Grove City College officially ushered in the new academic year on Wednesday as students and faculty gathered for the Opening Convocation at Harbison Chapel.
Steeped in tradition, the Opening Convocation began with a trumpet fanfare from student musicians and the procession of faculty, garbed in colorful academic regalia, prayers, and the hymn “Our God, Our Hope in Ages Past.”
“This is a special time in the life of the College and, I know, in your lives as well,” Grove City College Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Peter Frank ’95 said. He encouraged students to take advantage of the educational opportunity to “be transformed by seeking what is good, true, and beautiful.”
Vice President for Institutional Support and Initiatives Dr. John Inman welcomed the 565-member Class of 2028 and other new transfer, dual enrolled, and graduate students to the Grove City College family. The freshman class comes from 38 states and four foreign countries. With these new students, the College’s enrollment stands at 2,370.
College President Paul J. McNulty ’80, who announced he would be retiring at the conclusion of the 2024-25 year, recalled his first convocation in the fall of 2014, which was delayed when robbery suspects abandoned their getaway car on Main Street and fled on foot across campus, sparking a lockdown.
McNulty, who had previously served as Deputy U.S. Attorney General and in other top Justice Department posts, said, “This might have rattled most presidents, but not me. After 30 years in Washington D.C., and working in law enforcement, I suddenly felt right at home. I thought this might be kind of a fun job after all.”
He offered some observations about the Grove City College community and encouragement to students, faculty, and staff as they pursue a “kingdom-ready education” that produces graduates “fully prepared in their vocations to serve God and the common good.”
“I love the way our community cherishes the old vistas of unchanging truth while joyfully exploring the new horizons of God’s creation,” McNulty said.
“I want to encourage us at the beginning of this new year to lean into, to press on, in everything we do to advance Christ’s kingdom on this campus and in this world … If we are going to run to win, we need to know the course, stay the course, and run with endurance,” McNulty said. “Let us be people of stamina as we serve, as we teach, and as we learn,” McNulty said.