Fall Convocation produced a new crop of McMaster alumni

Cue the music. It’s time to celebrate McMaster’s latest group of graduates.

On Friday, more than 1,400 McMaster students received their degrees and diplomas from the University. Many were joined by family and friends at Hamilton Place for the official Fall Convocation proceedings.

The 9:30 a.m. ceremony featured the Faculties of Business, Engineering, Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts & Science Program. The afternoon ceremony began at 2:30 p.m., and included students from the Faculties of Health Sciences and Science.

Sheila Fraser, who held the Canadian government accountable and fought to protect the public interest as Auditor-General, received an honorary doctorate from McMaster University during the morning Convocation ceremony.

Fraser, who served as Auditor General of Canada from 2001 to 2011, spoke to graduating students after receiving the degree.

She grew up on a farm  in Dundee Quebec, where, she joked, “there were more cows than people.” She said her parents had always emphasized the importance of education and that she and he siblings had paid heed. From that family would emerge two doctors, one lawyer and two accountants, including herself.

Her greatest surprise and disappointment as Auditor General, she said, was not the few who misused government resources, but the ones who know about it and never reported it.

She encouraged the graduating students to speak truth to authority. Above, all, she told them to remember to have fun as they enter their careers. “Work has to have more meaning than a paycheque every two weeks,” she said.

Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands also received the honour during the afternoon ceremony for her humanitarian work on an international level. Born in Ottawa after her family took refuge during the Second World War, she was named after the marguerite flower, which was worn as a symbol of resistance to Nazi Germany.

Fall Convocation at a glance:

Morning ceremony graduates: 791

Afternoon ceremony graduates: 633

Highest number of graduates by degree: 240 (Master of Science)

Smallest number of graduates by degree: 1 (Bachelor of Engineering and Biosciences; Honours Bachelor of Music; Master of Engineering: Manufacturing Eng; Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours); Bachelor of Medical Radiation Sciences; Master of Health Management)

Master’s degree recipients: 740

Bachelor’s degree recipients (including Honours): 551

“That’s ‘Dr.’ to you.” PhD recipients: 125

Graduate diploma recipients: 8