More than 400 Anderson University students will become alumni as they receive their degrees during Winter Commencement, taking place in Henderson Auditorium. The University will honor the accomplishments of its students with two Winter Commencement ceremonies on Friday, December 16.
Of 401 candidates for graduation, 224 are graduate students and 177 are undergraduates.
At 10 a.m., graduates of the Center for Cybersecurity, Center for Leadership and Organizations, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education and the School of Public Service and Administration will receive their degrees.
At 3 p.m., graduates of the College of Christian Studies, College of Engineering, College of Health Professions, School of Interior Design and The South Carolina School of the Arts will receive their degrees.
The Commencement speaker is Patty Slaughter, Ph.D. Dr. Slaughter has been teaching in higher education for more than 25 years and is finishing her 12th year teaching at Anderson University. She is a licensed psychologist (in New York and North Carolina) and has worked in several practice settings including schools, churches, community mental health centers and private practice. While she enjoys doing clinical work, Dr. Slaughter loves teaching and mentoring college students. Dr. Slaughter has been married to her husband Dane for almost 30 years. They have two daughters—Jadyn is an officer in the US Navy studying to be a Navy Physical Therapist, and Kaelyn is a college junior studying mechanical engineering at a school in Tennessee. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running and spending time with her family.
Music for the ceremony will be performed by faculty and students from the South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University.
Commencements at Anderson University have celebrated many “firsts” over the years. This year, Alan Baldwin will become the first graduate of the Anderson University Center for Leadership and Organizations, receiving his Ph.D. in Leadership.
“The faculty has been tremendous,” Baldwin said. “I really encourage somebody to look if they’re looking for a way to be able to not go through a program quickly, but go through a program with an intentionality and a meaning and understand that they’ve got to show up, this is the program. It’s well put together.”
Dr. Kyle Small, director of the Center for Leadership and Organizations, said “Alan’s participation in the program has demonstrated the power of AU’s academic mentoring culture.” Dr. Jeffrey Moore, professor of management in the Anderson University College of Business who chaired Baldwin’s Ph.D. dissertation, said, “It has been a joy to participate in the development of classes and teach in the Organizational Leadership Ph.D. program. Dr. Small has successfully enabled an effective learning environment between faculty and students where leadership research is emerging. Today we celebrate the achievement of Dr. Baldwin who has been diligent and committed to this process.” Dr. Small added that several additional Ph.D. candidates will graduate in May.
For the convenience of family and friends who are unable to attend Commencement, there will be a live video streaming option on the Commencement page. Please check the Commencement page for the link that will be published when it becomes available.
Persons requiring special accommodations for participation in the Processional or ceremony should notify the Office of the Registrar at (864) 231-2120 or registrar@andersonuniversity.edu as soon as possible to discuss how we can best accommodate your needs.
Information regarding Commencement will be regularly updated on the Anderson University Commencement page. Inclement weather may require the University to change the location and nature of the event. For details, visit the Anderson University Commencement page.