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Chancellor's Office > Commencement Address

Commencement Address

May 5, 2008

Commencement is a true crowning event for our graduates and their families. Our students have earned an Indiana University degree that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. They have sacrificed and worked hard, and today they can really celebrate.

However, as we consider where you graduates are in your lives here today, we must also consider the past and the future. Like you, our campus has achieved much in these last few years and looks forward to a bright future.

As you can see, construction is well underway on our new student housing. This fall, more than 400 students will call these lodges their campus home.

We have recently opened the newly renovated student center and our expanded conference center to enthusiastic reviews by our campus and community members alike. Our new Honors Program has just completed a strong first year, and our new Informatics major is thriving. Moreover, our School of Business’ MBA program was recently named among the best part-time MBA programs in the nation by BusinessWeek magazine, and we continue to add new academic programs each year.

But it is also appropriate for us to look back this evening. We were established as an IU Extension Center in 1941. We first began conferring degrees in 1968, and since then over 23,000 individuals have earned their degrees here. IU Southeast alumni now live and work in all 50 states and in at least nine foreign countries. The vast majority of our graduates – nearly 90 percent – continue to live in the state of Indiana and the greater Louisville region.

Our newest alumni stand before me, and it is my distinct honor to present the IU Southeast Class of 2008. In doing so, I would like to share some statistics and other information about the individuals whose degrees will be conferred this evening:

  • 174 have earned a master’s degree
  • 722 have earned a bachelor’s degree
  • 122 have earned associate degrees - and this includes 32 who will have degrees conferred by the Purdue University School of Technology.

For you non-math majors, that adds up to 1,018 graduates - the third largest class in the 40 years that degrees have been awarded by IU Southeast.

The Indiana-Kentucky tuition reciprocity program is reflected in this class. Thirty percent of the members come from the Kentucky counties of Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, and Trimble, the four counties that benefit from the reciprocity agreement.

Also, 21 Indiana counties are represented by this year’s graduates.

Members of this class range in age from 20 to 62. Thirty-six percent are in the traditional college age group of 24 and under. Thirty percent are 25 to 29; 22 percent are 30 to 39; 8 percent are in their 40's; and almost 3% percent are in their 50's and 60’s. As you can clearly see, it is indeed never too late to continue your formal education.

Commencement is special for the families and friends of our graduates. The majority of this evening’s graduates are in the first generation of their families to earn a college degree, and many are the very first in their family to become a college graduate.

Many of the families in the audience this evening have witnessed the ups and downs of the journey a student takes to earn a degree. They have seen the struggles and the triumphs.

Earlier this evening, President McRobbie and I had the privilege of presenting the Felten family with a diploma in memory of one of our graduating students.

Matthew Felten of New Salisbury, Indiana was pursuing a degree in Computer Science. Matthew’s commitment to education was evident in his persistence in completing his degree while working full-time. This pursuit was part of a family legacy, for he was to be the fifth graduate of IU Southeast, joining his father, one of his sisters, and three of his brothers.

Matthew and his family are very much in our thoughts this evening.

There are so many outstanding graduates I wish to praise tonight. However, as individual as they are, they have one thing in common – what Clarence Birdseye called “stick-to-it-iveness.”

This class embodies persistence and hard work. For those who are receiving undergraduate degrees, 82 percent completed their work in six years or less. The other 16 percent pursued their academic goals at a more leisurely pace, with 2 percent taking more than seven years. One of our graduates began his studies at IU Southeast in 1969. Perseverance does pay off!

In addition, several members of this class broadened their horizons by participating in overseas study programs as part of their university experience. They studied in Great Britain, Ecuador, Paraguay, China, Spain, Chile, and Italy.

Many graduates were selected to participate in undergraduate research projects, as evidenced by the over 240 student participants in our undergraduate research conference this year. These experiences will serve them especially well as they go on to graduate and professional schools.

To say our students are hard-workers is an under-statement. At least 86 percent of our graduates worked in part-time or full-time jobs while earning their college education, and many were raising families as well.

One of the fascinating statistics about this class is the number of men and women. Only 31 percent are male and 69 percent are female. These numbers clearly reflect a growing national trend and represent the many opportunities open for women today.

Moreover, our class shows a high degree of satisfaction with this campus. Ninety-six percent agreed with the statement that “IUS offers a high-quality academic program.” And 94 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 number one comment was small class size and personal attention. Here are some other comments that students offered:

  • “I transferred in after spending time at two much larger campuses, and I found that the smaller class sizes seemed to be more conducive to learning.”
  • “The quality of teaching was exceptional.”
  • “Great professors and peers—I’d take classes FOREVER if I could.”
  • “I absolutely must include the beautiful campus with its broad lawns, mature trees, and wonderful plantings. I felt good to be here.”
  • “The campus is beautiful. The teachers and students were wonderful. I’m not from this area, but after meeting everyone, I would love to move here.”
  • “Every university should strive to achieve what IU Southeast maintains on a daily basis.”
  • “I never felt as if I was just a number to the university.”
  • “I love the small class sizes. They really allow for interaction and discussion between professor and student.”
  • “I am on a first name basis with many faculty members.”
  • “The library is wonderful!”
  • “I just love that the people at IU Southeast want me to succeed. It’s such a warm and welcoming environment.”
  • “I think IU Southeast has very nice technology. I would drive to IU Southeast just to use their computers.”

We know that the graduates here today have made many sacrifices and sustained efforts to be present at this ceremony. It is my pledge to all of these graduates, to our alumni, and to our current students that we will continue our efforts at improving the IU Southeast campus. We are committed to exploring the many opportunities which come our way to strengthen IU Southeast and ensure a bright future. In fact, we take particular note of suggested improvements, some of which have come from our student body. In an exit interview of our graduates, we asked them what they would change at IU Southeast. Here are a few student comments and my responses:

  • Parking, parking, parking – we’re working on it.
  • More graduate study options – we’re working on them.
  • More variety in course scheduling – we’re working on it.
  • Student housing – as you can see, we certainly have been working on that!
  • “Required portfolio assignments” – I think we need a little more input and consideration before we launch into that one!

Many comments focused on cars, food, and courses. It is clear that our students understand the basics.

On a personal note, my six years at IU Southeast have been quite special to me because of the many wonderful people I have met - including members of this class of 2008.

President McRobbie and members of the Board of Trustees, we are indeed proud of all the members of the class of 2008. I am honored and pleased to present them to you this evening and to congratulate each of them on their significant achievements.

Now to present the response for the class, it is my privilege to introduce Sarah Raake.