Almost 1,400 Southeast students will receive degrees at commencement

A total of 1,390 students -- 1,113 undergraduate and 277 master's and specialist students -- will receive degrees at Southeast Missouri State University's spring commencement exercises at 2 p.m. May 16 in the Show Me Center.

Erik Peterson, director of A.T. Kearney's Global Business Policy Council, a strategic advisory service designed for the world's top chief executive officers and business-minded thought leaders, will deliver the commencement address, according to a news release from Southeast.

During the ceremony, Doyle L. Privett of Kennett, Missouri, a member of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents for 16 years, former president of the board and chief financial officer of Kennett National Bank, will receive an honorary Doctor of Business degree.

An Honors Convocation will be at 10:30 a.m. in the Show Me Center to honor 385 undergraduates. Willie Redmond, professor of economics and faculty associate in the office of the provost at Southeast, will present the Honors Convocation address.

Among the undergraduate students at the Honors Convocation, 81 students will graduate summa cum laude (3.9 to 4.0 cumulative grade-point average); 98 will graduate magna cum laude (3.75 to 3.89 cumulative grade-point average); and 170 will graduate cum laude (3.5 to 3.74 cumulative grade-point average).

Also at the Honors Convocation, six students will be recognized for graduating with Academic Distinction, and 28 will be recognized as Honors Scholars. Graduating members of three honor societies will be recognized as well, including 99 from Phi Eta Sigma, 88 from Phi Kappa Phi and 37 from Omicron Delta Kappa.