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IU SOUTHEAST TO HOLD ITS 31ST ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT MONDAY;
MORE THAN 700 IU DEGREES TO BE CONFERRED AT IUS AMPHITHEATER
NEW ALBANY, Ind. - Indiana University Southeast's 31st annual commencement ceremony will begin Monday (May 10) at 7 p.m. at the IUS Amphitheater.
IU President Myles Brand will preside over the event. The ceremony will include remarks by IUS Chancellor F. C. Richardson and the presentation of an IUS Distinguished Alumni Award to State Senator Connie Sipes. Of the 740 degrees conferred, 717 students will receive IU degrees and 23 students will receive degrees through Purdue Statewide Technology associate degree programs.
The Distinguished Alumna Award recognizes an IUS graduate whose achievements have significantly benefited their community, state or nation, and reflected honor upon IUS. Sipes, a resident of New Albany, has earned three degrees from IUS: a bachelor's degree in 1970, a master's degree in education in 1975 and a master's degree in administration in 1990.
Appointed to the state senate in 1997, Sipes ran for and won the senate race in 1998. She serves on a number of committees, among them the Elections Committee, where she is the ranking minority member, and the Education Committee. Sipes is principal of Fairmont Elementary School in New Albany.
In 1996, Sipes was named District 12 Principal of the Year. She was a teacher in the New Albany/Floyd County Consolidated School Corp. from 1971 until 1990.
The degrees awarded Monday at IUS will bring the total number of degrees conferred at the campus to more than 14,140. Approximately 85 percent of IUS alumni continue to live in Indiana. Other IUS graduates live in all 50 states and eight foreign countries.
More than 4,000 seats are available for the public, and no tickets are required for the outdoor commencement ceremony. The rain site is the Activities Building on campus. Because of seating restrictions in that building, each graduate has been given a limited number of guest tickets to the event.
A total of 12,904 degrees will be conferred by Indiana University during the commencement ceremonies on its eight campuses. An additional 1,717 degrees from Purdue University will be awarded on the six campuses where Purdue also offers courses.
(John Eagles, 812-941-2415, jeagles@iusmail.ius.indiana.edu)