The annual commencement ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 1 in Welte Auditorium on the campus of Central Connecticut State University, which is adjacent to Charter Oak State College.

The Student and Alumni Associations will host a brunch at 11:15 a.m. A reception will follow the ceremony. Information about the brunch and ceremony was mailed in mid-April to Charter Oak students who have completed or plan to complete degree requirements between July 2007 and May 31, 2008. Reservations for the brunch are required. Be sure to make your reservation early because we have had to turn people away in the past.

If you did not receive the information, contact Gale Terrill at

Honorary Degree Recipient

Each year, the Board and College award an honorary doctorate degree to an individual or individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the College; to the local, national or international community; or to their professional fields. At this 2008 commencement ceremony, the Board for State Academic Awards and Charter Oak State College are awarding the honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, to Chandler J. Howard.

Mr. Howard has been very much involved with Charter Oak since 1996. He served as a member of the Board for State Academic Awards, which governs both the College and the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium, then as Board Chair, a position in which he served with distinction from 2001 until 2007.

He has enjoyed a long and successful career in banking, having held prominent positions with People's Bank, Fleet Bank-Connecticut, Bank of America and First City Fund Corporation. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Bank, Middletown, CT.

Mr. Howard earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Connecticut and a master's degree in Finance from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Community service oriented, he has contributed his time, over the years, to serving the interests of numerous organizations and their beneficiaries. He has served as Chairman of the Board, Greater Hartford Urban League; Director, Greater Hartford Regional YMCA; Director, Church Home of Hartford/Seabury; Board member, Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce; Board member, Board Chairman United Way of the Capital Area and also served as campaign chairman in 2002; St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center; and Board member, Easter Seal Society of Connecticut. He also serves on the Board of Middlesex Hospital and the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce

He is a past president of the Housing Education Resource Center and the Collaboration for Connecticut's Children. He was also appointed to key posts during the administrations of three Connecticut Governors. He served, under Governor Thomas Meskill as a member of the Commission for Higher Education's Master Plan Resource Group; was appointed Administrator of the State's Children's Trust Fund by Governor William O'Neil; and served on Governor Lowell Weicker's Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the Library.

Your Commencement Ceremony Questions Answered

Graduation FAQs