UCCS Celebrates Fall Class Of 2024 (Photo) -12/20/24
UCCS conferred nearly 1,000 degrees to students from the Class of 2024 on Friday, December 20, with nearly 500 graduates in attendance for the Fall 2024 Commencement ceremonies at the Broadmoor World Arena.
Graduates this semester earned 22 doctoral degrees, 107 master’s degrees, 71 associate degrees and 687 bachelor’s degrees.
Commencement Marshal Jennifer Kling, Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Legal Studies; Jennifer Sobanet, Chancellor of UCCS; Todd Saliman, President of the University of Colorado system; and the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus Speaker, Retired Navy Commander John B. Herrington, ’83, naval aviator, test pilot, aquanaut and astronaut; addressed graduates during the day’s ceremonies.
“You don’t need to have all the answers,” said Kling, “what you need is a willingness to be on your way, with the necessary equipment to do whatever is needed to build a more just and more peaceful world. You have the willingness; I have seen it, as have all the faculty, in your hard work at UCCS. You also have the necessary equipment; you have your knowledge, your skills, your community, your kindness and (I hope!) your joy.”
Chancellor Sobanet then took the stage.
“Commencement is a joyful time, but it is also a time for us to reflect – on the work we have already accomplished, and the work that is yet to be done,” Chancellor Sobanet said in her address. “The challenges of the world are ever-present. In response, we must commit to being outstanding citizens who stand up for what is right and good. We must commit to compassion, patience, and respect. We must be willing to serve – to give our time and talent to the communities in which we live. We must engage in respectful discourse that protects the right of all people to express themselves freely, leading to new knowledge and innovative ideas. As we respect each other’s differences, we must also seek out what unites us – using both to advance our community, our nation, and the world.”
“As you graduate today, you will go back out into the world – using the work of your minds and your hearts to make it a better place,” she concluded.
In his address, President Saliman encouraged graduates to take on the challenges that come their way.
“You’ve learned a lot during your time at CU, including that every path has obstacles,” President Saliman said. “Sometimes you’ll overcome them and sometimes you won’t. You won’t always get the grade you want or the job of your dreams or the promotion you think you deserve. And if you’re like me, you’ll be bummed when things don’t go as you’d hoped or planned – for a little while, at least. But in these moments, I’ve learned to pause, take a breath and reflect. I’ve learned – and you will too, if you haven’t already – that sometimes not achieving your goal is actually an amazing opportunity.”
“Consider your journey to this moment,” he continued. “When you didn’t get the grade you wanted, did you give up? Or did you use that experience to drive you to do better, to reflect on your work, or your performance, or your approach and try again? On the other hand, it’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security when things seem to be going our way. But success doesn’t always breed more success. Hard work, grit and a little luck ultimately lead to success. So, when things are going well, don’t take your foot off the gas. Keep working. Keep striving.”
The ceremony included the recognition of 15 Silver Graduates, members of the Class of 1999 who celebrated 25 years since their own UCCS graduation.
Also celebrated were the students who received their Associate of General Studies degree after the University of Colorado Board of Regents approved the retroactive degree in April 2023. The degree is for those students who started at UCCS and earned at least 70 credits over the last 10 years but didn’t complete their degree. It provides a path for students to receive a credential for work they have completed and improves these students’ outcomes for employment.
To close the ceremonies, Regent McNulty delivered the traditional Norlin Charge to graduates. The charge dates back to CU Boulder president George Norlin’s delivery of the June 1935 Commencement ceremony. The words of the Norlin Charge are now read to the graduating class each year at each of the four CU campuses, as a reminder that graduates will carry their experiences at the university with them forever.
“Commencement does not mean, as many wrongly think, the breaking of ties and the beginning of life apart,” reads the charge. “Rather, it marks your initiation in the fullest sense into the fellowship of the university, as bearers of her torch, as centers of her influence, as promoters of her spirit.”
“The university consists of all who come into and go forth from her halls, who are touched by her influence and who carry on her spirit. Wherever you go, the university goes with you. Wherever you are at work, there is the university at work.”
