Commencement will be held on the Auxiliary field (to the left of Olson field) rain or shine, so please dress appropriately.  In the event of lightning or severe weather, the ceremony will be moved to the Eastern University Gymnasium.  Each graduate will receive two tickets (distributed in their commencement brochures) and guests will only be admitted to the Gymnasium if they have a ticket.  Additional seating for guests will be available in the Recreational Gymnasium & McInnis Auditorium.  Guests seated in these areas will be able to view the ceremony via closed-circuit television.

The Commencement speaker is Sir Peter Vardy, whose family charity, the Vardy Foundation, has been instrumental in establishing secondary schools that provide education with a distinctly Christian ethos.  The schools - Emmanuel College, Trinity Academy and Kings Academy in England - educate students from disadvantaged backgrounds and are among the top performing schools in the United Kingdom.

In 2006, Vardy established the Forum for Christian Leaders, which sponsors work with universities, schools and prisons to address such issues as social housing, debt support, and rehabilitation of ex-offenders. Vardy received Knighthood for Services to Business and Education in 2001, following a successful career as an entrepreneur and a mentor to developing companies.

Eastern University is a Christian university of the arts and sciences located at 1300 Eagle Road, St. Davids, PA.  Eastern enrolls approximately 4,000 students in its undergraduate, graduate, professional, urban, Seminary and international programs.  For more information about Eastern University, call 610.341.5967 or visit www.eastern.edu.