Schedule of Commencement Events 2023
Please note that the 2023 schedule is posted until the 2024 edits are made, so please continue checking back for updated information on this page.
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Law
| Date/Time | Event |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, May 10 3 - 4 p.m. |
Required Commencement Rehearsal, Stemmons Plaza in front of Huntley Hall, between Reid Hall and Newcomb Hall (dress: casual). All students participating in commencement are REQUIRED to attend the rehearsal on Wednesday, May 10. Rain Location: Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center |
| Thursday, May 11 | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Awards Ceremony and Presentation of Walking Sticks, 4th floor in Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center, Holekamp Gym |
| 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. | Champagne, Fireworks, and Music, Sydney Lewis Hall Lawn (dress: casual) The fireworks display will be cancelled in the event of rain; fireworks will go off if it is only drizzling or a light rain is falling. |
| Friday, May 12 | |
9 a.m. |
Pictures of alumni parents and their graduating children. Front Lawn, in front of the President's home (Lee House) and the Simpson House. Information to be sent by the Law School Advancement Office Rain Location: TBD |
| 9:15 a.m. | J.D. graduating class photo. Front Lawn, in front of the President's home (Lee House) and the Simpson House. Rain plan: For anything more than a drizzle, this picture will be cancelled. |
| 9:30 a.m. | Graduates line up, Stemmons Plaza between Newcomb Hall and Reid Hall, facing Huntley Hall Rain Location: 4th floor in Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center, outside Holekamp Gym |
| 10 a.m. | Law Commencement, Colonnade, in front of University Chapel Speaker: Justice Cleo E. Powell, Supreme Court of Virginia Rain Location: Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center; remote viewing locations in Stackhouse Theater and Hillel Multipurpose Room |
| 11:30 a.m. | Picnic, Cannan Green (tent near the Elrod University Commons) |
Undergraduate
| Date/Time | Event |
|---|---|
| Wednesday - Friday, March 8 - 11 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. |
Undergraduate Grad Fair, Elrod University Commons Atrium |
| Monday, April 24 5 - 6:30 p.m. |
Reception for graduating seniors, Lee House patio |
|
Friday, April 28 |
English Honors Thesis Presentations, Leyburn 119 |
|
Thursday, May 11 |
Johnson Scholars Senior Send-Off Celebration, Hotchkiss Alumni House Porch |
|
Monday, May 15 |
ODK Senior Celebration, Holekamp Hall |
|
Tuesday, May 16 |
English Awards Ceremony, Mason Taylor New Room |
| 5:30 p.m. | Athletics awards ceremony, Holekamp Gym, Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center Recognition of participation and achievements among 24 varsity teams, followed by Dinner, Cannan Green (tent near the Elrod University Commons) |
| Saturday, May 20 | Final examinations |
| Monday, May 22 | |
| 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Regalia (Cap and Gown) distribution, Elrod Commons, Career and Professional Department Office |
| 7:30 p.m. | Alumni Senior Night, Liberty Hall Ruins. Entertainment, food, fireworks. Sponsored by The Alumni Association. |
| Tuesday, May 23 | |
| 3 p.m. | Lavender Graduation. contact: Jake Reeves jreeves@wlu.edu |
| 5 - 7 p.m. |
Journalism and Mass Communications Department reception and awards ceremony, Hillel House 101 |
| 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. | CIE International Education Awards, Atrium, Ruscio Center for Global Learning |
| 8 p.m. |
The Commencement Concert by the Washington and Lee University Singers, featuring favorite works throughout 2022-2023 selected by the seniors, Lenfest Center/Wilson Concert Hall A free concert, open to the public. Performance will be streamed at https://livestream.com/wlu |
| Wednesday, May 24 | |
| 9:15 a.m., sharp | Class photo in the Cohen Amphitheater between Leyburn Library and Elrod University Commons. Rain Plan: 9 am on Thursday, prior to the graduation ceremony. |
| 9:30 a.m. | Graduates line up, Stemmons Plaza behind Washington Hall, in front of Huntley Hall Rain Location: VMI's Cameron Hall |
| 10 a.m. | Undergraduate Baccalaureate, Colonnade, in front of University Chapel Speaker: Mary H. Hipp '90 Rain Location: VMI's Cameron Hall |
| 11:30 a.m. | Luncheon for families, faculty, and staff, Cannan Green (tent near the Elrod Commons) |
| 12:30 p.m. | President's Open House for Parents, Lee House. Ends promptly at 2:00 pm |
| 1 - 2:30 p.m. | Williams School Awards Ceremony, Huntley Hall Terrace (by invitation) Rain Location: Larry and Fran Peppers Room, Huntley Hall |
| 1:30 p.m. | Art and Art History, Music, Theater, Dance and Film Studies Departments awards ceremony, Wilson Concert Hall |
| 1:30 p.m. | Education Studies Reception for Seniors, Families, and Faculty, Elrod Commons 114 |
| 3 p.m. | Reception for Graduating Seniors in Mathematics, Chavis Hall 105 |
| 3 p.m. | Computer Science Graduation reception, Science Center Great Hall |
| 3:30 p.m. | Donning of the Stoles Ceremony, Keller Theater, followed by a reception in the Kamen Gallery from 6-7:30pm |
| 4 p.m. | Religion Department Reception, Location: Prof. Brown Residence 510 Jackson Ave |
| 4 p.m. | Reception for Graduating Seniors in Philosophy, Elrod Commons 216 |
| 4 p.m. | Reception for Graduating Seniors in Law, Justice and Society, Mason Taylor New Room |
| 4:30 p.m. | Neuroscience reception for seniors, families, and faculty, Atrium, Ruscio Center for Global Learning |
| 5 - 6:30 p.m. | Sociology and Anthropology Department Reception and Awards, Dell Outdoor Classroom |
| Thursday, May 25 | |
| 8 a.m. | Classics Department Continental Breakfast, Mason Taylor New Room, Payne Hall |
| 8 - 9:30 a.m. | East Asian Languages and Literatures Department Continental Breakfast, Ruscio Center for Global Learning Atrium |
| 8 a.m. | Cognitive and Behavioral Science Graduation Breakfast, Hillel House 101 |
| 8 a.m. | Physics and Engineering Department Graduation Breakfast, Science Center Great Hall |
| 8 a.m. | Williams School Commencement Breakfast, Huntley Hall Terrace, out front Rain Location: Larry and Fran Peppers Room, Huntley Hall |
| 8 a.m. | Shepherd Program Commencement breakfast, Mattingly House |
| 8:15 a.m. | Department of Earth and Environmental Geoscience Graduation Breakfast, A218 Science Center |
| 8:30 a.m. | History Department coffee reception for history majors and their families, Newcomb Hall (out front) |
| 8:45 a.m. | Pictures of alumni parents and their graduating children, in front of Simpson House (Rain Location: TBD). Information to be sent by the Alumni Office |
| 9:15 a.m. | Graduates line up, Stemmons Plaza behind Washington Hall, in front of Huntley Hall Rain Location: VMI's Cameron Hall |
| 10 a.m. | Undergraduate Commencement, Colonnade, in front of University Chapel Speakers: William C. Dudley, Washington and Lee University President. James Torbert '23, EC President Rain Location: VMI's Cameron Hall. Remote viewing available at the Smart Zone on the main floor of Leyburn Library and in Newcomb Hall. Web streaming of the entire ceremony is available at go.wlu.edu/commencementlive. |
| after graduation | Biology Department Luncheon, Hotchkiss Alumni House |
| after graduation | Chemistry and Biochemistry Department Luncheon, Science Center Great Hall |
| after graduation | Theater, Dance, and Film Studies Department Lunch, Lenfest Center for the Arts, Kamen Gallery |
| 5 p.m. | ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, University Chapel |