Vincennes University is set to honor its Mid-Year Graduating Class of 2024 this Saturday.
VU will hold its Mid-Year Commencement at 11 a.m. Eastern at the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center. VU President Dr. Chuck Johnson will address graduates, and Provost Dr. Laura Treanor will preside. The student speaker, Chelsie Carver of Vincennes, will receive a bachelor’s degree in Special Education.
The ceremony will be live streamed on VU’s YouTube channel.
This celebration comes as Indiana pushes to improve education outcomes. Indiana ranks eighth in attracting students to its colleges but falls to 40th in retaining graduates, a gap the state is working to close.
State Higher Education Commissioner Chris Lowery spoke in Bedford this week, outlining priorities like boosting college enrollment and helping adult learners overcome barriers such as costs and career navigation. Indiana’s college-going rate is 53%, with programs like automatic enrollment in the 21st Century Scholars program aiming to improve access.
The Southern Indiana Business Report highlights Lowery’s remarks on education’s broader benefits—better wages, lower unemployment, and improved health—and credits programs at VU with helping adults earn degrees and strengthen Indiana’s workforce.
