ECU holds fall commencement

East Carolina University will recognize about 2,000 graduates at its annual fall commencement on Saturday (Dec. 12).

The commencement will include two ceremonies in Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum at 8:30 a.m. and at 11:30 a.m.

Both programs will feature an address by Richard Marks, an award-winning professor at the ECU School of Medicine. Dr. Marks, a professor of biochemistry since 1976, won the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.

His award, presented last May, is the highest teaching honor in the UNC systems and is given annually to recognize the top teachers at each of the 16 state campuses. Attendance at ECU commencements often exceeds 15,000 parents, relatives and friends of the graduates and therefore the ceremonies are usually scheduled for outdoors in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

University officials, this year, decided to schedule the fall commencement indoors rather than to risk last-minute changes because of cold or rainy weather conditions. Williams Arena has a capacity of about 7,500 people. The 8:30 a.m. commencement will recognize all doctoral degree candidates and the master’s and bachelor’s degree graduates of the Schools of Allied Health Sciences, Business, Health and Human Performance, Industry and Technology, Nursing and Social Work.

The 11:30 a.m. program will honor advanced study and educational specialist degree candidates as well as graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Schools of Art, Education, Human Environmental Sciences and Music. Both ceremonies are open to the public. Each will be preceded by a band concert.