Opening Convocation on Tuesday, Aug. 21 will officially begin PC’s 139th academic year. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. in Belk Auditorium.

Dr. Donald R. Raber II, provost, is the featured speaker during this year’s convocation. Dr. Raber, also professor of political science, will deliver an address titled “Promises.” His address examines the promise each student brings to PC as well as the promise of a PC education. In doing so, Dr. Raber will also update the campus community on The Promise of PC, the strategic plan released in November 2017.

Following Dr. Raber’s address, new faculty, staff, and students will continue a PC tradition by signing the Honor Code. New members of the PC community sign the Honor Code to pledge that they will “neither give nor receive unacknowledged aid in their academic work nor will they permit such action by any member of the campus community.”

Martha Anne Green Award

PC President Bob Staton will offer remarks about the 2018 Martha Anne Green Award recipient before The Rev. Dr. Jeri Parris Perkins, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Clinton, formally introduces the recipient.

The Martha Anne Green Service to Church and College Award was established by both the First Presbyterian Church of Clinton and Presbyterian College to recognize the contributions of Martha Anne Green to two communities — her college and her church.

Martha Anne Green inspired the College with her humility, her joy, and most of all her leadership, as she embodied the PC motto: “Dum vivimus servimus.”

Student Awards

Three student awards will be presented during convocation: the Freshman Academic Award, the Fraser Bible Award and the Hay Religion Award.

The Freshman Academic Award is presented annually to first-year students in the previous year’s class who achieved a 4.0 GPA in all coursework completed in their first year at PC.

The Department of Religion and Philosophy presents the Fraser Bible Award to a member of last year’s freshman class who is of exemplary character and who earned the highest average grade in Bible for the year.

The Department of Religion and Philosophy presents the Hay Religion Award to the student who has the highest grade point average in four semesters of religion and/or philosophy taken during their first two years at PC.

PC students move back to campus Aug. 18-19, and welcome events will take place throughout the following week. Classes for undergraduates begin on Wednesday, Aug. 22.