College prepares for weekend Convocation ceremonies

Okanagan College Media Release

Staff at Okanagan College are busy preparing to welcome hundreds of graduates and their supporters to a series of spring Commencement and Convocation ceremonies at the Kelowna campus this weekend.

Trades students will be the first to receive their credentials at a Commencement ceremony on Friday at 6 p.m. The College will celebrate the achievements of more than 1,000 entry level and apprenticeship trades students from a wide range of programs who completed their training over the past year.

Two Convocation ceremonies will take place on Saturday. The first will kick off at 10:30 a.m. with graduands from diploma and degree programs in Engineering Technology, Trades Technology Teacher Education, Arts, Science, Environmental Studies, Computer Information Systems, Media and Cultural Studies, Early Childhood Education, Criminal and Social Justice and Human Kinetics.

In an afternoon ceremony that begins at 1:30, the College will confer degrees, diplomas and certificates to graduates of Business Administration and Commercial Aviation programs.

In total, Okanagan College will confer 420 credentials on Saturday (130 degrees, 215 Diplomas, 68 Associate Degrees, and 7 certificates.)

The morning ceremony will recognize 2011 Honorary Fellows Beverley Busson and Dr. Tom Landecker. The afternoon ceremony will recognize Mel Kotler as an Honorary Fellow.

This weekend’s ceremonies mark the beginning of Okanagan College’s Convocation season. Additional ceremonies will take place in Vernon on June 28 and a Summer Convocation will take place in Kelowna on June 29. Dr. Gary Dickinson will receive Okanagan College’s Distinguished Service Award at the Summer Convocation.