In spite of student demonstrations requesting to remove Gov. Rick Snyder from the commencement speaker line-up, the spring ceremony will continue as planned with Snyder delivering the morning address on April 27.
Douglas Rothwell, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan, will follow with an address at the afternoon ceremony.

Although the number of students walking at commencement has not yet been determined, Sue Willemsen from the Dean of Students Office said GVSU has about 4,048 students eligible to graduate, but usually about 60 to 70 percent actually walk.

LeaAnn Tibbe, assistant director of the Office of Student Life, said this ceremony will be a landmark for GVSU, as it’s already walking 200 more graduates than last year.

This record number of students will bring the university to about 92,100 alumni, according to numbers compiled by Alumni Relations.

GVSU’s commencement ceremonies will take place in the Van Andel Arena at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The morning event will celebrate the graduates of the College of Health Professions, the Kirkhof College of Nursing, the Seidman College of Business, the College of Community and Public Service and the Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing. GVSU will grant honorary degrees to Snyder and Patricia Birkholz, director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, while the Distinguished Alumni Award will be given to Laurie Beard, president and CEO of Founders Bank & Trust.

The afternoon ceremony will commemorate the graduates of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Education and Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies. Honorary degrees will be granted to Rothwell and GVSU alum Hubert Massey, while music professor Arthur Campbell will receive the Outstanding Educator Award.

For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/commencement.
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