Office of University Communications
Missouri State to confer 1,228 degrees during fall commencement
Tom Strong to receive Bronze Bear Award; David Harrison to deliver graduation address
Date: December 8, 2006
Contact: Dr. John Catau
(417) 836-8346
SPRINGFIELD — Missouri State University will confer 1,228 degrees to students this fall during commencement ceremonies Dec. 15 at Hammons Student Center. Degrees in the College of Business Administration and College of Education will be given out at 12:30 p.m. Degrees in the College of Arts and Letters, the College of Health and Human Services, the College of Humanities and Public Affairs and the College of Natural and Applied Sciences will be given at 4 p.m. Each ceremony is expected to last approximately 90 minutes.
Tom Strong will receive the university’s Bronze Bear Award for “extraordinary achievement and/or outstanding support” of Missouri State during the 4 p.m. ceremony. Strong was approved for the award by the Missouri State Board of Governors at its October meeting. He is the seventh recipient of the Bronze Bear Award since its inception in 1998.
A total of 969 baccalaureate degrees, 253 master’s degrees, five specialist degrees and one doctorate degree will be conferred. Beyond the standard expectations, 28 students will be recognized for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State’s Honors College. Scholastic honors will be given to 37 students who will graduate summa cum laude (with a grade point average of 3.9-4.0 on a 4.0 scale), 50 who will graduate magna cum laude (with a GPA of 3.75-3.89) and 156 who will graduate cum laude (with a GPA of 3.4-3.74).
Including fall graduates, Missouri State will have conferred a total of 103,811 degrees (including 966 associate degrees), 89,363 baccalaureate degrees since 1906, 12,677 master’s degrees since 1968, 801 specialist degrees since 1977 and four doctorate degrees since 2005.
David Harrison, a local businessman, noted children’s author and recipient of an honorary doctorate degree from Missouri State, will deliver the commencement address at both ceremonies.