2008 Woodie Awards
Inauguration week costs top $300k
Mary Ann Georgantopoulos
Issue date: 4/11/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Joseph Aoun has officially been inaugurated as the seventh president of Northeastern, but the remnants of the events still surround campus with "Northeastern Illuminated" flyers in the Curry Student Center, large banner on the Marino Center and Meserve Hall and students and staff talking about the week-long event.Â
Earlier this semester, Chief of Staff Mark Putnam said with inflation taken into account, the price of the inauguration would not exceed former President Richard Freeland's inauguration in 1997, which cost $250,000.
The total cost of President Aoun's inauguration reached a little more than $300,000, said Neil Finnegan, Chairman of the board of trustees.
The chairman and Brian Kenny, vice president for marketing and communications, declined to go into further detail about the prices of specific items like the lighting display in Krentzman Quad and the banner covering the Marino Center.
The inaugural week was an opportunity for the university to promote itself to the academic world, Finnegan said. Â
Both Finnegan and Kenny said it was unnecessary for students to focus on individual prices, but instead center their attention on promotion of the university and the positive outcomes of the inauguration.
"What other academics think of you is a large factor for the university. It makes the value of your degree go up," Finnegan said.
A large amount of money was raised from donations including from board members and alumni, Finnegan said.
He would not give an exact amount raised by alumni but said "expectations were met."
Compared to recent inaugurations at other universities in the Boston area, Aoun's lasted the longest, spanning an entire week.
Larry Summers, president of Harvard, was inaugurated in a two-day celebration in 2001. Larry Bacow, president of Tufts University, was also inaugurated in a two-day celebration in 2002 and Lee Bollinger, of Columbia University, was installed as president in a one-day celebration in 2003.
Finnegan and Aoun hosted a luncheon Monday afternoon to thank those who helped with the inauguration.
Aoun thanked everyone in the audience for the celebration of the institution and said he now "feels part of the family."
Earlier this semester, Chief of Staff Mark Putnam said with inflation taken into account, the price of the inauguration would not exceed former President Richard Freeland's inauguration in 1997, which cost $250,000.
The total cost of President Aoun's inauguration reached a little more than $300,000, said Neil Finnegan, Chairman of the board of trustees.
The chairman and Brian Kenny, vice president for marketing and communications, declined to go into further detail about the prices of specific items like the lighting display in Krentzman Quad and the banner covering the Marino Center.
The inaugural week was an opportunity for the university to promote itself to the academic world, Finnegan said. Â
Both Finnegan and Kenny said it was unnecessary for students to focus on individual prices, but instead center their attention on promotion of the university and the positive outcomes of the inauguration.
"What other academics think of you is a large factor for the university. It makes the value of your degree go up," Finnegan said.
A large amount of money was raised from donations including from board members and alumni, Finnegan said.
He would not give an exact amount raised by alumni but said "expectations were met."
Compared to recent inaugurations at other universities in the Boston area, Aoun's lasted the longest, spanning an entire week.
Larry Summers, president of Harvard, was inaugurated in a two-day celebration in 2001. Larry Bacow, president of Tufts University, was also inaugurated in a two-day celebration in 2002 and Lee Bollinger, of Columbia University, was installed as president in a one-day celebration in 2003.
Finnegan and Aoun hosted a luncheon Monday afternoon to thank those who helped with the inauguration.
Aoun thanked everyone in the audience for the celebration of the institution and said he now "feels part of the family."
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