WKU News

WKU will celebrate nearly 4,200 graduates during Fall 2020/Spring 2021 Commencement ceremonies Saturday (May 1) at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium.

Graduates of Gordon Ford College of Business and College of Health and Human Services will participate in the 10 a.m. ceremony, while graduates of Potter College of Arts & Letters, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and Ogden College of Science & Engineering will participate in the 6 p.m. ceremony. Commencement information is available online at https://www.wku.edu/commencement/

WKU will confer degrees and certificates to 4,180 graduates from fall 2020, spring 2021 and summer 2021 semesters -- 139 associate, 2,836 bachelor’s, 725 master’s, 85 doctoral and six specialist degrees, and 271 undergraduate certificates and 118 graduate certificates.

This year’s Topper Walk and Commencement will follow Healthy on the Hill guidelines and will look different from past ceremonies. View the May 1 schedule.

Graduates will be seated on Feix Field, while family and friends in attendance will be spaced out on both sides of the stadium. Graduates will be given six tickets for guests. Additional seating and viewing will be available in Diddle Arena and on WKU South Lawn. (More: Ticket information)

Topper Walk will precede the ceremony with graduates assembling by college at separate locations on Avenue of Champions and then waving red towels as they proceed into the stadium. Morning graduates will meet at 8:45 with Topper Walk at 9:15. Evening graduates will meet at 4:45 with Topper Walk at 5:15. View the Topper Walk schedule.

The ceremonies will include remarks from President Timothy C. Caboni; recognition of honor graduates and award winners -- Ashley Salmon of Crestwood and Seth Newby of Magnolia as the Ogden Foundation Scholar (top undergraduate award) and Shelby A. King of Lexington as the John D. Minton Award recipient (top graduate award); and the commissioning of 22 WKU ROTC cadets.

The ceremonies will be broadcast by WKU PBS and will be streamed on WKU’s YouTube and Facebook pages. (More: Commencement FAQs)

Other recognition events

• Lavender Recognition Ceremony, 6 p.m. Tuesday at Downing Student Union Auditorium
• ISEC Recognition Celebration, 6 p.m. Thursday at Diddle Arena
• Mahurin Honors College Graduation Reception, 11 a.m. Friday at Sloan Convention Center
• WKU ROTC Commissioning, 3 p.m. Friday at Diddle Arena

Gatton Academy graduation

• The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky will recognize 78 students from 43 counties in the Class of 2021, its 14th graduating class. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday (May 2) at Diddle Arena. Speaker will be Jason Glass, Commissioner of Kentucky Department of Education.

Spring/summer 2020 graduates

• The Commencement celebration for spring and summer 2020 graduates of all five academic colleges will begin at 10 a.m. May 8 at Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Graduates will assemble at 9 a.m. along Avenue of Champions in front of Downing Student Union for Topper Walk. View the May 8 schedule.

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