In the midst of another challenging year in higher education and a very dynamic job market, 708 students have persevered to accomplish the next step in their professional careers as graduates of Southeast Missouri State University.
SEMO will hold two ceremonies at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau on Saturday, December 13, 2025— one for each college. The first begins at 10 a.m. for graduates from the colleges of Business and Computing and STEM.
The second ceremony starts at 2 p.m. for students from Arts and Media; Education, Health and Human Studies; and Humanities and Social Sciences.
A noticeable change for the 2025 Fall semester is that just one person will deliver both keynote addresses: Justin Davison—he's the President and CEO of St. Francis Healthcare System, which is celebrating its 150th year in the region this year.
According to the statement from SEMO, Davison joined Saint Francis Healthcare System in the fall of 2019 as chief financial officer and transitioned to the role of president and chief executive officer in June 2022.
Before Saint Francis, Davison served as the VP of finance at Mercy Health in Springfield, Missouri, with more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience.
Currently, Davison oversees the strategic direction, development, and expansion of Saint Francis.
He also serves on multiple boards, including the Missouri Hospital Association, The Tailor Institute, Hospital Industry Data Institute, Southeast Missouri Regional Economic Development, Inc., and the Healthcare Industry Council for the Federal Reserve, Eighth District.
Of the graduates, 464 are earning bachelor’s degrees, 236 will receive master’s degrees, and eight will be awarded specialist degrees.
Last fall, 723 students graduated, so this year marks only a slight decrease overall. However, post-undergrad numbers are up significantly compared to Fall of 2024, when 189 students earned their master’s degree.
More details about this year's fall commencement ceremony for Southeast Missouri State University, including safety protocols and resources for families and guests, can be found on both the Show Me Center website, showmecenter.biz, and SEMO's website, semo.edu.
Total Degrees for Fall 2025 Graduates: 708
Undergraduate: 464
Master’s: 236
Specialist: 8
Graduating with Honors
Cum Laude: 89
Magna Cum Laude: 53
Summa Cum Laude: 53
Jane Stephens Honors Program: 5
Graduating with a 4.0 Cumulative GPA
Undergraduate: 9
Master’s & Specialist: 84
