University College Commencement Celebration honors part-time graduates May 7

University College Commencement Celebration honors part-time graduates May 7April 28, 2009Eileen Jevisejevis@uc.syr.edu

University College of Syracuse University will honor the part-time students of the Class of 2009 at its 61st annual Commencement Celebration May 7 at 6 p.m. in the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium.

Dean Bea Gonzalez will preside at the ceremony, which features keynote speaker Sheila Marie Aird, assistant professor of global studies at SUNY Empire State College and curatorial consultant at the Community Folk Art Center in Syracuse. Aird holds a Ph.D. in Latin and Caribbean history and an M.A. in history from Howard University. She was awarded the prestigious Sasakawa Fellowship from the Nippon Foundation in Japan to conduct research on enslaved children in the British Caribbean and is currently doing research for a documentary and photo exhibit focusing on children in enslavement.

The student speaker will be Jenny Terrero. She will receive a bachelor of science degree in social work from The College of Arts and Sciences.

Part-time graduates are distinctive because of their special commitment to education and their perseverance in overcoming obstacles to earn their diplomas. Students must typically find time to attend classes and complete assignments, often while juggling careers, families and a number of other real-life responsibilities. The University College celebration will recognize those earning baccalaureate and associate degrees, credit certificates and students enrolled through the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), which is funded by a grant from New York State. University College also serves students earning master’s degrees part time.

University College will name the recipients of the prestigious Nancy C. Gelling Book Award, given annually to the part-time student(s) who achieves the highest overall grade point average. This year’s recipients are Melissa Cavaiola, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in information management and technology from the School of Information Studies, and Jeffrey Richards, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science. In addition, students who earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.81 or higher will be named Alumni Scholars.

Each year, University College recognizes an individual with the Excellence in Teaching award for dedication and commitment to part-time students. This year’s recipient is James T. Spencer, professor of chemistry and associate dean in The College of Arts and Sciences. This year’s University College Marshal is Raymond E. Whitmore Jr., who will graduate with a bachelor of professional studies degree in organizational leadership. He will carry the University College banner at the UC Commencement Celebration and University-wide Commencement exercises on May 10.

To maximize access to the ceremony for distance students and others who cannot attend, the college will post video access to the event on its web site after May 18. Students may access the broadcast at http://suce.syr.edu/commencement/.

University College offers a variety of degree programs in formats tailored to the busy schedules of part-time students. For more information on part-time programs, visit http://uc.syr.edu or call 443-YesU (9378).