UConn Commencement Ceremonies Follow Funding Approval by State Legislature

Indicating that the University of Connecticut and UConn Health are “ extremely grateful” for the State’s continued investment, and acknowledging that “ the state has limited resources that can be used to meet the many priorities of the state, including increased funding for higher education,” UConn President Dr. Radenka Maric shared the level of legislative commitment in UConn’s latest newsletter.

The newsletter message highlighted that the General Assembly “approved state operating funds for UConn at $256.9 million and for UConn Health at $141.2 million. Under this budget, state funding would make up 11% of our budgets combined: 14% of UConn’s total budget and 8% of UConn Health’s total budget.”

In addition, Maric pointed out, “the legislature also provided $70 million in additional funding to the UConn 2000 capital program, supporting the purchase of IT equipment, assisting us in the implementation of our action plan for membership in a national association of research universities, and advancing key critical construction projects.”

Approved by the legislature, the financial commitments await Governor Lamont’s signature to become law.

More than 9,500 students receive UConn degrees in commencement ceremonies, most taking place this past weekend, through today, in Storrs. The School of Law ceremony is on Sunday, May 17.  The official Commencement program for the various ceremonies notes that “the University has an enrollment of over 34,424 students. At Storrs, there are over 21,042 undergraduates and more than 8,233 graduate students from the various campuses, representing some 111 nations.”

Breaking down the numbers, the Commencement program explains that this month “the University will award over 8,836 degrees. Of these, approximately 6,163 will be Bachelor’s degrees, 1,660 Master’s degrees, 160 Juris Doctor degrees, 74 Master of Laws degrees, 68 Doctor of Pharmacy degrees, 52 Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees, 105 Doctor of Medicine degrees, 4 Doctor of Musical Arts degrees, 4 Doctor of Audiology, 4 Doctor of Education degrees, 34 Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees, 31 Doctor of Physical Therapy degrees, and 411 Doctor of Philosophy degrees.”   Also being awarded are “26 diplomas in Professional Education and 40 Associate’s degrees in the two-year Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture.”