December 08, 2023
SIU Carbondale to honor over 1,300 grads at fall 2023 commencement
CARBONDALE, Ill. – The academic achievements of more than 1,300 Southern Illinois University Carbondale students will be celebrated at fall 2023 commencement exercises on Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Banterra Center.
Commencement begins at 10 a.m. There is no limit to guests, and all seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis with no tickets required.
Media advisory
Reporters, photographers and camera crews are welcome to attend commencement ceremonies. Jeff Harmon, , chief communications and marketing officer, University Communications and Marketing, will be available that day to assist journalists. He can be reached at 573-352-0035 (cell).
The ceremony will honor graduates for both summer and fall 2023 semesters. As of early December, there are 1,349 candidates for degrees: 774 for bachelor’s degrees, 418 for master’s degrees, 101 for doctoral degrees, eight for law degrees and 48 for associate degrees. One student is a candidate for an undergraduate certificate. The youngest graduate is 19; the oldest is 71, and there are students from nine different countries earning degrees.
“This is an exciting time for our students and their families,” said Chancellor Austin A. Lane. “Our students imagined a better world and their role in it. They have achieved this milestone through their drive, persistence and hard work. I look forward to personally congratulating them all.”
SIU to award posthumous degrees
The university will award posthumous degrees to the families of two former students.
Brandon Calderon will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry. He was a senior forestry major in the School of Forestry and Horticulture. He passed away in August 2023.
Lindsay Pennell will receive a Master of Science degree in mathematics. She had earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from SIU Carbondale in May 2018 and joined the master’s degree program the following August, but her studies were disrupted by illness. She passed away in May 2023.
More information is available at commencement.siu.edu. The ceremony will be available via livestream at commencement.siu.edu/videos/.