Strayer University Hosts First Virtual Commencement Exercise
Online Graduates and Guests Worldwide Experience 2003 Graduation Ceremony
ARLINGTON, Va., Jun 20, 2003 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Strayer University, an institution dedicated to making post-secondary education achievable for working adults, is hosting its first virtual commencement ceremony to recognize the accomplishments of Strayer University Online's 2003 graduates. The virtual commencement is available on Strayer University's website www.strayer.edu.
Today, graduates of Strayer University Online and guests worldwide can share and participate in graduation exercises via the Internet. The online commencement includes addresses by Dr. Chris Toe, president of Strayer University; Scott Steffey, chairman of the Board of Trustees; and Pam Bell, director of Strayer University Online.
"Strayer's virtual commencement is devoted entirely to honoring our online graduates," Bell said. "Whether students are in Washington, D.C., or in India, they now have the unique opportunity to participate in commencement and share the experience with family and friends in a manner that is convenient for everyone."
To view the ceremony, visitors should click on the designated virtual commencement link on the Strayer University home page. Visitors will immediately hear the ceremonial Pomp and Circumstance music, and have the opportunity to navigate through opening remarks, speaker biographies, commencement speeches, degree presentations and closing remarks.
During the degree presentations, each of the 2003 online graduate names will be read and the diploma along with their area of concentration will appear on the screen. Macromedia(R) Flash(R) technology, RealNetworks(R) RealAudio(R) format and Streaming Media technologies were used to create the online ceremony.
"Our virtual commencement ceremony is designed to provide our online graduates with a unique graduation experience set in a fashion that is similar to how they earned their college degree," Bell said.
More than one third of Strayer students take 100 percent of their courses online. Students have the option to register for real-time or time-dependent courses.
"Without advances in online education, many adults balancing full-time jobs and families would not have access to higher education," said Dr. Chris Toe, president of Strayer University. "Strayer University Online provides our working students with quality, accredited educational opportunities that are convenient to our students' needs."
This year nearly 2,900 graduates will receive graduate and undergraduate degrees from Strayer University during three separate commencement exercises scheduled on June 21 and 22 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va. Online graduates also are invited to attend the traditional ceremony.
Founded in 1892, Strayer University offers accredited online courses in all 50 states and 60 countries worldwide, allowing students to combine traditional classroom instruction with online study or pursue a degree completely online. The University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and provides undergraduate and graduate degrees in business administration, accounting and information technology.
Strayer University, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Strayer Education, Inc. (Nasdaq: STRA), operates 23 campuses in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Tennessee, serving more than 16,700 students. For more information on Strayer University, visit the Web site at www.strayer.edu or call 1-888-4-STRAYER (888-478-7293).
SOURCE Strayer University
Sonya Udler of Strayer University, +1-703-247-2517, or sonya.udler@strayer.edu
http://www.strayereducation.com
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