For UNC Charlotte, this year's Commencement marks a unique milestone as the University will recognize its 100,000th alumnus during ceremonies on Saturday, May 12. To help celebrate, past alumni association presidents will be on hand, along with a member of the Class of 1965, the first graduating class following the University's designation as the fourth member of the statewide system.
Nearly 3,500 students, along with family, friends and well-wishers, will gather for the two 2012 spring commencement ceremonies in Halton Arena, located in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center (SAC).
The College of Education, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Graduate School will confer degrees at 10 a.m. The Belk College of Business, College of Arts + Architecture, College of Computing and Informatics, College and Health and Human Services, Lee College of Engineering and the Graduate School will award degrees at 3 p.m. The Belk College will host an informal reception for new graduates and their families in the SAC Salons immediately following the ceremony.
Dr. Howard Godfrey, professor of accounting in the Belk College of Business, will be recognized as the 2012 recipient of UNC Board of Governors Award for Teaching Excellence, during the afternoon ceremony. The honor is presented to a faculty member at each UNC system institution to emphasize the importance of teaching. Dr. Godfrey also was the 2011 recipient of the Bank of America Teaching Award, UNC Charlotte's highest teaching honor.
In total, 2,464 undergraduate students are eligible to receive bachelor’s degrees; 991 graduate students are expected to earn advanced degrees, including 48 who will receive doctorates.