Speakers chosen, students prepare for December commencements
Three commencement speakers have been selected for the Dec. 14 graduation ceremonies at McGuirk Arena.
Among the keynote speakers are two CEOs and an experienced veterinarian who stars in his own show on National Geographic Wild: Joseph Anderson Jr., Edward Christianson, and Jan Pol, respectively.
The commencement speakers are selected by Central Michigan University President George Ross, but he also receives recommendations from the university community.
“Speakers are chosen because of the success they enjoyed throughout their careers,” Commencement Coordinator Sharon Russell said. “They share valuable life information and provide motivation to graduates as they pursue their own careers or continued education.”
Commencement speakers are not compensated, Russel said, but the university is willing to reimburse them for their travel expenses if they request it.
Linda Gillingham is an associate registrar for undergraduate academic services and reviews graduation applications from potential graduates. This year, Gillingham says there are approximately 2,400 prospective graduates for December’s commencement.
These graduates will be broken up into three ceremonies. The first starts at 9 a.m., followed by a ceremony at 1 p.m., and the last at 5 p.m.
Although commencement is Dec. 14, final grades are not due until Dec. 18. Therefore, it is possible for a student to participate in commencement, but not graduate.
For a student to graduate, they must meet with advisers and set up an appointment for an audit. That audit will determine what courses have been fulfilled and what classes are left to take.
Ten months before the graduation date, students are required to apply for graduation in the Academic Services Office, located in Warriner Hall, room 123. Provided the student applies, another graduation audit will be prepared for the student. If all class requirements are completed in the final audit, the student is eligible for graduation.
Although there is no fee when applying for graduation, caps and gowns run for $55 at the CMU Bookstore.
“You could literally purchase your cap and gown five minutes prior to line up on graduation Saturday if you wanted to,” CMU Bookstore Director Barry Waters said.
