Purdue Global commencement recognizes more than 1,000 graduates

Purdue University Global Chancellor Frank Dooley addresses the newest graduates during commencement ceremonies Saturday (June 6). (Purdue University photo/Tom Schott) Download image

INDIANAPOLIS — More than 1,000 Purdue University Global graduates worldwide took part in a virtual commencement ceremony on Saturday (June 6).

The commencement was streamed live from Fowler Hall on Purdue University’s West Lafayette, Indiana, campus using a 360-degree camera so participants could feel fully immersed in the ceremony. Graduates received a branded Purdue Global headset before the commencement and were recognized by their name and degree, along with a photo, during the ceremony.

Degrees were awarded from the schools of Business, Education, Health Sciences, Information Technology, and Nursing, the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the Concord Law School. There were 563 bachelor’s degrees, 307 graduate degrees, 115 associate degrees, 57 certificates and four doctoral degrees.

More than 150 of the graduates are Indiana residents, while eight live outside of the United States (Bahamas, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa and South Korea).

In his address to the graduates, Purdue Global Chancellor Frank Dooley recognized them for their academic achievements – especially during these unparalleled times – and celebrating their successes.

“Normally, we would all have come together in an event center; your family and friends would join us, you’d process across the stage, someone would shake your hand as you receive your diploma, and you’d hear your name announced to the world,” Dooley said. “But instead, you’re participating remotely and perhaps individually. So despite the challenges that today’s world give us, our isolation from those dear to us, we still need to celebrate and enjoy what we’ve achieved. Your accomplishment is important, be proud. Make sure if you can’t celebrate properly today, that you take time do so when life returns to some semblance of normal.”

Dooley noted that more than 9,000 Purdue Global students are affiliated with the military, including over 4,800 active duty, National Guard and reserve members serving around the globe. More than 51% are the first in their family to attend college, and more than 65% have a child or other dependent.

As part of the ceremony, the national anthem was sung by retired Master Sgt. Mia Hall, of Wichita, Kansas, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition. She is a retired 21-year combat veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

Purdue Global graduates received a branded Purdue Global headset before commencement June 6 and were recognized by their name and degree, along with a photo, during the virtual ceremony. (Kaplan Higher Education photo by Chad Skelton) Download image

Prior to commencement, Purdue Global hosted a revolutionary virtual graduation fair that included a slideshow of all graduates, a virtual toast, dean and department live chat rooms, a graduation “shout out” board and virtual photo booth.

At its February commencement in Los Angeles, 75-plus graduates participated virtually thanks to a first-of-its-kind pilot program that was replicated for Saturday’s event.

“When we tested our virtual graduation in February, we certainly did not expect to be conducting our entire June event virtually,” said Patti Pelletier, director of the learning and leadership community for Purdue Global, who orchestrated the virtual ceremony. “The pilot in February gave us the opportunity to test what could be possible and led us to the virtual graduation fair. It was wonderful to provide the opportunity for over 1,000 graduates to celebrate their achievements.”

Nearly 10,000 Purdue Global students have graduated in the last year.

About Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global is the extreme personalization online university, providing students the competitive edge to advance in their chosen careers. It offers a hyper-tailored path for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations – no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global serves more than 31,000 students (as of March 2020), most of whom earn their degree online. It also operates several regional locations nationwide. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University’s flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates two regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest, Indiana, as well as serving close to 6,000 science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, please visit purdueglobal.edu. 

Media Contact: Tom Schott, tschott@purdue.edu

Sources: Frank Dooley, dooleyf@purdue.edu

Patti Pelletier, PPelletier@purdueglobal.edu

Beth Smith, bsmith3@kaplan.edu 

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Note to Journalists: A photo of Frank Dooley delivering his commencement address and the virtual reality headset are available on Google Drive.