Iowa universities look to set records at midyear graduations

Iowa's public universities this weekend graduate 4,220 students - a total that includes a record and some firsts.

The 2,136 students completing degrees at Iowa State University this month combine for the biggest fall commencement class in school history - and the first time the institution's midyear graduates have topped 2,000.

University of Iowa's 1,583 fall graduates, while a preliminary estimate, also could set a school record by topping its 1,569 'high-water mark” in 2013, according to UI spokeswoman Anne Bassett.

University of Northern Iowa's 501 graduates is down from the 583 who graduated in December last year - although the school welcomed more new freshman this fall, something officials have said is likely to result in bigger graduating classes over time.

In fact, all three campuses saw more first-year students for this academic year - aligning with overall upward enrollment and graduation trends. The Board of Regents' public universities combined this fall for a record 81,899 students - up 2.2 percent, or 1,767 students, from last fall.

The strongest growth has been among undergraduates. Likewise, a majority of this weekend's graduates - more than 3,000 - are receiving bachelor's degrees.

At UI, that includes 790 from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 182 from the Henry B. Tippie College of Business, and 123 from the College of Engineering.

That total includes Caitlin Danielson, who Saturday becomes the first to graduate with a new Bachelor of Science degree in 'engineering with a major in computer science and engineering,” a program approved by the Board of Regents over the summer as part of a collaboration between the colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts and Sciences.

When that program was approved in June, only 11 other American universities offered accelerated degrees in computer science and engineering, according to UI News Service. This is Iowa's first.

Er-Wei Bai, UI professor and departmental executive officer of electrical and computer engineering, said in a news release the new major 'will prepare students for a variety of emerging careers and for advanced study in the many areas demanding computational and engineering skill sets.”

Although Danielson was in her fourth year and majoring in electrical and computer engineering when the new program was approved, it 'perfectly suited her interests and strengths,” according to the university.

Advisors determined she needed just one additional semester of classes to get the degree, prompting her to go for it, according to UI News.

'I was overjoyed to be able to graduate with this new degree,” she said in a statement.

This weekend's commencement and convocation ceremonies feature guest speakers, including U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. The first-term Iowa State alumnus is to speak at that campus' combined graduate and undergraduate ceremony Saturday.

UI ceremonies - to be held separately for students in the Graduate College and colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, nursing, business, and engineering - are to include addresses from UI President Bruce Harreld and alumni like Patricia Miller, CEO and president of Matrix 4 Inc., and Jeffrey D. Lorenger, president of the Contract Furniture Group and executive vice president of HNI Corp.

During UNI's ceremony, former U.S. Rep. Jim Leach - who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Iowa from 1977 to 2007, as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2009 to 2013, and currently serves as a UI law professor - is to receive an honorary 'doctor of humane letters.”

Ceremony details

University of Iowa

- 3 p.m. Friday - College of Education Teacher Education Convocation, Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge.

- 7 p.m. Friday - Graduate College Commencement, Hancher Auditorium.

- 9 a.m. Saturday - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and University College Commencement, Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

- 9 a.m. Saturday - College of Nursing Commencement, Hancher Auditorium.

- 1 p.m. Saturday - College of Business Commencement, Hancher Auditorium.

- 5 p.m. Saturday - College of Business MBA Commencement, Hancher Auditorium.

- Noon Sunday - College of Engineering Commencement, Hancher Auditorium.

Iowa State University

- 1:30 p.m. Saturday - Combined commencement ceremony for undergraduate and graduate students, Hilton Coliseum.

University of Northern Iowa

- 11 a.m. Saturday - Fall commencement ceremony, McLeod Center.