Greenville College Announces 2014 Commencement Schedule and Speakers

Published: April 13, 2021

Greenville College will conduct its 122nd commencement exercises on May 24 and 25. Masters degree, adult degree completion, and off-campus partnership students will be recognized on Saturday, May 24, at 2 p.m. Undergraduate students will be recognized on Sunday, May 25, at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sundays ceremonies will feature speaker Dean Hirsch, former president and chief executive officer at World Vision International.

The Greenville College choir will perform a concert at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday prior to the ivy cutting ceremony. Dr. George Barber has been chosen by students to deliver Sundays baccalaureate address at 11 a.m. All of the events scheduled for commencement weekend are open to the public with the exception of Sundays breakfast reception for graduates and their families.

Saturday, May 24
11:30 a.m. Commencement luncheon Armington Center
12:30 p.m. Open seating begins in the Crum Recreation Center, an un-air conditioned facility. Overflow seating is available in the Armington Center.

2:00 p.m. Masters degree, adult degree completion, and off-campus partnership students commencement Crum Recreation Center
4:30 p.m. Greenville College Choir concert Whitlock Music Center
5:30 p.m. Ivy cutting ceremony front lawn (ceremony will be moved to Crum Recreation Center in the event of inclement weather)

Sunday, May 25
8:30 a.m. Commencement breakfast reception open to parents, families, and graduating seniors Presidents House
11:00 a.m. Baccalaureate Crum Recreation Center
12:00 p.m. Graduation luncheon Armington Center
1:30 p.m. Open seating begins in the Crum Recreation Center, an un-air conditioned facility. Overflow seating is available in the Armington Center.

3:00 p.m. Traditional undergraduate commencement Crum Recreation Center

Please visit www.greenville.edu/commencement for more details regarding the weekends schedule, directions and accommodations.

Dean Hirsch serves as a part time consultant to a number of non-profit agencies that are providing assistance domestically and internationally. His focus remains on programs serving the poor and disadvantaged. Hirsch serves as ambassador for KPMG, a network of firms offering audit, tax and advisory services. He also works with clients such as World Vision and Childhelp.

Hirsch was World Vision International president from 1996 through 2009 and served as global ambassador for World Vision in 2010. He is known for refocusing World Visions development and advocacy work on children. Globally, World Vision programs now benefit more than 3.6 million children and their families and communities. On Hirschs watch, World Vision dramatically scaled up its relief operations, responding to large-scale disasters including the Asian tsunami in 2005-06 and the Myanmar cyclone and Sichuan earthquake in 2008. During Hirschs presidency, World Visions income grew five-fold. Today, its 40,000 staff members provide health care, education, clean water, emergency food, tools, shelter and technical know-how to millions of the worlds poorest inhabitants.

Helping children has been Hirschs overriding concern. We should not tolerate the needless suffering of children, he says. Our mission is to help create a world in which no child suffers or dies for lack of food, clean water, shelter or protection from exploitation or war.

A veteran of world trouble spots including Somalia and North Korea, Hirsch has worked extensively in disaster and post-conflict situations. He helped set up famine relief in Ethiopia, AIDS prevention work in Africa and Asia, and peace building programs in countries such as Bosnia, Rwanda and El Salvador.

Prior to his appointment as World Vision president in 1996, Hirsch served as chief operating officer, vice president for development and vice president for relief operations. He joined World Vision in 1976 as manager of computer operations.

Hirsch holds a masters degree from Indiana State University and a bachelors degree and an honorary doctorate from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif. He was also awarded honorary doctorates from Pepperdine University, Eastern University of Pennsylvania and Myongji University in Seoul, Korea.

Baccalaureate is a farewell address in the form of a sermon delivered to the graduating class. Each year, Greenville College students select a faculty member to deliver the baccalaureate address. The class of 2014 selected Dr. George Barber, professor of health and physical education and head coach of the mens basketball team.

It is a great privilege to be asked by the senior class to deliver the baccalaureate address, said Barber.One of my four year players and a team captain, Alex Mumphard, who was also the senior class president will be graduating. I am proud of this group of students and see them making a tremendous impact in their communities and for the advancement of the Kingdom as they go out from Greenville.

Barber has worked at Greenville College for the past 15 years. Before coaching at Greenville, Barber served as an assistant coach at Bradley University. Barber was also an administrative assistant coach at University of Kentucky on Rick Pitinos 1996 national championship team comprised of nine future NBA players.

Barber earned his doctorate from the University of Kentucky in kinesiology with an emphasis in adapted physical education. He directs the Adapted Sports Olympics at Greenville College for young athletes with special needs. Barber is passionate about supporting his wife and five children in their athletic and academic activities as well.