SWU News:

November 21, 2007

More than 550 to receive degrees at SWU graduation

Winter graduates, their families and friends will gather at Southern Wesleyan University’s campus in Central on Saturday, Dec.15, for commencement exercises.

The speaker for the morning ceremony will be Dr. Thomas Phillippe, who has broad expertise in religious and business matters. Dr. Phillippe has served as pastor, evangelist and denominational leader in The Wesleyan Church, has served as an associate evangelist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and participated in crusades throughout the world.

In 1970, he resigned his church to organize Nationwide Management, which owned and managed health care and retirement facilities. His company grew to include 28 facilities, day care centers and a home healthcare facility. In 1995, he positioned the company to merge with Hillhaven Corporation, a publicly traded company. 

Throughout his career, Dr. Phillippe has honored God within his business and has been dedicated to the development of leaders in the church and business world. He is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and has been awarded an honorary doctorate degree from several institutions, including Southern Wesleyan University in 2001.

The speaker for the afternoon ceremony will be Dr. Lee Kizer, associate professor of business at Southern Wesleyan University since January 2002. Prior to his current faculty assignment, Dr. Kizer served as supply officer with the United States Navy. Also, for 17 years he served as special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  

In 1983, he became a full-time minister and pastored for 17 years in two assignments through the Evangelical Presbyterian Churches in Asheville, N.C., and  Birmingham, Ala. He has served as teacher and trainer in many contexts and assignments. He is a graduate of Centenary College, received a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas and a doctorate from Nova Southeastern University. 

The university will have two separate graduation ceremonies at Walden Tysinger Gymnasium on the university’s campus in Central. The 10 a.m. ceremony is for graduating students from the university’s Central and Greenville locations  and the 3 p.m. ceremony is for students from the university’s Charleston, Columbia and North Augusta locations.

The university expects to confer approximately 550 degrees, according to Registrar Rock McCaskill.

For details, call Southern Wesleyan University’s Academic Records Department at (864) 644-5530. Tickets, issued through the university, are required for those attending graduation. Overflow seating is available, which will allow guests without tickets to view the ceremony via a closed circuit broadcast. 

Other end-of-semester events include Baccalaureate Chapel on Dec. 13 at 10:50 a.m. in Folger Fine Arts Auditorium on the university’s campus in Central. The baccalaureate sermon will be delivered by Dr. John Adams, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Easley, S.C. Dr. Adams is a graduate of Furman University and Southeastern Seminary. He earned a doctorate degree from Baylor University. 

The university’s Baccalaureate Chapel includes a “Ceremony of the Servants” and a challenge for graduates of the university to find ways to serve the needs of people throughout the world.

Southern Wesleyan University prepares students for leadership and graduate study in such fields as religion, education, music, business, medicine, law and a variety of civic and social service professions. Southern Wesleyan offers 35 major areas of study for undergraduates and graduate degrees in the areas of business, education and ministry. The university’s main campus is in Central and there are regional learning centers across the state, in locations such as Greenville, Columbia, Charleston and North Augusta. Classes are also offered in Spartanburg and Greenwood.