Metropolitan State celebrates 103rd commencement
Approximately 1,302 students are receiving bachelor's and master's degrees with 889 students expected to participate in Metropolitan State University’s 103rd commencement exercise.
To accommodate Metropolitan State’s growing student body, the commencement ceremony will take place as two programs Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, at the Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Ave. S. The morning program will begin at 10 a.m., and the afternoon program will begin at 2:30 p.m. All guests must have a ticket. The ceremony will be live streamed on the Internet (https://bit.ly/2Qggzuv) for those unable to attend.
The morning program’s student address will be delivered by graduating student, Tanya B. Juarez-Sweeney, who is the President’s Outstanding Graduate Student from the College of Liberal Arts. The morning exercise confers 411 bachelor’s degrees and 22 master’s degrees, recognizing graduates from the College of Liberal Arts, College of Management, College of Sciences, and the School Urban Education.
The student speakers for the afternoon exercise will be Julia Buermann, President’s Outstanding Graduate Student award recipient and College of Nursing and Health Sciences master’s degree student, and Katherine Anschutz, President’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student award recipient from the College of Community Studies and Public Affairs. The afternoon program confers 419 bachelor’s degrees and 37 master’s degrees, recognizing graduates from the College of Community Studies and Public Affairs, the College of Individualized Studies, and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Guest speaker Rodolfo “Rudy” Rodriguez, from the Minnesota State Board of Trustees, will bring congratulations on behalf of the board and Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra. Rodriguez is vice president of diversity and inclusion for Ameriprise Financial Inc., and a member of the LatinoLEAD organization. Other commencement participants include:
- Virginia "Ginny" Arthur, J.D., Metropolitan State University president
- Dr. Amy Gort, provost and executive vice president for Academic and Student Affairs
- Rodolfo "Rudy" Rodriguez, trustee, Minnesota State Board of Trustees
- Dr. Michael O’Conner, Metropolitan State University Alumnus of the Year
- Dr. August Hoffman, president of the Inter-faculty Organization
- Kristine Hansen, director of Alumni Relations
- Tina Martinez, Student Senate president
Metropolitan State University, a member of Minnesota State, is the Twin Cities public, urban, comprehensive state university providing lifelong learning, and competitive academic and professional degree programs at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels.