May 12, 2006
College's graduating class has international flavor
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The 2006 graduating class of the College of Business and Administration at Southern Illinois University Carbondale boasts students from across the globe.
On Saturday, May 13, 223 undergraduates from the college will receive degrees during the 4 p.m. commencement ceremony.
The graduates hail from the Republic of Benin, Brazil, Chile, Cyprus, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Nepal, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China, South Korea and the United States. In addition to Illinois, states represented among graduates include California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
"I think it's really tremendous because we have a global economy today," interim Dean Gregory P. White said. "Business is done on a worldwide scale. As we talk to business professionals, a global perspective is really important for them to have and the fact that we have students from all over world helps students here gain appreciation for other countries and other cultures."
White says the college will continue to recruit students from beyond our borders. "It's something upon which we've placed a high importance. Students from around the world are welcomed here."
SIUC's College of Business and Administration offers degrees in accounting, business and administration, business economics, finance, management and marketing.
Nationally recognized for its success, the college offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees — one of only three public institutions in Illinois to do so.
Through its fully accredited programs (by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), students prepare for challenging and highly responsible careers in firms and organizations in such fields as business, industry, government and education.
This year's Alumni Achievement Award recipient and commencement speaker is James Tally, President/CEO of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Ga. He holds three degrees from SIUC, a bachelor's degree in history and business (1965), a master's degree in education (1971) and a doctorate in higher education administration (1977).
Maintaining a diverse student body is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint the University is following as it approaches its 150th anniversary in 2019.