, not duplicative because there is a need,” he said.
The celebration for Dr. Limayem begins Friday at 10 a.m. with a processional.
Dr. Limayem and his special guests will travel from the UNF Field House to the Lazzara Performance Hall.
Then, once the president arrives at the performance hall, the university will hold the investiture ceremony. Afterward, UNF will host a campus-wide celebration at the osprey plaza starting at 11:30 a.m.
Anyone is welcome to attend the free inauguration events UNF students who attend will be entered to win scholarships.
You can hear more from Dr. Limayem this Sunday during This Week in Jacksonville. The show airs on Channel 4 at 9 a.m.