At the end of September, Lubbock Christian University will host the official Inauguration of its seventh president, Dr. Scott McDowell.
The weeklong event begins Sunday, September 27 as LCU community members begin a 24-hour prayer vigil in which they will pray for each student, faculty, and staff member by name. In addition to the prayer vigil, campus leadership has also integrated a campus-wide book drive that began at the beginning of the month, benefitting children served by local charities and schools, and will run through the end of September.
The following days include events such as a Celebration of Scholarship luncheon for faculty, a Community Church Leaders Breakfast, numerous art shows, and a Presidential Inauguration Concert featuring LCU ensembles. A full schedule of events, including times and locations, is available online.
The festivities will culminate with the official Investiture Convocation Ceremony on Thursday, October 1, beginning at 10 a.m. While such an important milestone event would normally be open to the public, due to the current pandemic, the Investiture will be in-person by invitation only, so as to limit the number of individuals inside the Rip Griffin Center. The event will be livestreamed on the LCU website to allow for remote participation.
The Inauguration week has undergone several changes throughout planning due to the continuation of the Coronavirus pandemic. Several external events were moved or cancelled to ensure the safety of not only the LCU community, but also the wider Lubbock community as well, and many events had to be restructured to ensure that proper safety measures could be implemented. For the safety of all involved, the event has shifted to an internally-focused celebration for the LCU community, and social distancing and masks will be required at all events.
Dr. Scott McDowell became the seventh president of Lubbock Christian University on April 1, 2020, following a national search by the Board of Trustees. McDowell has a distinguished 27-year career in Christian higher education. He came to LCU from Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas where he served as Vice President for Student Life. Prior to joining ACU’s administration, he was the Senior Vice President of Student Life at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee.