Two December graduation ceremonies set

This year’s winter commencement Friday, Dec. 16, will include a ceremony for master’s degree recipients as well as the ceremony for graduates receiving bachelor’s degrees. Graduation for the master’s degree recipients will be at 2 p.m. in Memorial Hall followed by the undergraduate ceremony at 4 p.m. in Armstrong Gym.

The schedule marks a switch from recent years, in which CSC has had two ceremonies in May, but just one in December.

Michele Rickenbach, CSC assistant registrar, said college officials decided earlier this fall to add a ceremony to better accommodate the growing number of master’s degree recipients. The number of master’s degree recipients has exactly doubled from five years ago when 31 were on the list.

In addition to the 62 master’s degree candidates, 103 students are on the list to receive bachelor’s degrees. Of the overall total, 45 finished their respective programs of study during the summer.

The speaker for the undergraduate ceremony will be Dr. Jeff King, a cardiologist for the Nebraska Heart Institute at Grand Island. King, who attended Chadron State in 1990-1993, was among the first participants of the Rural Health Opportunities Program. In 2004, he received CSC’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award.

Dr. Tim Anderson, CSC professor of business, will deliver the keynote address for the graduate ceremony. Anderson has worked his way through the faculty ranks since coming to CSC as an instructor in 1977. He was promoted to professor in 1992.

People may watch the ceremonies live at this link. They also will be broadcast locally on Chadron cable channel 20.