Bryant & Stratton To Hold Graduation in Second Life for Online Students

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 05/27/09

Bryant & Stratton College graduates will receive their degrees where they earned them--online. In what may be a first, the college will host a fully online, Second Life college graduation ceremony June 10, 2009. About 40 graduates from Bryant & Stratton's online degree programs have committed to receive their hard-earned degrees in their avatar form on the college's virtual campus.

"This is an exciting event for Bryant & Stratton and its graduates," said Scott Traylor, director of admissions. "By starting their new life via Second Life, these graduates are continuing their journey down the path of learning, while experiencing new and interactive technologies that help prepare them for a world driven by innovation."

The college said the graduation will be the first time a college graduation will be fully hosted on Second Life, including the procession, the commencement speaker, and the conferring of degrees to students draped in caps and gowns. Students, who range in age from 18 to 45, will be graduating from a variety of the online degree programs, including business, accounting, paralegal, IT, medical administrative assistant, and human resources.

"Over its 150 years, Bryant & Stratton has become known for its outcomes-based, career-focused education delivered with a personal touch," said Doreen Justinger, vice president, Internet Services. "Now we are bringing those same attributes to a new generation of students--the online student."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

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