Even in the face of impending budget cuts over the next year, the staff and students of Emporia State University have not lost their strides.
That was the indication given by ESU President Allison Garrett during the ESU Buzz Thursday morning. Wednesday, Garrett presented the university’s quarterly report to Emporia City Commissioners in which she stated the university may have to make a 10 percent budget cut over the next year as ordered by the state.
Garrett says when coupled with cuts made over the past year the university would essentially experience a 13 percent overall cut, or ten years’ worth of cuts in a single year. Garrett explains the cut would only be for state funding which she says makes up roughly a third of the university’s budget.
Despite the potential cut looming, ESU once again boasted record-setting numbers in graduation and retention rates this year. President Garrett says the university is “firing on all cylinders” when it comes to the work of faculty, staff and students.
That hard is certainly about to pay off for ESU students as the university is getting set for its winter commencement activities this weekend.
The university is set to honor its graduates through two virtual ceremonies Friday and Saturday. This will be ESU’s first commencement ceremony of the year after the cancellation of the spring ceremony due to COVID-19 and it will take place in a virtual format with no in-person attendance at White Auditorium as in previous years.
As such, ESU Media Relations Director Gwen Larson says the upcoming ceremonies will honor more than just the university’s winter graduates.
The commencement ceremonies will take place Friday at 6 pm and Saturday at 9:30 am. Both commencements will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube and will include traditional speeches and each graduate’s name being read and shown on screen.
Those wishing to watch the ceremonies may find links to the live stream online at Emporia.edu/commencement.
