Olivet Opens New Academic Year with Fall Convocation

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On the evening of Monday, September 10, 2007, parents, and members of administration, faculty and governing board, together with hundreds of students convened at Olivet University for Fall Convocation 2007.  The ceremony was held in Olivet University Chapel at the University’s main campus in downtown San Francisco, California. 

This year’s Fall Convocation was one of the most diversely attended events in the school’s history, with students representing over a dozen nations present. The ceremony also was broadcast live to international viewers.

The exercises began with a procession of academic leaders into the University chapel, followed by a series of warm addresses by University President Dr. David James Randolph and faculty representatives welcoming the Class of 2011 into the Olivet community.  Fanfare and choral devotions from the Jubilee College of Music interspersed the evening’s events.

The Convocation Address was delivered by Dr. Ralph D. Winter, Honorary Chairman of Olivet University and founder of the United States Center for World Mission.  With the title “The Functions of a University,” Dr. Winter’s speech asserted the university’s central purpose to be the service of unifying otherwise discrete areas of knowledge. He called on universities to live up to their calling to be “unifiers of the big picture” for society and for their students, and to come to the forefront in the fight against the world’s largest problems. For the followers of Jesus Christ, this amounts to the battle between good and evil and the establishment of heaven on earth, he said.

The 1½ hour ceremony included a special video presentation highlighting Olivet University’s campus life and recent developments. 

Immediately following the convocation, guests honored Dr. Winter at a special library dedication service and ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the official renaming of the University library to the Ralph D. Winter Library. Convocation guests also enjoyed a special reception at the executive offices of Olivet University to celebrate the occasion.