Chancellor Investiture Ceremony

Aiken, SC (03/21/2022) — The University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken) officially welcomed its fifth chancellor, Dr. Daniel Heimmermann, in a Chancellor Investiture Ceremony held on Friday, March 18 on the university campus. The ceremony was well attended by dignitaries, delegates from other colleges and universities, USC Aiken's faculty and staff, and alumni, donors, and friends of the university.

Since 1961, six leaders have piloted the university: Mr. Chris Sharp (director, 1961-1962), Mr. Bill Casper (chancellor, 1963-1983), Dr. Robert Alexander (chancellor, 1983-2000), Dr. Thomas Hallman (chancellor, 2000-2012), Dr. Sandra Jordan (chancellor, 2012-2021), and Dr. Heimmermann (chancellor, 2021-present). Three of the previous chancellors attended Friday's investiture - Dr. Alexander, Dr. Hallman, and Dr. Jordan.

Dr. Harris Pastides, interim president of the University of South Carolina, delivered the ceremonial charge to the chancellor and the presentation of the chancellor's medallion. Colleges and universities traditionally use ceremonial and commemorative medallions for formal occasions, such as invocations - a tradition that can be traced back to the Middle Ages.

The USC Aiken Chancellor's Medallion features the palmetto tree on the front to represent the university's strong ties to South Carolina and the University of South Carolina System, and it incorporates the year of the university's founding, 1961. The chain of the medallion has engraved tags with the names of USC Aiken's former chancellors and its first director.

In his charge to the chancellor, delivered immediately before the presentation of the chancellor's medallion, Dr. Pastides expressed the following to Dr. Heimmermann:

"The task before you as our new chancellor is large. You must court many constituencies for support. You must inspire many people involved in every aspect of this institution's life and work every day of each year by being the leader of our students, faculty, and staff. You must remind all to infuse every aspect of collegiate life with the integrity inherent in discovering and imparting knowledge and truth and, with the tenants of the Carolinian Creed as a guide."

Additional guest speakers included Tom Young, senator; Major General (retired) Brad Owens; Rusty Monhollon, South Carolina Commission on Higher Education; Teresa Haas, chair of the Aiken County Commission for Higher Education; Gary Bunker, chairman, Aiken County Council; Rick Osbon, mayor of the City of Aiken; Dr. Vahid Mjidi, representing the Aiken Business Community; Blake Leaphart, president of the USC Aiken Alumni Association; Dr. Alexandra Roach, chair of the USC Aiken Faculty Assembly; Ellis Reeves, chair of the USC Aiken Classified Employees Assembly; Eva Slagle, president of the USC Aiken Student Government Association; and Dr. Thayer McGahee, dean of the USC Aiken School of Nursing. Dr. McGahee introduced the new chancellor to the audience immediately before taking the podium to speak.

In his remarks addressed to the audience, Dr. Heimmermann said that his role as chancellor at USC Aiken is the pinnacle and highest honor of his career and reiterated the university's mission. "As it enters its seventh decade, our university continues to intrepidly pursue its noble mission of supporting high-quality academics and engaged teaching and learning, impactful research, service to our community, and, above all, a laser-focus on student success," he said.

Before coming to USC Aiken, Dr. Heimmermann served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Texas Permian Basin (2014 - 2021), where he ranked as the senior-most chief academic officer in the University of Texas System.

At USC Aiken, Chancellor Heimmermann leads the intrepid pursuit of the university's noble mission by supporting high-quality academic programs and engaged teaching and learning, impactful research, service, and partnerships with the community, a laser focus on student success and communicating the university's impact to its constituents.

This fall, Dr. Heimmermann will lead a collaborative strategic planning process that will build upon the university's tremendous legacy to determine the priorities, goals, and strategies that will guide the university for the next five years.

The investiture ceremony is counted among the oldest traditions in academia. Originating in English universities and modeled after highly dignified knighthood ceremonies, investiture comes from the Latin phrase for "dress in robe." In academic circles, the term has come to mean one who will literally don the university's insignia and regalia.

The attire won by participants in university inaugurations reflects symbolism dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. From medieval practice, academic dress has three components: cap, gown, and hood. Bachelor's gowns are black with long, pointed, open sleeves. The master's gown has a long, closed sleeve hanging below the elbow. Three bars of velvet on a full sleeve distinguish the doctor's gown. For all degrees, the mortarboard is the traditional cap; doctors may elect to wear a velvet tam instead. The tassel may be gold or another color that indicates the field of study.

The length of the academic hood identifies the type of degree. A three and one-half-foot hood represents a master's degree. The doctoral hood is four feet. The lining indicates the college or university that awarded the degree. The color of the valve on master's hoods represents the field of study. Velvet on doctoral hoods may represent the field of study or may be the traditional royal blue that represents the doctoral degree.

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