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>> Welcome to the iSchool's 3rd
Virtual Convocation Ceremony.

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I am Dr. Sandy Hirsh, and it is
my privilege to serve as professor

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and director of the School of Information.

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Today represents the culmination of all your
hard work and I'm extremely proud of all of you.

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Today we are gathered for a
convocation which is a calling together.

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I am joined today by Dean Mary Schutten,
graduating student speaker, Essraa Nawar,

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and our invited convocation
speaker, Dr. Debra Wallace.

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I am delighted to have them to be
part of this very special ceremony

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and we will end today's convocation with
a special video, special video dedicated

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to our graduates and prepared
by our student leaders.

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We are here today to celebrate your achievements
which you accomplished with the love and support

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of your family, friends, and colleagues.

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Many of you have thanked your parents
and siblings, spouses, partners,

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and children on our graduation profile
pages of the Virtual Convocation website.

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I've read many of these and it's been
very heartwarming to read your posts.

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I hope that those who are special to you have
joined the session today to celebrate with you

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and family and friends, if you are online,
please do post a congratulatory message

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on your graduate's page after this ceremony.

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You can also hear each graduate's
name read out with their degree

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on the Virtual Convocation website and you
will also find the recordings of the speeches

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from today's convocation on the
Virtual Convocation website tomorrow.

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This is the school's 48th convocation
since we first achieved accreditation.

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Our mission is to educate information
professionals who are highly confident

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in virtual and physical environments
and who contribute

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to the well-being of their global communities.

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And there's so much for us
to celebrate as a school.

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We are very proud to have been
selected for another prestigious award

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from the Online Learning Consortium.

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This time we received the Excellence in
Faculty Development for Online Teaching Award.

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This national award recognizes
our school's dedication

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to delivering exceptional online programs.

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In addition to our nationally
ranked and accredited MLIS degree,

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we offer several other online programs,
including a teacher librarian credential,

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a master's in archives and records
administration, a gateway PhD program

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which we run in partnership with the Queensland
University of Technology in Australia,

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a post-masters certificate in library
and information science program,

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and we have new certificates in big data
and also one in digital assets and services.

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And today, we are honoring those who have
completed doctorates, post-masters certificates,

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and master's degrees, including our
first graduates to earn both the MLIS

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and the Advanced Certificate in Digital
Assets and Services at the same time.

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Since all of our programs are delivered online,

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we have students from nearly
all 50 states and 20 countries.

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We are grateful they've entrusted
their education to us.

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Our graduates today represent a
cross-section of the overall student body,

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with graduates from all over the United States

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and several countries, including
Canada and Korea.

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One graduate shared on her graduate profile
that she met classmates from all over the world,

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including the United States, English, France,
India, and her home province in Canada.

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Diversity perspectives present in our online
programs is a unique benefit to our students.

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A graduate explained the ability to collaborate
and learn from others, working in libraries

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of all types across the world,
with different demographics

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and different funding strengthened my
ability to problem solve, think creatively,

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and to engage in the endless
possibilities of what libraries provide.

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Our graduates are truly serving
our global communities.

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Graduates also shared some of the things
that they liked best about online learning

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and their experience in the program.

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Graduates shared that they liked
taking courses on a variety

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of topics, especially technical ones.

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Another student said the flexibility of when I
could work on class assignments and participate

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in lectures and discussions was a benefit.

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Another student liked being connected to
students and professors from different places,

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with different experiences and dreams who
were willing to share and encourage all of us.

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And another student liked the
flexibility of pursuing rigorous education

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at the graduate level without
having to leave my full-time job.

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And finally, another student liked being
able to choose from a wide variety of courses

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and ultimately create a learning
experience that will suit my future goals.

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I also appreciated our student, our
graduates' honesty in their comments

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about what they're looking forward to
now that they've completed the program.

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I'm sure you can sympathize with the
student who was happy that they would,

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that there would no longer be more term
papers that they needed to work on.

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I hope you will visit our Virtual Convocation
website and peruse their graduate profiles.

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We offer our students a broad range of courses
enabling them to design their curriculum

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to best meet their needs and interests.

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As an example, our courses range from
the study of early manuscripts and books,

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to the management and curation
of digital assets.

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We offer many outstanding opportunities
for students to get involved in the school,

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such as serving on the editorial board
of our school's student research journal,

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helping our students as peer mentors,

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and participating in award winning student
chapters of professional associations.

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Our school offers many ways to engage with other
information professionals and to keep current,

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such as our highly successful
Virtual Library 2.0 Conferences.

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As new alumni, it is my hope
that you will participate

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in the upcoming library 2.017 mini conferences,
the next one will be held on June 1,

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and will be focused on digital
literacy and fake news.

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And also in October 11, with one
that's focused on makerspaces.

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These are great ways to build your professional
connections, share your knowledge with others,

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and continue your lifelong learning.

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Our open classes program enables
professionals to take just a single class

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or two in our program without
being matriculated students.

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These are all excellent ways that you can
continue your professional development

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and connection with our school
after you graduate.

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We also offer free online webinars
featuring experts in the field on a variety

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of relevant topics, including career guidance.

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We are very fortunate to have exceptional
award winning faculty and students

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who are influencing the future
of the information profession.

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Just to mention a couple of highlights,
this year two of our alumni were selected

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for the American Library Association's
coveted I Love My Librarian Award,

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and three of our alumni were selected
as Library Journal's Movers and Shakers.

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I would like to now acknowledge our faculty who
are joining us today from all around the world,

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and our staff, who have worked hard to ensure
that everything runs smoothly in the school.

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We all work to support you and your education,
and as you enter the professional world.

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At San Jose State University graduates, you
bear the responsibility today and tomorrow

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for demonstrating the impacts that
librarians and information professionals have

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on the well-being of their communities,
whether in college and university environments,

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governmental environments, school environments,

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public library environments,
or corporate environments.

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Congratulations to all of you, you've done it,
you should be proud of your accomplishments.

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We certainly are.

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We are supported in our work by the larger--