November 2, 2024, 10 a.m.
Shaw Center Family Auditorium
Joel D. Shrock, PhD, will be inaugurated as Graceland University’s 19th President on Saturday, November 2, 2024, at 10 a.m. in the Shaw Family Auditorium in the Shaw Center for the Performing Arts in Lamoni, Iowa.
RSVP for the inauguration of Joel Shrock.
| TIME | EVENT | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | Student Presidential Bingo Students! Join President Shrock for a Bingo in the Great Room with prizes including a pair of custom Nike Dunks designed by President Shrock! |
Newcom Student Union, Great Room |
| TIME | EVENT | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| 4 p.m. | Carrying Radical Belonging Forward President Shrock and the Faculty will engage in an academic discussion about the future of education at Graceland. |
Shaw Center Atrium |
| TIME | EVENT | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| 6 p.m. | Independence Program and Reception The Graceland Independence Campus will host a program and reception for alumni and friends in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Reception to follow. |
1401 W. Truman Rd., Independence, MO 64050 |
| TIME | EVENT | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| 6-8 p.m. | Trick or Treat at the President’s House President Shrock and his wife Kelly will host students for trick-or-treating at the Carmichael House. |
Carmichael House, Lamoni |
| TIME | EVENT | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| 7-10 p.m. | Inauguration Celebration Students, Faculty, Staff, and Alumni! Join us in Lamoni for a 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s cover band, plenty of snacks, and fireworks at 9:15 p.m. |
Shaw Center Atrium and Quad |
| TIME | EVENT | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. | Inauguration – Carry It Forward Join Graceland as President Shrock is officially installed as Graceland’s 19th President. |
Shaw Family Auditorium |
| 11:30 a.m. | Inauguration Reception Join us for a reception immediately following the inauguration. The Graceland Jazz Band will accompany the event |
Shaw Center Atrium |
| 2 p.m. | Football vs. St. Ambrose President Shrock will participate in the coin toss as Graceland faces St. Ambrose. |
Huntsman Field |
| 7:30 p.m. | Symphonic Band Concert | Shaw Family Auditorium |
On September 10, 2024, Graceland University named Dr. Joel Shrock as the 19th President in its 129-year history. Dr. Shrock came to Graceland in 2022 as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty and was named interim president in June of 2024.
Dr. Shrock has spent over 30 years in academia, as a professor of history, an academic administrator, and a leader, serving for nearly 20 years at Anderson University in Indiana.
Shrock’s impact on Graceland was felt almost immediately as he led the charge to implement Graceland’s innovative second major for all students, transformational leadership. He was pivotal in building the team for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, an innovative hybrid program with a lab space in the Kansas City metro area. He worked closely with the School of Nursing in Independence, Mo., to streamline their curriculum to help students learn the skills they need to succeed. Most importantly, he helped advance the faculty culture as their leader by helping them develop growth plans for their programs and onboarding new faculty personally.
