Approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students will be honored Friday, Dec. 16, as Virginia Tech holds its 2011 Fall Commencement ceremonies in Cassell Coliseum on the Virginia Tech campus.

Students who completed their academic work at the end of the summer session or the fall semester will be recognized at this ceremony.

2011 marks the 140th year of Virginia Tech. Information on all commencement activities may be found online.

Vice President for Student Affairs Edward F. D. Spencer, will give the keynote address at the University Commencement Ceremony. Jaan Holt, Patrick and Nancy Lathrop Professor of Architecture and director of the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, National Capital Region, will deliver the Graduate School Ceremony address.

Should the university be closed due to inclement weather, commencement ceremonies would also be cancelled. Once the decision to cancel has been made, details will be posted on the Virginia Tech homepage, the Virginia Tech News homepage, and Virginia Tech Mobile. In addition, a broadcast email will be sent to all students, faculty, and staff; a recorded message will be placed on the University Weather Line (540-231-6668); and information will be shared with local media outlets. The announcement will also be posted to VT News on Twitter and the Virginia Tech page on Facebook.

University Commencement

Undergraduate students will be recognized at the University Commencement ceremony held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Cassell Coliseum. Associate’s degrees will be conferred to two students, and bachelor's degrees will be conferred to approximately 936 students completing the fall term, and an additional 10 associate’s degree and 445 bachelor’s degrees will be conferred to students who completed their degree during Summer Session 2011.

In all, approximately 1,393 undergraduate students will be recognized at the University Commencement Ceremony. Of those students, 289 graduating seniors completed their baccalaureate degree programs with honors, having achieved an accumulative grade point average of at least a 3.4 on a 4.0 scale.

Bachelor’s degrees to be awarded to students from each of Virginia Tech’s seven undergraduate colleges:

Student remarks during the University Commencement ceremony include opening reflections from Matthew A. Jernigan of Chesapeake, Va., a senior majoring in architecture in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies; a speech by Class of 2012 President Sandy D. Bass Jr.of Virginia Beach, Va., a senior majoring in marketing management in the Pamplin College of Business; and closing reflections by Class of 2012 Historian Nina Riza Sabarre of Fairfax, Va., a senior majoring in political science in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

Families and guests attending the University Commencement Ceremony are encouraged to be seated by 10:15 a.m. The procession of students and faculty will begin promptly at 10:40 a.m. 

Graduate Commencement

The Graduate School Ceremony will follow from 3 to 5 p.m., also in Cassell Coliseum. At that ceremony, approximately 15 advanced graduate certificates, 10 Education Specialists degrees, 214 master’s degrees, three Ed.D., and 100 Ph.D. degrees will be conferred to students who completed their graduate programs at the end of summer session. In addition, approximately 49 advanced graduate certificates, six Education Specialists degrees, 472 master's degrees, 11 Ed.D., and 180 Ph.D. degrees will be conferred to students completing graduate programs at the end of the fall term.

In all, approximately 1,060 graduate students will be recognized during the Graduate School Ceremony.

Student remarks during the Graduate Commencement ceremony will be made by Kimberly Ann Carlson of Blacksburg, Va., a Ph.D. candidate in public administration/public affairs program in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

Those attending the Graduate School Ceremony are asked to be seated by 2:15 p.m. The procession of students and faculty will begin at 2:45 p.m.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

Related Links

Contact:

Tags

Share this story