Further demonstrating its remarkable growth over the past decade, Anderson University will give diplomas to a record 325 students on May 4 during commencement exercises, surpassing last year’s record 307 graduates.
Widely known as one of the most picturesque settings for graduation in the Southeast, the ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on the front lawn of campus at 316 Boulevard in Anderson, South Carolina. The graduates are scheduled to receive their diplomas under a canopy of giant oak trees, surrounded by the bursting color of azaleas and other spring blooms. In the event of rain, the ceremony will move indoors to the Henderson Auditorium of the Rainey Fine Arts Center.
Of the 325 students graduating on Saturday, 49 will receive master’s degrees in AU’s graduate program.
The commencement address will be given by Dr. David L. Warren, president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Dr. Warren became president of the NAICU in 1993 after nearly a decade as president of Ohio Wesleyan University.
A tireless crusader for America’s private colleges and for increased financial aid funding for all college students, Dr. Warren is widely regarded as one of the most persuasive and influential voices for higher education within Washington, D.C. He is frequently asked to speak at higher education national conferences and on campuses, and he is regularly quoted by the news media on national higher education issues.