CARBONDALE (SIU NEWS) – The academic achievements of nearly 1,600 Southern Illinois University Carbondale students will be celebrated at fall 2024 commencement exercises on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Banterra Center.

Commencement begins at 10 a.m. There is no limit to guests, and all seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis with no tickets required.

The ceremony will honor graduates for both summer and fall 2024 semesters. As of early December, there are 1,596 candidates for degrees: 945 for bachelor’s degrees, 470 for master’s degrees, 111 for doctoral degrees, five for law degrees and 65 for associate degrees. The youngest graduate is 19; the oldest is 72, and there are students from seven different countries earning degrees.

There are 324 graduates with an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher and 16 students who earned a 4.0 GPA. In addition to the United States, students from Canada, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Trinidad and Tobago will also be graduating.

“Banterra Center will be filled with excitement as our students and their families celebrate this milestone,” said Chancellor Austin A. Lane. “Our students imagine how they can make their world better, even when it defies the odds. I look forward to personally congratulating all our Salukis on the degrees they earned through their drive, hard work and persistence.”

More information is available at commencement.siu.edu. The ceremony will be available via livestream and begin 15 minutes before the ceremony.