Walden University’s 2005 Summer Commencement Ceremony Will Feature First Public Administration and Public Health Doctoral Graduates

Minneapolis—July 7, 2005—Walden University, an accredited online institution celebrating 35 years of inquiry for social change, will graduate nearly 2,800 students on Saturday, July 16, at 11 a.m. in a traditional ceremony at the Indiana University Auditorium in Bloomington, Ind.

This summer commencement, which can be viewed live via webcast at www.WaldenU.edu, will showcase the accomplishments of graduating students from around the world, including the first graduates of Walden’s PhD in Public Policy and Administration and PhD in Public Health programs. Walden founders Bernie and Rita Turner and Harold “Bud” Hodgkinson will deliver the commencement remarks for this historic anniversary year.

In the late 1960s, the Turners, frustrated with the higher education world, sought a better way to develop leaders who were committed to positive social change and the betterment of society. One of the education leaders they reached out to with their concept of a new, student-centered university was Hodgkinson, who at the time was teaching at the University of California, Berkeley. Shortly thereafter in 1970, the first organizational meeting for Walden University took place in Chicago, and the school was born.

“We have come a long way since our founders envisioned Walden University, and we are proud to be able to celebrate with them this important milestone in Walden’s history,” said Paula E. Peinovich, PhD, Walden’s president and provost. “With more than 16,000 students, we have continued in their footsteps of effecting positive social change by equipping students with the confidence, knowledge and tools they need to make the world a better place.”

An anniversary and graduation reception will take place just outside of the Indiana University Auditorium immediately following the ceremony.

Also, on Monday, July 11, at 6:30 p.m. and Monday, July 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union, Walden University will present “Life With Principle,” a film about the ideas and beliefs of author Henry David Thoreau.

The goal of the presentation is to show the relevance of Thoreau’s writings to the modern context. Interviewees in the film include individuals from a variety of different backgrounds such as young professionals, armed services personnel, political activists, ecologists, artists, and most notably, Daniel Ellsberg (the Pentagon Papers) and Noam Chomsky.

Presenting Life With Principle will be Bruce Harris (July 11) and Tom Potter (July 18). Harris is the executive director of the Literary Trail of Greater Boston. Potter is a member of the Thoreau Society’s Board of Directors. He teaches Thoreau workshops and leads photographic, natural history and birding tours throughout North and Central America.

About Walden University
Since 1970, Walden University has offered working professionals the opportunity to earn advanced degrees through distance learning. Today, this comprehensive, accredited online university offers master’s and doctoral degrees in education, psychology, management, and health and human services, as well as master’s programs in engineering and IT and bachelor’s completion programs in business. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.hlcommission.org; 1-312-263-0456.