DULUTH - The College of St. Scholastica will confer the largest number of degrees and certificates ever at its spring commencement Sunday, May 11. The ceremony will be at 2 p.m. in the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) Arena.

A total of 618 degrees and certificates will be conferred, including 485 bachelor’s degrees, 97 master’s degrees, 5 master's level certificates, and 31 Doctor of Physical Therapy degrees. This represents a 21 percent increase in total graduates over the past five years.

“This increase in graduates reflects the growth in overall enrollment and vibrancy at St. Scholastica as well as our commitment to graduating our students in four years,” said Brian Dalton, vice president for Enrollment Management.

The most numerous baccalaureate majors are, in order: nursing, management, health sciences, accounting, and social work.

The most numerous graduate studies majors are, in order: nursing, occupational therapy, exercise physiology, management, and curriculum and instruction.

Twenty of the graduates are international students, which is the largest number to graduate from St. Scholastica at one time, according to Alison Champeaux, international student advisor and member of the College’s Board of Trustees. She attributes this growth to increased recruitment efforts and an ongoing commitment to retention.

International students are from the following countries: Canada (1), Cameroon (1), Congo (1), Ethiopia (2), Gabon (2), Guatemala (2), India (1), Japan (1), Nepal (2), Poland (1), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (1), Serbia (1), Sri Lanka (1), Tanzania (1), Uruguay (1), and Zimbabwe

(1). At commencement, each international graduate will wear a colorful silk sash representing his or her country’s national flag.

Philip Rolle will deliver the commencement address. He is executive vice president and division manager for Wells Fargo’s Business Banking Support Group.

He is immediate past chair of the St. Scholastica Board of Trustees and has served on the board for 11 years.

A long-time Duluth resident, he earned undergraduate degrees from the University of Minnesota Duluth. He joined Norwest (now Wells Fargo) in Duluth in 1977. Since then he has served as a regional controller, director of corporate planning and analysis, and manager of several banking groups.

He is a member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee at UMD. He has served as board president of the DECC and was named the Duluth Chamber of Commerce “Business Person of the Year” in 2001.

Sean Olson, a baccalaureate candidate, will present the Student Address. Olson was a five-semester Dean’s List scholar, an active student leader and community volunteer, a Peer Advisor and Orientation Intern, and a captain of several intramural sports teams. He was also nominated to receive the 2008 St. Scholastica Leadership Award. The winner will be announced May 10 at the Senior Awards Convocation beginning at 3 p.m. in Mitchell Auditorium on the St. Scholastica campus.

The Duluth Scottish Pipers will lead the commencement procession and The College of St. Scholastica Jazz Band will perform following

Rolle’s address. Graduate candidate Allison Dahl will deliver the invocation and baccalaureate candidate Kathryn Carlson will give the benediction.

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