Master’s Ceremony Recognizes Graduate Students’

Resilience

Earning a graduate degree for many students can be an academic journey of uncertainty and resilience. For 74 graduate students who were awarded their degrees in Lander University’s commencement exercises in December, their hooding ceremony – the first ever for all of Lander’s graduatedegree recipients – was an occasion to mark their sacrifices and success.

In previous years, master’s hooding ceremonies were conducted by individual colleges. But with the enormous growth of Lander’s graduate enrollment – almost 630% since 2019 – it was time to recognize all graduate students at the same time, said Dr. Lloyd Willis, dean of the College of Graduate and Online Studies.

Members of the Class of 2022 earned their degrees while balancing family responsibilities and full-time jobs in a wide range of professions. Their struggles were great. Many worked on spreadsheets at the kitchen table after feeding their families dinner, or wrote discussion posts after their spouses went to bed. Others did class readings while sitting in cars as their sons or daughters attended soccer practice or dance, Willis said.

Sometimes, a student made corrections on essays because the toddler they were holding loved smacking the keyboard. Some turned in assignments late because they got COVID or the flu, or a spouse or child did. Others lost family members.

“You have overcome incredible obstacles,” Willis told those at the ceremony. “You should be so proud. Your families, friends and loved ones should be proud. Lander is proud.”

State Provides Funding for New Info Commons

When the South Carolina General Assembly passed its FY 2022-23 budget, it included over $17 million in new funding for Lander University for the second year in a row. And $8 million of that figure will go towards a new information commons on the University’s campus. An additional $6 million was allocated to renovate the existing Jackson Library into classroom and laboratory space upon the completion of the new information commons.

Jackson Library was first constructed in 1976, when Lander’s enrollment was around 1,500 students. Because of its continued increases in enrollment year after year, the University has outgrown the original design capacity of the building. Once constructed, the new information commons will add new technology and resources that reflect how students and faculty access and evaluate information in the twentyfirst century.

Lawmakers say it was that high level of growth at Lander, and the need for more classroom and laboratory space, that led to the funding of these projects. President Richard Cosentino thanked the legislature for their continued support of Lander, saying, “Our General Assembly knows that this investment into Lander University is an investment in the future workforce of our great state.”

 By Graham Duncan