SIUC will have its first winter commencement ceremony for students graduating at the end of the fall 1997 semester as a convenience for those future University alumni, administrators say.

The original impetus was feedback from the students, particularly students graduating in December, John Jackson, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and provost, said. The option was given for them to participate in the spring commencement ceremony; however, this was fairly unsatisfactory to a large number of students.

The University initiated the ceremony because many students who complete course work at the close of the fall semester are unable to return to participate in the spring ceremonies, SIUC Chancellor Donald Beggs said.

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A need was presented to us by the students and faculty, and we are doing our best to try and meet that need, Beggs, who will preside over the ceremony, said. We were talking with other institutions, and they said there had been a positive response to the winter ceremonies, so we decided to give it a try.

Stephen Williams, Admissions and Records officer, said there are about 1,500 to 1,800 students graduating at the end of the fall 1997 semester. About 600 of those students are slated to participate in the commencement ceremony.

Jackson said space at spring commencement also was a consideration.

The secondary reason was that at the last couple spring graduation ceremonies, the Arena was packed to the rafters with people, he said. Even if we can get a small percentage out of that number, we think it will help the atmosphere of the spring ceremony.

An honorary doctorate of letter degree will be presented to Ralph E. McCoy at the ceremony. He is the dean emeritus of Library Affairs at SIUC. Morris Library attained national recognition as a research and publication library under the direction of McCoy. He later created the University’s Law School library and helped plan the University’s Lovejoy Library at SIUE.

Jackson predicts that the fall commencement will be a success.

I think there should be a positive response to this, Jackson said. It remains to be seen how well it goes, but I’m expecting a reasonable turnout.

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Factoid:The ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, in SIU Arena.