Greetings from North Central College!
For many colleges—including North Central—the month of May is a celebratory one, as we come together for our annual Commencement ceremony to recognize and honor our graduating students. The celebration represents the end of one journey and the beginning of another.
At North Central, we take great pride in launching our graduates into the next important phase of their lives. Typically, within six months of graduation, more than 95 percent of our graduates are either employed, attending graduate school, or participating in service activities they intentionally pursue.
The role of a college should not end after a graduate receives their diploma. If anything, the relationship between a college and its graduates should grow, getting deeper over time. There is no better feeling or reinforcement of our purpose than when I hear from an alum about how their experience at North Central College helped them realize their direction in life.
North Central College’s 157th annual Commencement Weekend for the Class of 2022 will take place May 6-8. For more information, go to northcentralcollege.edu/commencement.
That’s why we’re focusing on creating a physical space for supporting student learning and success. If you’ve walked through our campus lately, you’ve likely noticed that an extensive construction project is underway in the College’s Oesterle Library. The work being done is about far more than cosmetic upgrades. The notion of a library as a quiet study space filled with floor-to-ceiling stacks of books has evolved. Upon completion in late summer, the space will reopen as a dynamic learning commons, bringing together critical campus functions that support student learning and success, including our Student Success Coaches, the Center for Career and Professional Development, the Office of Engaged Learning, and a lot more.
According to Kristin Geraty, the College’s dean of engaged learning and honors programs, who was part of the campus-wide initiative to reimagine the library, “The space reflects our vision to create an academic hub on campus to help improve student success. To support the College’s mission, we can work collaboratively to provide students with the assistance they need to not only persist through graduation, but to take advantage of everything the College offers beyond the classroom.”
The library renovation represents—and will help support in very real and practical ways—the College’s commitment to the success of our students during their time on campus, and after they depart as graduates.
We like to say, “Once a Cardinal, always a Cardinal,” and we truly believe that. Each spring, Commencement is a powerful reminder of that mantra as a new class of Cardinals go out into the world as curious, engaged, ethical and purposeful citizens and leaders. And we’ll be here to support them every step of the way.
