Minneapolis—July 11, 2006—Walden University, an accredited online institution, will graduate nearly 3,300 students on Saturday, July 15, 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 celebrate the accomplishments of Walden students earning their bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees online from across the United States and around the world. Graduates attending the ceremony are expected from about 40 states, the Virgin Islands, Canada, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.
“Our newest graduates personify Walden University’s mission of expanding access to higher education to working professionals and fostering positive social change around the globe,” said Paula E. Peinovich, Ph.D., president and provost of the university. “One of the major challenges in the next decade is preparing scholar-practitioners who will effect positive social change in an increasingly multicultural, global society, and Walden is proudly leading the way with our most recent graduates, our alumni and current students.”
Roberto A. Ibarra, PhD, a recognized leader on minority issues and issues of access to higher education for diverse populations, will present the commencement address, “Ambassadors of Change.” Dr. Ibarra’s career spans more than three decades and includes teaching, research and administrative experiences in every educational level from Head Start and K–12 through undergraduate, graduate and now distance-learning institutions offering advanced degrees. He is also a practicing anthropologist in the Department of Sociology at The University of New Mexico. Dr. Ibarra is concluding his term on the Walden University Board of Directors after more than a decade of service.
Walden University, with a mission of promoting positive social change, is dedicated to the education of leaders who are change agents in their professions and communities. Long known for success in providing access to adult professional students of all walks of life, Walden University consistently ranks at the top of the list of institutions granting graduate degrees to multicultural student populations.
In a survey of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and traditionally white institutions (TWIs) published this month, the magazine Diverse: Issues in Higher Education (formerly Black Issues in Higher Education) ranked Walden University a top producer of master’s and doctoral minority graduates in psychology, business, and all disciplines combined. Walden continues to expand doctoral opportunities in the social and behavioral sciences for those historically underrepresented in higher education and addresses specific needs of the helping professions by developing first-rate programs and specializations.
Real People. Real Change. Learn more at http://realpeople.waldenu.edu/.
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, public policy and administration, 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; 312-263-0456.