UD to confer record number of degrees this Sunday

Former IAMS Company owner Clay Mathile to receive honorary doctorate
Another group of students take their place in line to receive their diplomas during Sunday's graduation ceremonies at the University of Dayton. ED RICHTER/STAFF

Another group of students take their place in line to receive their diplomas during Sunday's graduation ceremonies at the University of Dayton. ED RICHTER/STAFF

The University of Dayton expects to confer a record of approximately 2,500 degrees, including an all-time high of about 1,600 undergraduate degrees, during commencement ceremonies this upcoming weekend, May 6-7 at University of Dayton Arena.

The ceremony for undergraduate students will be at 9:45 a.m. Sunday, May 7.

The university’s ceremony for the School of Law will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 6, with the ceremony for doctoral and graduate students to follow at 12:45 p.m. The baccalaureate Mass will be held at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6.

All graduation ceremonies and the baccalaureate Mass will be in University of Dayton Arena and will be streamed live at https://graduation.udayton.edu/. Tickets are not required and there are no seating limits. At the 2021 commencement, UD required tickets and had limited seating due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current records for overall and undergraduate degrees awarded at a spring commencement ceremony is 2,157 and 1,582, respectively, set in 2021.

For the academic year, which also includes August and December graduates, UD is set to confer approximately 3,700 degrees, which would eclipse the mark of 3,125 also set in 2021. Final numbers will be confirmed in late June.

UD announced last summer the university expected to maintain record enrollment, with 12,000 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and law students expected to attend.

During this weekend, UD will confer an honorary doctorate to Clayton Mathile, former owner and CEO of The Iams Company.

“Clay Mathile is a man of deep faith and action who is devoted to his family, and these values extend to all he does as a civic leader and businessman,” said UD President Eric F. Spina. “He embodies the ideals of the University of Dayton — an entrepreneurial spirit, reading the signs of the time, and servant leadership, especially for the common good. He and his wife, MaryAnn, have built a philanthropic legacy that will extend multiple generations.”

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