This weekend, over 1,400 students celebrate their accomplishments atSoutheast Missouri State University's commencement ceremonies at the Show-Me-Center in Cape Girardeau.
This year, due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns, graduates will be honored in five separate ceremonies, with about 225 graduates present at each event.
Of the 1,446 students, 1,102 receive their undergraduate degree; 319 receive their master's degree; and 25 candidates will receive their specialist degree.
At 2 p.m. on Fri. May 14, the College of Education, Health and Human Studies honored the first group of graduates.
The programs included Elementary, Early and Special Education, Leadership, Middle and Secondary Education, and Psychology and Counseling. The speaker was Dr. Jeremy Barnes, a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition and Recreation.
At 6 p.m. on Fri. May 14, the College of Education will honor their second group of graduates. These programs include Child and Family Studies, Communication Disorders, Kinesiology, Nutrition and Recreation, and Nursing. All Holland College of Arts and Media graduates will receive their recognition in this ceremony.
At 10 a.m. on Sat. May 15 the Harrison College of Business and Computing will be the first group honored, at 2 p.m. the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math will be second, and at 6 p.m. the final commencment ceremony is being held for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
In addition to implementing staggered ceremonies, supplementary methods were used to ensure the safety of participants and andattendees including following social distancing guidlines, requiring the use of face coverings, and limiting the amount of tickets provided for families.
Due to capacity limits, those who cannot attend the events in person are still able to view the ceremony online.