This Saturday, June 14, Portland State University will graduate its largest class ever.

Portland State will award a total of 4,738 degrees for the 2007-08 academic year, including 3,200 bachelor's degrees, 1,485 master's degrees and 53 doctoral degrees. This marks the 15th consecutive year of growth in the University's undergraduate graduating class.

Portland State University's spring commencement ceremonies will take place on Saturday, June 14, at 10 a.m. in Portland's Rose Garden Arena. Nearly 1,700 grads will be on hand to receive degrees, with 12,000 friends and family in attendance. Richard Pimentel—motivational speaker, former Portland State student, and one of the major contributors to the Americans with Disabilities Act—has accepted the University's invitation to deliver the spring 2008 commencement address. He will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Portland State.

In addition to Pimentel, one graduating student will speak: Tamam Waritu (B.A., international studies and black studies; minor in sociology and civic leadership).

Portland State University's spring commencement will be broadcast live on Oregon Public Broadcasting television, beginning at 10 a.m., and will be hosted by Russ Lewis, newscaster from KGW 8 (NBC), and Erin Malecha Arias from Portland State University.

The 2008 graduating class joins 115,000 Portland State University alumni, with more than 74,000 who live in the Portland metropolitan region. This year's graduates represent 136 towns and cities in Oregon, 41 states and 47 countries from around the world. The youngest graduate is 17, and the oldest is 65. Women represent 59 percent of this year's grads. The top undergraduate majors are business administration, arts and letters, psychology, social science, speech communication and English.

Doors to the 2008 graduation ceremony open at 9 a.m.; the processional begins at 10 a.m. The event is ticketed and members of the general public without tickets will not be admitted. Tickets are free, but are limited to members of the graduating class and their guests. Students and families needing additional information should visit www.pdx.edu/commencement.

For Media: Members of the media planning on attending should contact Scott Gallagher at 503-957-7545. Media should enter through the loading dock doors located on the north side of the Rose Garden Arena. The media section will be located in Section 112, and will be marked. Media should plan to arrive at the loading dock doors no later than 9:45 a.m. and must have proper credentials to enter the arena.

Commemorative Commencement DVD
A commemorative DVD of PSU's spring commencement ceremony is available to graduates, families and friends. The DVD will contain footage of the entire ceremony, which includes the commencement addresses from University administration, honored guests and student speakers. Additionally, each graduating student is taped as he/she passes across the platform to receive a diploma. DVD copies are shipped three weeks after the ceremony. For more information on ordering the commemorative commencement DVD, visit www.pdx.edu/commencement/keepsakes.html.

Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) serves as a center of opportunity for more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Located in Portland, Oregon, one of the nation's most livable cities, the University's innovative approach to education combines academic rigor in the classroom with field-based experiences through internships and classroom projects with community partners. The University's 49-acre downtown campus exhibits Portland State's commitment to sustainability with green buildings, while many of the 125 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees incorporate sustainability into the curriculum. PSU's motto, "Let Knowledge Serve the City," inspires the teaching and research of an accomplished faculty whose work and students span the globe.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#08-043)

Source: Office of Institutional Research and Planning
Portland State University