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Inauguration of Joel Shrock

November 2, 2024, 10 a.m.
Shaw Center Family Auditorium

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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.

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Inauguration Links

Schedule of Inauguration Week Events

  • Sunday, October 27, 2024
    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

     

  • Tuesday, October 29, 2024
    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

     

  • Wednesday, October 30, 2024
    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

     

  • Thursday, October 31, 2024
    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

     

  • Friday, November 1, 2024
    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

     

  • Saturday, November 2, 2024
    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

     

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Meet Dr. Joel Shrock

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.