CofC's Winter Commencement: Everything You Need to Know
The countdown is on for winter commencement!
This year more than 500 undergraduate and 36 graduate students are expected to receive their degrees at the College of Charleston’s winter commencement on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at 2 p.m. Thomas R. Martin, executive-in-residence in the Department of Communication, will address the graduates, and he and his wife, Wanda C. Martin, will receive honorary degrees along with Sylvia “Sibby” Craver Harvey ’58, trustee emerita of the College of Charleston, former member of the Foundation Board and past president of the Alumni Association. Alex J. Worrall, Graduate Student Association president, will also speak at the ceremony.
Commencement will be held in the College of Charleston TD Arena (301 Meeting St.). Each graduate will receive 10 tickets for guests through their CofC email approximately one week prior to the ceremony. For guests who are unable to attend the ceremony, live video of the event will be broadcast on the College’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
In addition to the commencement ceremony, the Office of Multicultural Student Programs and Services will recognize the academic achievements of Asian-Pacific Islander, African American, Hispanic/Latinx, LGBTQ+ and Ally, and Middle Eastern/North African graduates during the 2024 Fall Multicultural Graduation Celebration at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, in the Simons Center Recital Hall. This formal ceremony will feature the presentation of culturally significant stoles before the commencement exercises, giving families and allies the opportunity to celebrate the graduates. RSVP by email at msps@cofc.edu.
Martin joined the College of Charleston faculty in 2007 after a 30-year career as a communication executive with FedEx and ITT Corporation. In 2016, he and his wife launched the Martin Scholars Program at the College. The program serves to develop a select group of seniors who are either majoring or minoring in communication through a combination of exposure to effective communication leaders who serve as mentors and teachers, networking opportunities with communication alumni and Advisory Council members, and experiential learning. In 2023, the Martins founded the Martin Center for Mentorship in Communication to develop and inspire leaders and mentors amongst communication students, including the Martin Scholars. Martin also has a twice-monthly podcast, Mindful Mentoring with Tom Martin, featuring successful leaders and mentors in all stages of their professional careers whose lives and career paths have been shaped by mentoring relationships.
Martin earned his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and was inducted into the PR News Hall of Fame in 2006. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Page Society in 2011. He received the Milestones in Mentoring Legacy Award from the Betsy Plank Center at the University of Alabama in 2021. In 2023, Martin received the Order of the Silver Crescent from the governor of South Carolina in recognition of his long years of service to the College of Charleston.
The Martins reside in Mount Pleasant and have two sons, a grandson and a granddaughter.
Winter commencement has gone mobile! Schedules, maps, reminders and more are now at your fingertips on your iPhone/Android for free. Scan the QR code to download the app. To get the latest information about winter commencement, please use the College’s new mobile app by searching “CofC Winter Commencement” in the app store. With this resource, you get access to the most up-to-date information as well as networking tools, notifications and more.
