More than 1‚600 students graduate in fall commencement ceremonies

More than 1‚600 students graduate in three fall commencement ceremonies

Georgia (Dec 17, 2008) — Some 1‚645 undergraduate and graduate students earned degrees from Kennesaw State University –– a fall commencement record –– during three ceremonies Dec. 11 and 12 at the Convocation Center.

The number of students eligible for graduation increased almost 30 percent over last fall‚ when 1‚279 students graduated. KSU held three fall commencement ceremonies.

Fred Sanderson‚ superintendent of the Cobb County School District‚ was the speaker at the commencement ceremony for graduates of the Bagwell College of Education‚ the WellStar College of Health and Human Services and the College of Science and Mathematics the morning of Dec. 11. Cobb County Commission chairman Sam Olens addressed graduates of the Coles College of Business that evening. On Dec. 12‚ the College of the Arts‚ the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the University College marked commencement with an address by Tom Scott‚ a Kennesaw State history professor.

The total undergraduate and graduate degree candidates for each school were: College of Humanities and Social Science‚ 524; Coles College of Business‚ 474; College of Science and Mathematics‚ 218; WellStar College of Health and Human Services 203; Bagwell College of Education 170; College of the Arts 51; and University College 6.

Among those earning degrees from KSU this fall were the first two students to receive a graduate certificate in leadership and ethics from the Siegel Institute for Leadership‚ Ethics and Character at KSU. Pamela Koeferl and Mark Turcot completed the partner program with an M.B.A. from the Coles College of Business. The graduate certificate in leadership and ethics is a 15 credit−hour program‚ the only one of its kind in the Southeast.

At the Dec. 11 morning ceremony‚ a near−capacity audience of classmates‚ faculty‚ staff and visitors gave a standing ovation to Kyle Pease‚ 23‚ who is confined to a wheelchair as a result of cerebral palsy. Pease was awarded a Bachelor of Science in sports management.

On Dec. 12‚ Capt. Daniel Allen Hill‚ who graduated from KSU in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in history‚ finally was able to participate in a commencement ceremony after two deployments to Iraq.

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.