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Graduation ceremony highlights growth
The University of the Sunshine Coast will, for the first time in its 15-year history, hold a second semester graduation ceremony this year.
The event at USC’s Sports Stadium on Friday 1 October will feature plenty of pomp and ceremony, including an academic procession, graduation speeches and the conferring of degrees by Chancellor John Dobson.
A crowd of about 1,000 graduands and guests is expected to attend.
USC Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill said significant growth in the number of graduates from the University in recent years had brought about the need for a second graduation ceremony.
Professor Hill said the crowd attending USC’s annual first semester ceremony earlier this year had reached the stadium’s capacity of 3,000 people.
“With increasing numbers of students completing mid-year, an October graduation is an appropriate way to complete the study cycle,” he said.
Professor Hill said he was looking forward to the ceremony, which will be his first in his new role as USC’s Vice-Chancellor.
It also will be the final graduation ceremony for two of USC’s long-serving Deans, Professor Pam Dyer of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Professor Rod Simpson of the Faculty of Science, Health and Education.
Both Deans plan to retire in early 2011.
Guest speaker will be USC Adjunct Professor John Mendoza of ConNetica Consulting whose career has included working as Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Council of Australia and Chief Executive of the Australian Sports Drug Agency.
— Terry Walsh