By Jill Miller
Staff Writer
Exact numbers of December graduates will not be reported until January 2013. Last year, 293 degrees were awarded at Union’s fall commencement ceremony.
This year’s commencement will take place at 11 a.m. Dec. 15 at West Jackson Baptist Church.
Generally, fewer people graduate in the fall than do in the spring.
Of those who do graduate in December, the number of non-traditional students, composed mostly of students earning a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, is higher than that of traditional undergraduate students.
Higher numbers of undergraduate students graduate in December than graduate students.
The numbers fluctuate a great deal from year to year, said Nita Pearce, assistant registrar.
Numbers change if the ending date of a program is moved or if a program is added, and as the number of enrolled students grows, the number of graduates increases, she said.
Students who will complete their degrees after January term walk at the ceremony held in December. They do not receive their diplomas, however, until their coursework is complete.
The main difference between the fall and spring graduations is the location, said Ryan Griffin, academic center systems coordinator. December graduations take place in the sanctuary of West Jackson Baptist Church, while May graduations take place on the Great Lawn on campus.
The sanctuary can hold a little more than 2,000 people, Griffin said, and about 1,000 people watch the graduation on a screen in the overflow room.
“It’s a very small, more intimate setting than having 6,000 people there,” he said.
There is only one award, Academic Excellence medals, available to those who graduate in December. Traditionally, all other awards are given during graduation in May, said Suzanne Nadaskay, administrative assistant to the executive vice president.
Griffin said that some students’ motive for graduating in December is that the job market is not as flooded with newly graduated applicants.
After May ceremonies, more people are looking for work. Opportunities for jobs also may be more plentiful as the new year begins, he said.
A graduate brunch will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. Dec. 15 in the Carl Grant Events Center. It is open to families and other guests of the graduates as well.
