New chancellor sworn in during colorful cap-and-gown ceremony

ATLANTA - A tall, soft-spoken Southern educator was inaugurated as the tenth chancellor of Georgia&#39;s university system Wednesday in a colorful cap-and-gown ceremony at the Capitol. <br> <br> After being given the emblem of his office - a sterling silver and gold medallion suspended from a chain - the 60-year-old Meredith said the state&#39;s public colleges are among the best in the nation but can do even better. <br> <br> Despite the progress of recent years, he said, Georgia still isn&#39;t attracting enough of its high school graduates to higher education. He said that&#39;s one of the things he expects to address in a new five-year plan. <br> <br> The plan was adopted earlier Wednesday by the Board of Regents, which governs the 34 colleges and universities within Georgia&#39;s university system and chose Meredith last year to succeed Stephen Portch. <br> <br> Meredith has been on the job since January 1, but higher education tends to be slow in inaugurating new leaders, Meredith noted in his speech, joking that everybody wants to make sure it&#39;s going to work out first. <br> <br> The ceremony was held in the newly restored chambers of the House of Representatives, with large floral displays at the front and along the walls and music by the wind ensemble from Georgia State University. <br> <br> The color guard came from North Georgia College and State University, while Albany State University sent its concert chorale to participate in the program. <br> <br> Meredith was plucked from neighboring Alabama, where he was chancellor of the University of Alabama System. He also has been president of Western Kentucky University and a vice chancellor at the University of Mississippi. <br> <br> He is a Kentucky native and holds a bachelor of arts degree in social studies, a master of arts degree in education administration and a doctorate of education degree in administration and supervision.