The University of the Incarnate Word is growing and the growth will be evident on Dec. 8 as the university celebrates commencement, twice!

The first ceremony will be celebrated at 11 a.m. and will include graduates from the School of Business and Applied Arts and Sciences.

The second will begin at 5 p.m. and will include the graduates of the School of Education, the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, the School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering, and the School of Nursing and Health Professions.

The university will hold two commencement ceremonies in order to accommodate over 400 graduates and their guests. Typically, the December commencement ceremony is the smallest, but the numbers are increasing every year.

“I’m excited that we have such a large graduating population, but our main concern is to make graduation as special as possible for the students,” said Dr. Denise Doyle, Vice President for Student & Academic Affairs.

By dividing commencement into two ceremonies, the university was able to offer more tickets to students, allowing them to bring extra guests. This will be the university’s first attempt to deal with an increased number of graduates, but other methods are also being considered.

The afternoon ceremony will mark a very special chapter in the university’s history because the first doctoral candidates will be graduating.

The University of the Incarnate Word once again gained national recognition as U.S. News and World Report recognized its online graduate program as one of the best.

Universe Online originally made its debut in Fall 2000, and has quickly caught up to the first-class standards that all of the other programs of the university already enjoy.

“Being named in U.S. News and World Report is a very large honor, not just anyone gets named to it,” said Assistant Vice President for Extended Academic Programs/ Director Universe Online, Dr. Cyndi Porter.

“It’s a great tribute to us because it shows that our program produces quality teachers, quality expectations, and quality students,” she added.

Through the online program, students can earn a Master of Arts with a concentration in Organizational Development or a Master of Arts with a concentration in International Business, without leaving the comfort of their home.

In 1986 Kristen Dicianna began working on what would be a long journey to accomplish her dream of one day becoming a teacher, but on Dec. 8 at 5 p.m., her hard work will be rewarded as she receives her degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of the Incarnate Word.

Walk by the Business Office and you will see her bright, smiling face look out the window. The smile she will flash at you and her contagious positive attitude will make you forget your troubles and might even make you think that her life has always been picture perfect, but a smile helps to heal the wounds and Dicianna has learned that the hard way.

Dicianna originally decided to attend college straight out of high school, but later dropped out in 1988 to continue with her full-time employment in the hotel business. In 1996, with the support of her parents, she decided that it was time to continue her studies for the benefit of her two children, Hayleigh and Hunter.

In November of 2000, Dicianna joined the staff of the Business Office as Student Account Collector and has more than done wonders for the office, both professionally and as moral support.

When she decided to return to school, ADCaP was a perfect fit for Dicianna. The convenient scheduling of classes in the evening allowed her to keep a full-time job to support her children and still spend time with them.

“I’d never be able to do what I did without my parents’ support,” said Dicianna. She hopes to follow in the footprints of her father, Dr. Terry Dicianna, Provost of the university and to one day become the second Dr. Dicianna in the family.

Dr. Michael Risku was recently selected by the Canadian government to present at the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States Annual Conference in San Antonio, 16 November 2001. His presentation focused on, Contested Images: Rethinking the Relationship Between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Peoples Through Canadian History and Literature. Presenters were invited to a plenary address and reception hosted by the Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Michael Kergin.