When nearly a thousand students cross the stage this Saturday during Brock’s Fall Convocation, they will be part of the 100th graduation ceremony in the University’s history.
Unlike the first convocation celebration in 1967, Brock’s centennial ceremony won’t take place under the open skies of “The Podium” in front of the Schmon Tower. Instead, the ceremony will be held in the climate-controlled and bright confines of the Ian Beddis Gymnasium.
During two ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, 955 undergraduate and graduate students will be conferred. Combined with the Spring Convocation held in June, a total of 4,468 students will have graduated in the 2015-16 academic year at Brock University. That’s a far cry from the 34 people who comprised Brock’s first-ever graduating class May 30, 1967.
Of this Saturday’s 955 graduands, 293 are grad students, 196 are international students and 41 are varsity athletics student-athletes.
The morning ceremony will see students from the faculties of Applied Health Sciences, Math and Science and the Goodman School of Business receive their degrees. The afternoon ceremony is for students from the faculties of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Among the awards to be handed out Saturday will be the Governor General’s Silver Medals, handed out the two students with the highest academic standing out of all graduates in a first honours degree. Math and Computer Science student Stacey Van Herk finished with a 97 per cent average and Medical Sciences student Cameron Giles had a 95 per cent average.
Also being awarded Saturday are six Spirit of Brock medals to students who best represent the spirit of Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock, two Faculty of Health Sciences Research Excellence awards, a Distinguished Researcher award and a Distinguished Teaching award.
Research Excellence award recipient David Gabriel, professor in the Department of Kinesiology, will deliver the morning convocation address and Distinguished Teaching award recipient Nicola Simmons, professor in the Department of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in Education will deliver the afternoon address.
Saturday will also mark the first Convocation ceremonies for Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Tom Traves.
Both convocation ceremonies are open to the public and media.
