In light of President Stephen C. Ainlay’s extensive contribution to the campus community and his upcoming retirement, the Board of Trustees selected him as the 224th Commencement speaker and chose to name a portion of the new Science and Engineering complex after him and his wife.
On account of these developments, the Concordiensis asked President Ainlay to answer a few questions regarding his time at Union, his plans after retiring and his thoughts about being the commencement speaker and the namesake of part of the new Science and Engineering complex.
Although his busy schedule prevented him from being able to sit down with the Concordiensis on short notice, he shared a small note with us which we are proud to present to the campus community. Here is what he said:
“Mrs. Ainlay and I are both deeply humbled and honored by the honorific actions taken by the Board of Trustees. We are fortunate to have an outstanding Board and their high estimation of our service to Union means a great deal to us. The Board’s decision to invite me to be the featured speaker at Commencement and confer honorary degrees on both of us will make my final Commencement particularly special. I haven’t yet decided on a theme but I will aim to make it meaningful to our fellow graduates in the Class of ’18.
We are also deeply honored that the Board decided to put our names on the new building currently under construction. The building is part of the larger integrated science and engineering complex which has been — between conceptual planning and fundraising — a central focus of our last years at Union. This project, along with the many other facilities projects we’ve been part of over the last 12 years, better positions Union to fulfill its distinctive mission in higher education. It is awe-inspiring to think that our names will join those of remarkable figures in Union’s history. Along with the earlier decision of the Board to name scholarships in our honor, we are so pleased that we will remain a part of campus life. We are grateful beyond words.
We will work to advance Union for the rest of our lives; it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve this remarkable place. I stand ready to assist President-Elect Harris in any way he and the Trustees see fit or find helpful. I hope to write about the importance of Union’s distinctive niche within higher education circles and I know we’ll find ourselves cheering as Union moves forward. There are so many Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and students who have worked with us to accomplish what we have over the past 12 years. I am grateful to all of them for ‘putting shoulder to wheel.’ I hope they too are pleased with our progress and the work we’ve done together. Union is in a stronger position in so many ways. I hope they, like me, are especially pleased at the ways in which we’ve strengthened Union as a diverse and inclusive community.
To all, Mrs. Ainlay and I say ‘thank you.’”