TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Entering students at The University of Alabama will have the opportunity to commemorate the beginning of their academic careers during the inaugural Capstone Convocation on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 19.

The solemn and inspiring occasion will serve not only to welcome new freshmen and transfer students to campus, but will also mark the opening of the 2003-2004 academic year for all students. Classes begin the next morning on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

UA President Robert E. Witt and Student Government Association President Katie Boyd are jointly inviting the UA faculty to participate in this historic event.

On Aug. 19, participants will gather at the steps of Gorgas Library at 7:30 p.m., prior to an 8 p.m. candlelight processional to Woods Quad. At Woods Quad, President Witt and SGA leader Boyd will make brief remarks, the UA Wind Ensemble will play the alma mater, and participants will pledge the Capstone Creed, a commitment to honorable behavior and character. Desserts will be served following the ceremony; business casual attire is suggested.

UA graduates have looked back on commencement exercises as the crowning moment of their great academic careers ever since the University opened its doors in 1831. During that time, however, students have lacked a formal beginning to their stay in Tuscaloosa.

Dr. Hank Lazer, assistant vice president for academic affairs and undergraduate programs, looks at the Capstone Convocation as one final message the University will send to its new scholars. “This event represents a cultural change in the focus and landscape of the entire University,” Lazer said. “What’s the last thing we want to say to new students before they embark on their career here? We feel that if we send an ultimate message emphasizing the importance of academics and accountability, it will enhance student learning across campus.”

Jonathan Adams, president of the UA Student Leadership Council, hopes the event will provide students with a way to meet one another and unify as a special group. “We want students to make the connection with each other and with the University,” Adams said. “This will set the tone for their entire career here and it will symbolize their formal entrance into the UA community.”

The Capstone Convocation will serve as a ceremonial welcome by the UA administration and will provide the first of many memories future students will make during their time in Tuscaloosa.

The idea for the Capstone Convocation originated in discussions in Student Affairs and soon developed as a joint initiative of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs. The Convocation builds upon the work done by student leaders over the past several years in developing the Capstone Creed. The Convocation promises to be an important way to welcome new students to the University community and to ask new students, on the eve of the start of the new school year, to reflect upon the highest ideals that guide us as members of an academic community.

Many small, private schools hold similar convocations, and UA wants the event to be symbolic and memorable for those who participate in it. Clemson University and Duke University conduct similar initiations to welcome their new students. Duke’s is held in the school chapel. Woods Quad, the original heart of the UA campus, and Gorgas Library, today’s campus center, were the perfect fit to convey the symbolism of the event and the rich history and tradition of the school, organizers noted.

For more information contact either the Office of Academic Affairs at 205/348-4890 or pmelson@aalan.ua.edu, or the Office of Student Affairs at 205/348-8272 or cduncan@sa.ua.edu.