NIU President Doug Baker’s inauguration speech today is expected to focus on four main pillars: student career success, thriving community, financial and program liability and ethically inspired leadership.

The inauguration ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. with a reception at 4:30 p.m. in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium. Paul Palian, director of Media and Public Relations, said Baker is expected to talk about how he will apply his four pillars to NIU and the DeKalb community.

“Baker has already begun to work on this,” Palian said. “The people that are elected for different leadership positions will reflect these pillars.

“He will address where we’re at, where we’re going and where we aspire to be as a university.”

Andy Small, who was a part of this year’s inauguration committee, said he believes Baker has empowered the staff to go forward, to make changes and do things that will help the university. Small said he thinks the inauguration will be a great event because the community will also be involved.

“We have talked about engaging the town of DeKalb in the past, but President Baker has made a specific effort to engage the community,” Small said. “I think it’s a great event for NIU, and I think even for DeKalb.”

The ceremony will be a celebration of Baker and the university. There will be student and faculty stories; John Butler, chair of the Board of Trustees, will speak; and Baker will give his inaugural address.

Abigail Dean, associate director of the university marketing staff, said a program has been prepared that tells the story of NIU through students, faculty and staff.

“The program celebrates who we are and the institution that President Baker leads,” Dean said.

Alumni, faculty and staff, friends and family of Baker, and students are welcome and expected to attend.

“We encourage students to participate in both the inaugural ceremony and the reception, as this is their celebration, as well,” Dean said.

Dean said Baker will speak about his vision for NIU, how he plans to lead NIU in the years to come and what his focuses will be.

Small said the inauguration committee consisted of about 30 people to bring in more viewpoints.

“All of us had different perspective from around campus. A lot of us represent different constituencies,” Small said.

Small said he believes NIU has had an interesting history recently and he believes the campus is looking forward to a time where it can say, “This moment we go forward.”

“Those things that happened in the past, whether it was unethical behavior, bad publicity or a lack of integrity on campus, I truly believe tomorrow marks the line in the sand,” Small said. “We don’t go back behind that line now. We move forward from that line.”