Following Commencement, members of the Class of 2012 will gather on the church steps for a class photo.

Southern College of Optometry Commencement

SCO will hold its commencement ceremony for the Class of 2012 on Friday, May 18 at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. (map)

Graduates must arrive no later than 2 pm to robe. Commencement will be approximately two hours long. Weather permitting, graduates will gather on the church steps immediately after the ceremony for a class photo.

Parking is available at the church and in any SCO parking lot on campus. Security will be present at the church parking lot and to assist pedestrians walking to and from the ceremony. All pedestrians are encouraged to be mindful of city traffic patterns when crossing the street.

Graduation Rehearsal

Graduation rehearsal for the Class of 2012 will be held on Wednesday, May 16 at 4:30 pm at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. Attendance is mandatory for all students planning to participate in the commencement ceremony.

Senior Banquet

The night before graduation, Thursday, May 17, the Class of 2012 will be honored with a Senior Banquet held at the Holiday Inn on the University of Memphis campus. (map)

A cash bar reception will be held from 6-7 pm, with dinner and an awards ceremony to be held from 7-9:30 pm. Each graduate will receive 2 complimentary tickets and instructions on how additional tickets may be purchased for $30 each. Banquet seating will be predetermined by class officers.

Military Commissioning Ceremony

Army - Room 817 immediately following.

Following commencement, a commissioning ceremony will be held as Jasmin Filpo, ’12 is commissioned into the U.S. Army. Friends and family are invited to attend the ceremony immediately after graduation in Room 817 at SCO’s tower.

Additional Details

Melvin Shipp, OD, PhD, Dean of The Ohio State University College of Optometry, will deliver the commencement address. Dr. Shipp is also President of the American Public Health Association. Receiving the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees will be Don Price, former Vice President of Professional Relations for VSP Vision Care and Gary Robbins, Executive Director of the Kansas Optometric Association. Check back for a full list of graduates, honors and photos from the banquet, reception and commencement ceremony.