NCU Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Marking 10th Anniversary. NCU recognizes Graduates of the Class of 2006

Graduates offer plaudits for institution, faculty and staff

Prescott, Arizona, June 29, 2006 — Northcentral University (NCU) honored the Class of 2006 with special graduation ceremonies that also recognized the 10th anniversary of the founding of the University. 131 graduates earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, including 25 graduates who had an earlier, separate commencement exercise in Vietnam in February 2006. Twenty-nine graduates made the journey to Prescott for the June 16th ceremony from as far away as Taipei, Republic of China and as nearby as Scottsdale.

NCU founder and president, Dr. Donald Hecht spoke briefly about the 10-year history and the bright future of the institution. “NCU was founded on the beliefs that every adult should have the opportunity to earn a college degree in an accessible and affordable format. We have shown in our first ten years that our 100% online approach to higher education allows Learners to complete their college degrees while balancing family life and careers with their studies.”

Graduates agree, with many voicing thanks to the University, their faculty mentors, and family members for their support during the years it took to complete their degrees. One graduate expressed this common theme succinctly, saying, “Thanks guys, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

The event was a very special occasion for those in attendance — for the NCU faculty and staff present, as well as for the graduates. It was a “reunion” of sorts, with most meeting face-to-face for the first time. Putting faces at last to the voices and email signatures each had come to know well was a novel and exciting experience.

Julius Demps, Ph.D. in Education from Jacksonville, Fla. expressed this sentiment. “I have strong links with my dissertation committee and with my mentors and strong relationships with my classmates,” he said. “I got to learn a lot about people from all over the country, from all over the world. I’m looking forward to meeting some of those people today.” After thinking a moment, he added, “We form a real bond.”

Held in the Hassayampa Inn’s Marina Room and on the surrounding hotel grounds, the well-attended graduation event was an all-afternoon affair that ended with freshly minted alumni and visiting faculty being shuttled to the construction site of NCU World Headquarters on the east side of Prescott Valley.

Family members accompanied many of the graduates despite the long travel distances involved. One party of 11 family members gathered from all over the U.S. to see their wife/mother/daughter/sister/cousin/niece honored with a doctorate in education. Another party included a mother and father who had flown all the way from Rome to see their son, a resident of Montreal, receive his doctorate.

The graduation ceremony itself featured an introduction by Dr. Claudia Santin, NCU Provost, and an invocation from Dr. Richard Jones — an NCU research professor in psychology from Oregon. After President Hecht’s comments, NCU board chairman Dr. Sandra Womack spoke of the vital and emerging role of NCU and higher education online. The commencement address was delivered by Dr. Ed Garten, who is an NCU Mentor, a Dean Emeritus at the University of Toledo, and a prominent higher education consultant.

A traditional hooding ceremony followed Garten’s address, with each master’s and doctoral graduate being “hooded” by a representative of the conferring school.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, some of the graduates accepted the invitation to make their own brief remarks, thanking NCU and their supportive families. Several tried unsuccessfully to fight back tears while expressing this gratitude and a number of them were dabbing at their eyes during the Recessional.

When asked to sum up his experiences at NCU, Max Chartrand, M.A. in Psychology said, “NCU provided what I considered the gold standard in online education.”