EUGENE, Ore. — Lane Community College is delighted to announce its 2024 commencement ceremony, which will be held on Saturday, June 15, at 10 a.m. in the LCC Gymnasium, Building 5, Main Campus. The event will be streamed live, with a recording available online shortly after. For more information, visit LaneCC.edu/Commencement.
This year, Lane Community College will confer at least 2,280 associate degrees and certificates to 1,443 graduates. The Class of 2024 comprises a diverse group of students, with 51 percent pursuing career technical education (CTE) and 49 percent focusing on transfer programs. Additionally, 2 percent of the graduates are GED students. Notably, 2 percent of graduates will receive both CTE and transfer awards, and 40 percent will earn multiple awards. Among the awards conferred, 53 percent are transfer degrees, and 46 percent are CTE certifications.
The keynote speaker for this year's ceremony will be the Honorable Ann Aiken, U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Oregon, Judge Aiken has a distinguished judicial career, serving as a United States District Court Judge for the District of Oregon since 1998 and taking senior status in January 2024. She was Chief Judge of the District of Oregon from 2009 to 2016 and has presided over numerous complex civil and criminal trials.
Other esteemed speakers include LCC's President Dr. Stephanie Bulger, Chair of the LCC Board of Education Austin Folnagy, student body president Shalynn Buys and LCC instructor Eric Kim.
Dr. Rachel Bitecofer, renowned political scientist, election forecaster, and political strategist, will be recognized as the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Bitecofer, who began her academic journey at Lane Community College, has worked extensively with Democratic Party candidates and organizations, implementing strategies that leverage negative partisanship. Her latest book, “Hit Em’ Where It Hurts,” was released earlier this year.
Celebrating Diversity and Achievement by the Numbers
The Class of 2024 reflects a wide array of backgrounds and experiences:
The average age of the graduating class is 27.7 years old, with the youngest graduate being 17 and the oldest 67. There are 30 graduates under the age of 19 and five graduates aged 60 or older.
Academically, the average GPA of the class is 3.35, with 11% of graduates achieving a GPA of 4.0 or above.
- First-Generation Students: 54 percent of graduates are first-generation college students.
- Financial Aid Recipients: Half of the graduates received a Pell Grant, and 22 percent benefited from the Oregon Promise Grant.
- Veterans: 6 percent received veteran's benefits, including veterans and their dependents.
- Disability Services: 12 percent of graduates received Center for Accessible Resources (CAR) services during their time at LCC.
- Gender Distribution: 51 percent of graduates are female, and less than 2 percent did not self-identify as male or female.
Lane Community College educates over 15,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $675 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 8,900 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.