Three hundred eighty-four students will receive diplomas at the 89th Annual Commencement Exercises for Thomas More College. A total of 77 master’s degrees, 307 bachelor’s degrees, and 87 associate degrees are being awarded, with many students earning dual degrees.
The Class of 2017 showcases the diversity and values found at Thomas More College.
This year’s class features the first students to earn degrees from the College’s Athletic Training program, introduced in 2014, and the first graduates from the ranks of the College’s rapidly growing marching band.
TMC graduation last year
This year’s graduates display an impressive record of involvement in internships and co-ops, with 79 percent of traditional undergraduates pursuing experiential learning as part of the College’s focus on education outside the classroom.
An impressive 27 percent of students are graduating with honors. The class consists of students from 12 states and two countries, and ranges in age from 20 to 64. The Thomas More College Accelerated Program (TAP) for working adult students makes up 38 percent of the undergraduate class.
The Commencement ceremony includes the awarding of two honorary degrees — a posthumous Doctorate in Laws to the late Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III ’67, former president of the American Bar Association; and a Doctorate in Music Performance to Gregory Schaffer, principal organist at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington.
“Factoring in their many accomplishments, from award-winning research, academic excellence, and athletic successes including nine conference titles this year, the class of 2017 is one of the most accomplished graduating classes in the College’s history,” says President David A. Armstrong, J.D.
Festivities begin Thursday, May 11, at 6 p.m. with a Graduation Banquet at Receptions in Erlanger.
The 2017 Commencement Ceremony for students earning graduate degrees is Friday, May 12, at 5 p.m. in the Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel on the Crestview Hills campus.
Saturday’s events begin with the Baccalaureate Mass held in Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony in Connor Convocation Center at 11:30 a.m. A President’s Reception immediately follows in the Saints Center at approximately 1:30 p.m.
