Franklin Hosts 166th Commencement Ceremony (Virtually)

Contact:

Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
Email: sherry.mercurio@franklin.edu

Franklin University, Ohio’s #1 Adult-Focused University, will hold its 166th Commencement Ceremony on Friday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. (EDT), during which the University’s newest degree candidates will receive their diplomas. 

At the urging of state and local health departments, as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, we are taking all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. To provide the opportunity to celebrate this important milestone, we have transitioned the Fall 2020 Commencement to a virtual celebration. While we have re-created some aspects of our traditional ceremony, the focus of our-prerecorded ceremony reflects our graduates and their accomplishments. The link to watch the recorded ceremony will be made available on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. and can be found at: https://www.franklin.edu/commencement-info

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS
Receiving an honorary degree and speaking at Franklin’s 166th Commencement is Rev. Elizabeth Coffman. The Rev. Elizabeth Coffman is a clinical social worker at Positive Perspectives Counseling Center in Springfield, Ohio. Her career spans 46 years as a clinical social worker in both mental health and substance abuse treatment, advancing to supervisory and administrative levels before entering private practice. Concurrently, she served for 22 years as the pastor of the Urbana Swedenborgian Church. Betsy is the current president of the Johnny Appleseed Foundation, which supports the most extensive collection of artifacts and archival material related to John Chapman.

Betsy received an associate, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Urbana University. She earned her Master of Social Work degree from The Ohio State University and is a licensed independent social worker and a member of the National Association of Social Workers. She studied at the Swedenborg School of Religion, receiving a Lay Leader Certificate and full ordination into the ministry. She is a member of the denomination’s executive council and is the vice president of the Champaign County Ministerial Association.

Betsy served on the Urbana University Board of Trustees for 22 years and continued in leadership roles at Urbana after the university was acquired by Franklin. She developed and led the Urbana University chaplaincy program and volunteer chaplaincy team, providing programs and spiritual support for the university community. Betsy was instrumental in founding the Alicia Titus Memorial Peace Fund in 2002, and in organizing its programs and activities on campus and in the surrounding community.

Betsy lives in Urbana with her husband, Bill. Together they have four children, five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Also addressing the graduates will be graduating student speaker Paige Caldwell. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Paige Caldwell earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication at the University of Toledo. After graduation, she pursued a variety of public relations and social media management positions that aligned with her passion. Paige’s desire for higher-level career opportunities led her to Franklin’s M.S. in Marketing & Communication program to advance her knowledge and refine her skillsets. Whether constructing creative concepts for entrepreneurs or learning and growing from mentors, she is now positioned to be a savvy marketing and communication leader.

Aside from her two brothers, Paige humorously stakes claim as the only child in her family. She is grateful for her close-knit family camaraderie that provides daily motivation for her to succeed.  

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).