Greetings from the President

Dear Candidates for UND Graduation:

I am pleased to invite you to participate in a University of North Dakota commencement ceremony in 2010. Graduation is a time of great celebration for the University, our graduates, and their families. It will be a very memorable occasion for you and your guests.

Our University of North Dakota commencement ceremonies allow all of us to gather together to salute academic excellence and personal achievement. Graduation is a time to recognize an ending, the completion of a program of study. It is also a time to celebrate a beginning, the commencing of a new chapter in your life. It is truly a time for honoring old traditions and for embracing new opportunities.

You have worked hard to achieve this milestone in your academic career. And now you are poised to continue to grow as a lifelong learner while serving as a member of our alumni family. It will be my pleasure to confer your degree and to celebrate with you at this most magnificent of University events.

Again, congratulations! I wish you the best.

Sincerely,

Robert O. Kelley
President of the University

Greetings from the Alumni Association

Dear Graduating Students:

Congratulations on becoming the newest members of the UND alumni family, which is now more than 109,000 strong.

Your Alumni Association will help you stay connected and engaged with the campus and the many friends you met here.

UND Alumni Association began with the first graduating class in 1889. The eight students met after graduation ceremonies on June 13, 1889, making plans to stay in contact and to return for visits to campus.

The Alumni Association remained an informal organization until 1915 when it was incorporated under the laws of the state of North Dakota. Keeping classmates in contact with each other, with campus and supporting ongoing growth and development of UND were the stated goals in our Mission Statement. These goals have not changed in the past 120 years.

You are now an integral part of a UND alumni family that is strong, well-connected and passionate about this great University. We look forward knowing you as you continue to connect, engage and grow with UND and together, we build on a proud history of excellence.

Sincerely,
Tim O’Keefe, ‘71
Executive Vice President
UND Alumni Association