Vice President Mike Pence will address the largest graduating class in Grove City College history on Saturday when he speaks at the College’s 137th Commencement.
The College expects to confer 606 bachelor’s degrees in the arts, science, music, electrical and mechanical engineering, making the Class of 2017 the largest graduating cohort in the school’s 141-year history.
Commencement begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20, on the Quad between Harbison Chapel and Crawford Hall on the campus of Grove City College, weather permitting. Access to campus will be limited and tickets are required to attend commencement.
Vice President Pence will deliver the keynote address to graduates, their families and the larger Grove City College community. It will be livestreamed at www.gcc.edu/livestream and on the College’s Facebook page. It is the first of just three graduation season addresses on the Vice President’s schedule, followed by remarks at University of Notre Dame on Sunday, May 21, and at the U.S. Naval Academy on May 26.
The 606-member Class of 2017 breaks a record established in 2010, when the private Christian liberal arts and sciences college graduated 596 seniors. It also follows a strong year in 2016, when 595 students earned degrees. In recent years, Grove City College’s four-year graduation rate has climbed to 78 percent, while its six-year graduation rate has reached 83 percent, more than 20 points higher than the national average.
“We’re particularly thankful for the ‘good to great’ progress we’ve been making in our upper class retention. Our students are finishing strong with extraordinary placement results,” College President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said.
Grove City College’s Baccalaureate service is set for 7 p.m. Friday, May 19, also on the Quad, weather permitting. The Rev. Saleem Ghubril, a Presbyterian minister and executive director of The Pittsburgh Promise, will speak. The Pittsburgh Promise is dedicated to helping youth secure an education and building a stronger city.
At commencement, the College will award honorary degrees to the Vice President (Doctor of Laws) and Rev. Ghubril (Doctor of Divinity) in recognition of their significant contributions to their chosen fields and society.
A little more about the Grove City College Class of 2017:
• 606 graduates (311 women/295 men.)
• 197 Bachelor of Arts, 327 Bachelor of Science, 17 Bachelor of Music, 23 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and 42 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
• From 35 states and 4 foreign countries.
• 27 average ACT and 1208 average SAT.
In case of inclement weather, Commencement and/or Baccalaureate will be held in the Arena of the Physical Learning Center on campus.