Baylor University Holds Summer 2015 Commencement Ceremony

August 12, 2015
Commencement

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Media contact: Lori Fogleman, (254) 710-6275
WACO, Texas (Aug. 12, 2015) – The closing of summer at Baylor University also marks the completion of degrees for many Baylor students. Graduating students will walk across the stage and shake the hand of President and Chancellor Ken Starr during Summer Commencement ceremonies Saturday, Aug. 15, in Baylor’s Ferrell Center.
Graduates earning degrees from the School of Social Work, School of Engineering and Computer Science, School of Music, Hankamer School of Business, School of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School and all related graduate degrees will receive their diplomas at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
At the ceremony, Helen Shanley, retired professor emeritus of music, will be honored as Bearer of the Mace and lead the graduates in the processional.
The Mace, a symbol of authority used in all commencement exercises, is composed of a golden sword linked with two walking canes once belonging to former Baylor President Rufus C. Burleson and Gen. Sam Houston. The sword was presented to Cyrus Baylor, brother of Baylor University co-founder Judge R.E.B. Baylor, by President Andrew Jackson for his bravery in the War of 1812.
The invocation will be given by Roxie Collier, administrative associate for the John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship in the Hankamer School of Business.
The benediction will be given by Baylor alumnus Tim Roberts, adult transformation minister at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler.
President Starr will give the traditional charge to the graduates, while Richard Willis, chairman of the board of regents, will bring greetings to the graduates and their families.
The Ferrell Center is located at 1900 S. University Parks Drive. The parking lot is accessible from both South University Parks Drive and LaSalle Avenue. Click here for a map of Baylor’s campus.
The Ferrell Center will open at 8:30 a.m., 90 minutes prior to the ceremony.
For questions about the Summer 2015 Commencement ceremony, contact Lois Ferguson, manager of commencement and facilities planning.
by Spencer Cutright, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.