Commencement Set for May 17

The ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday, May 17, at the Plattsburgh State Field House Gymnasium. The first one will take place at 10 a.m. and honor students graduating with degrees in education, health and human services as well as those from the school of business and economics. The second ceremony will take place at 2 p.m., honoring students who earned degrees in the arts and sciences.

The student speaker will be Carrie Jean Douglas of AuSable Forks, who is graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English language arts and a minor in women's studies. Douglas will speak about how graduates can make a difference in the world.

Awarding the diplomas will be the Chairperson of the College Council Donald Garrant, Vice Chairperson Roger Burke and council members Arnold Amell and M. Catherine Hollinshead.

The ceremonies will also include awards to be presented to Dr. Robert Golden and Douglas Sloan.

Golden, the college's provost and vice president of academic affairs, will receive the 2008 Distinguished Service Award. This award is designed to honor a person who played a key role in advancing SUNY Plattsburgh.

The College Council's resolution cites Golden's "quiet, steady leadership" for helping to restore the college's vitality and increase enrollments. It also cites him for encouraging the revitalization of curriculum, the development of new programs, the establishment of agreements with foreign universities and the transformation of the college's extension site at Adirondack Community College into a branch campus.

"Bob Golden's unassuming, approachable manner, his willingness to involve others in the planning process and his genuine foresight have helped the college to become what it is today - a thriving institution with unique, cutting-edge programs," said Garrant.

After commencement, Golden will be retiring from the position of provost but will continue to work for SUNY Plattsburgh, teaching English at the branch campus at Adirondack Community College.

Sloan, a 1991 graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award. This award honors alumni who have exemplified the college's tradition of excellence and brought credit to the college through personal accomplishments, professional achievement or humanitarian service.

Sloan had only been out of college for six years when he came to serve on the Plattsburgh Alumni Association Board of Directors in 1997. His tenure on the board lasted 11 years, five of which were spent as president. He was the youngest Alumni Association president in the history of the college.

"Whether in his role with the college or in his career, Doug has come to represent a high level of excellence in all he does," said Rose Anderson, director of alumni affairs.

In addition to volunteer work for the college, Sloan and his wife, Jennifer, have financially supported international growth and development opportunities for students through the Honors Program.

Sloan is in charge of Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Compliance for Global Transaction Banking at Deutsche Bank. Before joining Deutsche Bank in August 2006, he was with the International Management Advisory Group for five years as head of the Regulatory Risk Practice. Prior to this, he worked for DG BANK/DG Financial Markets LLC in various capacities, including chief operating officer of the broker dealer. He also worked with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston as bank examiner.

The graduation ceremonies are free and open to the public.