Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University’s 160th Commencement on Dec. 16 will cap a Centennial year of celebrations.

The fall commencement ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at Diddle Arena. President Gary Ransdell will deliver commencement remarks.

WKU will again confer degrees to a record number of December graduates. This fall’s total of 1,237 degree recipients includes 107 associates, 764 baccalaureate, 365 master’s and one specialist.

About 700 students are expected to participate, Registrar Freida Eggleton said.
WKU, which has conducted a December ceremony since 1996, has seen the number of fall graduates increase in recent years as the University’s enrollment has grown, Eggleton said. The recent trend of December WKU graduates is: 2005 – 1,215; 2004 – 1,185; 2003 – 1,202; 2002 – 906; 2001 – 836; 2000 – 1,019.

The University will recognize honor graduates, including the first Ogden Foundation Scholar.
In past years, the Ogden Trustees’ Award had been presented to graduates who had earned a 4.0 grade-point average and all coursework completed at WKU. Effective this fall, the Ogden Foundation Scholar Award will be presented to one graduating baccalaureate degree senior who has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and outstanding university and civic engagement.

Students with the highest GPA in each college who had earned at least 64 hours at WKU were invited to apply for the award. Six students applied for this fall’s award by submitting an application form, an essay and two letters of recommendation. The Ogden Foundation Scholar Award Selection Committee narrowed the list to three finalists who were interviewed. The recipient will receive a plaque and a $1,000 award and will carry the WKU banner in the commencement processional.

WKYU-PBS, WKU’s Public Broadcasting, will broadcast the ceremony live with a replay at 2 p.m. Dec. 18.
Other commencement events include the Outstanding Black Graduates Recognition Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center’s Russell Miller Theatre and the Nursing Associate Degree Pinning Ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 16 at Downing University Center Theatre.

More information is available online at http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Support/AcadAffairs/Registrar/commencement.htm

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Registrar at (270) 745-5432.

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