[Photo] IU Seal design imbedded in the floor in the entrance to the IU Southeast Library.

May 10, 2010

Congratulations, Indiana University Southeast Class of 2010!

Commencement is a triumphant event for you and your families. You have earned an Indiana University degree that will benefit you for the rest of your lives. You have sacrificed and worked hard, and today you should celebrate.

We are joined today by many members of our distinguished faculty, who have mentored and guided you through your years at IU Southeast. They have worked tirelessly to inspire you and prepare you for life beyond academia. They have shared their time, expertise, and vast knowledge to help you reach this important day.

In addition, graduates, a good number of you were supported by generous community members and philanthropic organizations. Collectively, you received more than $1.2 million dollars in scholarships.

All of these people have given so much to you over the years. Today begins your opportunity to give back.

It is the historic mission of the University to provide opportunity. You, the members of the class of 2010, are living proof that IU Southeast is fulfilling its mission.

Our campus continues to evolve: just a little over a year and a half ago, we opened our first-ever student housing; our MBA program was recently ranked the 9th best part-time program in the nation; new majors like Informatics and Criminal Justice are thriving; each year our Ogle Center reaches out to our community and provides free arts and cultural programming to over 17,000 children; and we, as an institution, just received a glowing report on our 10-year NCA reaccreditation.

Even though IU Southeast has been experiencing a rush of positive achievement, our focus has never wavered. At IU Southeast, we focus on our students’ success. In fact, our new vision statement, crafted this year with input from our entire campus, is simple: We transform good students into great leaders, one graduate at a time. And let me give you just a couple of specific examples from such an outstanding class….

Graduates like Rebecca Yeager... Rebecca’s father graduated from IU Southeast, so she had the distinct advantage of being a Grenadier from birth. Rebecca was one of our very first applicants to the now-thriving Honors Program, and she was one of the first – if not THE first –students in campus history to study Farsi. After graduation, she will pursue her graduate degree in Second Language Studies at IU Bloomington, where she will work as an Associate Instructor. This summer Rebecca will be studying abroad in Turkey.

Graduate Sharon Lai [ lī ] is another example. She worked as a peer mentor, volunteered for the International Student Program, and participated in the LEGACY Leadership Program. She also served on the Minority Student Advisory Board. Sharon is earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Business, with a concentration in Human Resource Management.

Graduates, each of you has a story at this University, and each one of you has an even bigger story that begins today, shaped by your education here at IU Southeast and realized out there – in the “real” world.

Like alumni before you, many will continue to live and work in our community. In fact, the vast majority of all IU Southeast alumni—nearly 90 percent—continue to live in the state of Indiana and the greater Louisville region – alumni like our guest speaker Molly Johnson who has lived and worked in our community for more than 40 years. Her impact, and that of other IU Southeast graduates, has helped shape this region.

Now, I want to focus on our newest alumni, who sit before me, dressed in caps and gowns, ready to take on the world. Let me tell you just a bit about this extraordinary group of graduates:

• 219 have earned a master’s degree
• 732 have earned a bachelor’s degree
• 95 have earned associate degrees

For you non-math majors, that adds up to 1,046 graduates -- the third largest class in our history.
996 of these graduates have earned their IU degree, while 50 have earned a degree through our partnership with the Purdue University School of Technology.

Today’s graduates hail from 21 Indiana counties, 6 states, and 15 different countries. The Indiana-Kentucky tuition reciprocity program is well reflected in this class. More than a third of its members come from Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, Trimble, and Meade counties in Kentucky, the five counties that benefit from the reciprocity agreement.

Members of the Class of 2010 range in age from 20 to 60. Thirty-five percent are age 24 and under, while nearly 50 of today’s graduates are over the age of 50. As you can clearly see, it is indeed never too late to achieve your dreams.

All of our graduates have one thing in common – what Clarence Birdseye called “stick-to-it-iveness.” This class embodies persistence and hard work. The vast majority of today’s graduates worked part-time or full-time jobs while earning their college education, and many were raising families.

For those who are receiving undergraduate degrees, I’d like to congratulate the 83 percent who completed their work in six years or less. I’d also like to acknowledge the remaining 17 percent who pursued their academic goals at a more leisurely pace. One of today’s graduates began his studies during the 1960s. Perseverance certainly pays off.

One of the fascinating statistics about this class is the number of men and women. Only one third of today’s graduates are males. This clearly reflects a growing national trend and represents the many opportunities open for women today.

Moreover, our class shows a high degree of satisfaction with this campus. Ninety-four percent agreed with the statement that “IUS offers a high-quality academic program.” And 91 percent said they would “encourage others to attend IU Southeast.”

There are many things that this graduating class identified as being good about IU Southeast. When asked what they liked best about their experience here, the comments mentioned the most often were about our outstanding faculty. Let me share what some of our students said:

• “The faculty and staff interaction here was awesome!”
• “I feel that my professors care about my education.”
• “The quality of courses and faculty was very high and contributed to significant exposure to useful concepts and alternative viewpoints from which I drew to aid me in my current work/position. I also enjoyed the ease of access to class locations on campus and in Jeffersonville.”
• “I’m treated as an individual, and my voice and opinion really do matter.”
• “Professors are “on top” of teaching the latest best practice strategies and techniques.”
• “I love the involvement of the teachers and their interest in my success.”

Other comments included the following:

• “Quality of education is one of the best.”
• “Always evolving and changing to become better.”
• “Welcoming views of diverse background. Well-organized academically and professionally with good code of conduct.”
• “Low tuition. The warm climate of the institution.”

And finally, this simple comment was one of my favorites:

• “IU [Southeast] Rocked!”

The graduates here today have made many sacrifices to be present at this ceremony. It is my pledge to you, to our alumni, and to our current students that we will continue to improve IU Southeast. We are committed to exploring opportunities which come our way to strengthen this University. In fact, we take particular note of suggested improvements.

In an exit survey of our graduates, we asked them what they would change at IU Southeast. I’m pleased to note that the vast majority of our students wanted MORE – and not just more parking! They want more graduate programs, more classes, more advisors, and more great faculty. Let me assure you that we have been working very hard to bring you MORE: more parking, more overseas study opportunities, more room for our students, and yes, we would love to offer you more options for graduate programs.

Of course, a few of our students did want less of some things: a few less late-night classes and early-morning classes, a little less money spent on text books, and not surprisingly, a good number wanted a few LESS group projects. Sorry folks. Group projects aren’t going anywhere. But IU is working hard to reduce the cost of textbooks for our students, and IU Southeast is developing a few new class scheduling options.

President McRobbie and members of the Board of Trustees, this is the IU Southeast Class of 2010. We are indeed proud of each of our graduates, and I am honored and pleased to present them to you today. I congratulate each of them on their significant achievements.

Now, to present the response for the class, it is my privilege to introduce one of our most dynamic graduates, Courtney Pemberton.