21 April 2004 Commerce Numbers Still Tops at Lincoln Graduation

Commerce qualifications are again the largest single group of awards being made by Lincoln University at its annual Graduation Ceremony, being held in Christchurch Town Hall on Friday. (23 April)

Over a third of the 684 degrees, diplomas and certificates to be awarded at the ceremony are from the Commerce area, the same proportion as in recent years.

Similarly stable are primary sector qualifications – in agriculture, horticulture, viticulture and forestry. They make up the next biggest group, around a fifth of the total.

Postgraduate qualifications, including 21 doctorates, account for a quarter of the total, again similar to 2003.

Five hundred and thirty-eight of the awards on Friday will be accepted in person and 146 will be made "in absentia".

The Graduation will be the first for Lincoln under its new Vice-Chancellor Professor Roger Field, who took up office on 1 April.

Special awards being made are honorary doctorates to Ngai Tahu leader Sir Tipene O’Regan (Doctor of Commerce), and to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Morgan Williams (Doctor of Natural Resources), the Bledisloe Medal to former Secretary of Labour and Treasury Deputy Secretary John Chetwin, and Lincoln University Excellence in Teaching Awards to staff members Associate Professor Ravi Gooneratne and Dr Derrick Moot.

The ceremony, which starts at 2pm, will be presided over by the University Chancellor, the Hon. Margaret Austin.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand