Celebration of Excellence: the perfect path to commencement
TU celebrates with hundreds of high fives and thousands of selfies.
By Ray Feldmann on May 15, 2017
It began with a luncheon in the University Union where grateful students told stories of how generous donors made their dream of attending college come true. It ended a little over a month later with thunderous applause for three faculty members who, between them, have more than 145 years of TU teaching experience.
In between those two previously unconnected events were hundreds of high fives, thousands of selfies, and millions of memorable moments as Towson University celebrated its first “Celebration of Excellence” between April 7 and May 10. President Kim Schatzel suggested the Celebration as a way to bring positive attention to the university’s best and brightest students, alumni, faculty and staff.
“One thing I’ve noticed in my first 15 months here is that we don’t brag enough, among ourselves and outside the campus, about what a special place Towson University is,” Schatzel said when she announced the idea last month.
The Celebration is also part of an effort to establish traditions at a campus that, surprisingly, had not developed many of them during its first 150 years. For example, the university now has an alma mater again, graduating seniors have their pictures (or selfies) taken on one of the four tiger statues on campus, and students about to take finals rub tigers’ ears for good luck.
In addition to the bookend Foundation Scholars Luncheon and Service Awards Breakfast events, the university linked six other events as part of the springtime Celebration:
- Student Research and Creative Inquiry Forum on April 19
- BTU Partnerships Showcase on April 24
- Senior Colleagues Reception on April 27
- Student Affairs Leadership Award Ceremony on May 4
- Distinguished Alumni and Dean’s Recognition Awards Ceremony on May 5
- Golden Paws Student-Athlete Banquet on May 8.
Schatzel said last month that the eight Celebration events would serve as a perfect path toward the ultimate celebratory event on campus: spring commencement.
Appropriately enough, next Monday (May 22) the university will hold another newly created tradition, a TU Toast to the Graduates, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the West Village Commons ballrooms. The toast debuted two years ago as part of the university’s 150th anniversary celebration and has been continued due to overwhelming popular demand.
To culminate the spring celebration season, the university’s six commencement ceremonies will take place May 24-26 at SECU Arena.
This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel's priorities for Towson University: TU Matters to Maryland & Strategic Plan Alignment.