WKU News

As Western Kentucky University prepares to welcome graduates and their guests for Commencement on May 5 and College Recognition Ceremonies on May 6, Parking & Transportation Services provides the following parking and traffic information.   

May 5 Commencement Parking

WKU’s 2022 Commencement on May 5 will begin at 6:30 p.m. with Topper Walk along College Heights Boulevard and Avenue of Champions to Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. The ceremony will begin once students have been seated on Feix Field.  

Graduates will begin lining up at 5:45 p.m. near the Kentucky Museum. College Heights Boulevard will close at 5:30 until Topper Walk ends.

Graduates are encouraged to park on the north end of campus in Parking Structure 1, the Adams Street Lot, Kentucky Street Lot and the Alumni Square Garage.

Parents and guests are encouraged to park in Parking Structure 1 and Parking Structure 2. Additional parking is available in the Creason Lot and Parking Structure 3. Disability parking is available in Diddle North Lot and Parking Structure 2.

For pedestrian safety, Avenue of Champions will close from 6:20 p.m. through the end of Big Red’s Bash. More: Event parking information; #KnowParking video; parking map

May 6 College Recognition Ceremonies

WKU is expecting heavy traffic throughout the day on May 6 during College Recognition Ceremonies at Diddle Arena.

To accommodate traffic flow for graduates and guests, WKU Parking & Transportation offers the following parking recommendations and shuttle service options for each ceremony:

8 a.m.: College of Health and Human Services. Parking Recommendation: Parking Structure 1 and Parking Structure 2 is available for general parking. Complimentary park and ride service is available in Adams Street, Alumni Square Garage, Creason Lot and Parking Structure 3.

10:30 a.m.: Potter College of Arts & Letters. Parking Recommendation: Complimentary park and ride service is available in Adams Street, Alumni Square Garage, Creason Lot and Parking Structure 3. Parking Structure 1 and Parking Structure 2 will be closed until the previous ceremony exiting traffic is complete.

1 p.m.: Ogden College of Science and Engineering. Parking Recommendation: Parking Structure 1 and Parking Structure 2 is available for general parking. Complimentary park and ride service is available in Adams Street, Alumni Square Garage, Creason Lot and Parking Structure 3.

3:30 p.m.: College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. Parking Recommendation: Complimentary park and ride service is available in Adams Street, Alumni Square Garage, Creason Lot and Parking Structure 3. Parking Structure 1 and Parking Structure 2 will be closed until the previous ceremony exiting traffic is complete.

6 p.m.: Gordon Ford College of Business. Parking Recommendation: Parking Structure 1 and Parking Structure 2 is available for general parking. Complimentary park and ride service is available in Adams Street, Alumni Square Garage, Creason Lot and Parking Structure 3.

Note: All buses are ADA accessible. For all ceremonies on May 6, disability parking is available Diddle North, Diddle South, Parking Structure 2 and Creason Lot.

As part of the traffic control plan, College Heights Boulevard will be converted to one-way traffic from Avenue of Champions to State Street. Please follow directions of event staff and police officers when present.

For live parking/traffic updates on May 6, visit https://www.wku.edu/eventparking. More: Event parking information; #KnowParking video; parking map

Contact: Communications and Marketing, (270) 745-4295          

- WKU -

Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.