Commencement Saturday at Van Andel Arena

More than 680 students plan to receive their diplomas in fall Commencement Ceremonies, held at 10 a.m. Saturday, December 6, at the Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids. Among those processing Saturday are 117 master's degree recipients.

The total number of students eligible to graduate, including those completing degree requirements in the Summer and Fall 2003 semesters, adds up to nearly 3,200 students.

Delivering the commencement address will be U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, a Detroit native and resident who has represented Michigan in the Senate for nearly 25 years. A graduate of Detroit Central High School, Swarthmore College, and the Harvard University Law School, Levin first won election to the Senate in 1978 and has been re-elected four times —;;;;; a Michigan record. He is the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee and was its chairman in 2001 and 2002. This year, he was presented with the Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest award given to someone not in uniform.

Levin will be presented an honorary degree, the Doctor of Public Service, by GVSU President Mark A. Murray.

An honorary degree, the Doctor of Humane Letters, will also be bestowed on distinguished Chinese philosopher Tu Weiming. Weiming, director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute, has taught at Princeton University, the University of California at Berkeley, and since 1981 has held the position of professor of Chinese history and philosophy at Harvard University. In 1999 he was awarded the title of Harvard-Yenching Professor of Chinese History and Philosophy and of Confucian Studies. The author or editor of more than 30 books in English and Chinese, Weiming is also active in many public bodies including the World Economic Forum, the United Nations' Group of Eminent Persons on the Dialogue among Civilizations, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The Distinguished Alumni Award will be awarded to playwright, director, and theater educator Max Bush, '72, whose plays have been published in anthologies and performed throughout the United States and Canada. A Hamilton resident, Bush is credited with helping to create Grand Valley's National Playwright Competition, the Shakespeare Festival's Bard to Go touring ensemble, and other performance groups.

The Outstanding Educator Award will be presented to Theresa Bacon-Baguley, associate professor in the School of Health Professions. Bacon-Baguley joined the GVSU faculty in 1991 and has served a vital role in the development of Grand Valley's Physician Assistant Studies program. Educated at Michigan State and Wayne State universities, she lives in Hudsonville.