Vancouver Island University presented degrees and certificates to students during convocation ceremonies Friday.
Two ceremonies were held at the Port Theatre in downtown Nanaimo at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. when about 300 students made their way onto the theatre stage in front of a house packed with families and friends.
Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin addressed the afternoon convocation for students graduating from the university’s social sciences, education and health and human services programs and showed her sense of humour at the end of her speech by raising her hand in a Vulcan salute and telling the students to live long and prosper.
Students graduated from management, business, science and technology and trades programs during the morning ceremony.
Marvin R.V. Storrow, a lawyer recognized for his work in indigenous law and his successful litigation of cases involving constitutional rights and land titles, was presented with an honorary doctorate of laws.
Professor Kim Samuel, founder of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness, a non-profit organization that works to create strategies to build connectedness within and between communities and is a professor of practice at the institute for the study of international development at McGill University, was presented with an honourary doctorate of letters.
