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aerial view of Western's campus at night, with golden lights surrounded by dark trees

Western Celebrates Hundreds of New Graduates Dec. 14

About 487 graduates are expected to participate in the ceremonies, with more than 620 officially graduating

Western Washington University will host two commencement ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 14, to celebrate summer and fall quarter graduates and their guests in Carver Gym. 

About 487 graduates are expected to participate in the , with more than 620 officially graduating from Western. Each ceremony will last about an hour, and tickets are not required so that students may invite their families and guests of their choosing. Overflow seating will be available nearby. 

The two ceremonies will honor graduates of different colleges: 

  • 10 a.m.: College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Fine and Performing Arts and College of the Environment.
  • 1 p.m.: College of Science and Engineering, College of Business and Economics, Woodring College of Education, Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies, and University Interdisciplinary Studies. 

Doors open one hour prior to each ceremony, and guests should be seated 10 minutes prior to the start time.  

Graduates must make reservations to participate in the ceremonies and have been asked to share the number of guests they plan to bring. If Carver is at capacity, guests will be directed to nearby classroom lecture halls, where they鈥檒l be invited to watch a livestream of the ceremony on large, theater-style screens.  will also be available online for viewing from home. 

Following the ceremony, graduates will have the opportunity to  and place a small item representative of their time at Western in a time capsule to be cemented into Memory Walk in front of Old Main.

is free on commencement days and available in most lots.  Visitors must observe regulations for accessible and individually reserved spaces. , which is closest to Carver and served by a golf cart shuttle for those who need assistance. Visitors are also advised to arrive early to avoid traffic congestion and to allow for travel time between the parking lots and Carver. 

For those parking in the south campus parking lots, there will be available from Parking Lot C off Bill McDonald Parkway, just south of Wade King Student Recreation Center, that will drop off guests near Carver. Three shuttle buses will run in a loop from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., and one of the buses is ADA-equipped to accommodate two wheelchairs per route. Guests using wheelchairs may take this shuttle or they may park in the designated lot for accessible parking in the 9G lot. 

For more information about commencement, including a list of items guests are not allowed to bring to the ceremony, visit the  page, email Commencement@wwu.edu or call 360-650-3432.