Commencement for the Class of 2025 is scheduled for Saturday, May 10 at 11 a.m. in Abel Stadium. Gates will open at 9:30 a.m. The ceremony will last approximately two hours and will be held rain or shine.

A live webstream of the commencement ceremony will be available on this webpage for those unable to attend.

Please continue to check this webpage for schedule updates.

Commencement Day Schedule

Final Walk

A tradition at Nebraska Wesleyan University, the final walk across campus symbolizes the culmination of a graduate’s years of learning and living at NWU. Just as they did to begin their academic careers, during the final walk graduates will pass under one of Nebraska Wesleyan’s famous arches—the symbol of the university.

Baccalaureate

Baccalaureate will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church located at 50^th Street and Saint Paul Avenue. Baccalaureate services are a tradition at Nebraska Wesleyan as part of our relationship with the United Methodist Church. All graduates are invited to participate in the services but are not required to attend.

All participating graduates and faculty members should be dressed in caps and gowns or regalia and begin assembling in Knight Field House by 8:15 a.m.

Outdoor Commencement

Unless severe weather is predicted, the commencement ceremony will be held outdoors, so we encourage guests to dress accordingly. If the weather is cool, a light jacket or blanket may be appropriate. If the weather is warm, sunglasses, sunscreen and hats are recommended. Guests are also encouraged to bring reusable water bottles. Courtesy coffee and water are available at the concession stand.  

In the case of severe weather, the ceremony will be moved indoors. The decision to hold commencement outdoors or indoors will be made on Thursday morning, May 8. Graduates and their families will be notified by email on May 8 if commencement must move indoors. Please see the Indoor Commencement (Severe Weather) section for further details.

Guest Seating—Abel Stadium

Primary seating for guests is on the bleachers in Abel Stadium. Guests are welcome to have water bottles, snack items and stadium seats in the football bleachers. All seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Seating on the football field is primarily reserved for graduates, honored guests, NWU faculty and the Symphonic Band. Designated areas on the field are provided for wheelchair seating and their companions, those with permanent or temporary disabilities, or hearing and vision impairments. Ushers will help arrange golf cart transportation to the football field if needed. Please note: Sticky or messy snacks (chewing gum, gummy candy, popcorn, sunflower seeds, etc.) are not allowed on the football turf.

Courtesy Services

Complimentary golf cart shuttles will run from designated parking lots throughout campus to aid guests as needed. For guests with accessibility needs, please enter Lot 9 at 53rd and Madison, and proceed south past Centennial Hall (just beyond the second speed bump); a parking attendant will direct you further.

Following commencement, guests may enjoy cookies and cold drinks on the south side of Smith-Curtis. As a courtesy during the ceremony, guests may ask for a granola bar or salty snack at the concessions counter in Abel Stadium. 

The NWU Bookstore will offer select items for sale at the concessions area in the stadium.

Restrooms are available inside Abel Stadium (to the rear of the concessions area), lower level of the Weary Center (access through east or west entry doors) and in the Student Center (upper level, bookstore entrance on the north; lower level, coffee shop entrance on the south).

A first aid station manned by Lincoln Fire and Rescue is located inside the stadium at the concessions area. 

Staff at the Information tent outside Abel Stadium are happy to help answer questions you may have when you are on campus. Lost and found will also be located at the information tent. 

All guests who are NWU alumni are invited to stop by the Information booth to pick up a small gift.

Indoor Commencement (Inclement Weather)

In case of severe weather, commencement will be held inside O’Donnell Auditorium in the Rogers Fine Arts Center (50th and Huntington). Due to the size of the graduating class and indoor seating capacity, each graduate will have two guests. Additional overflow seating will be available at First United Methodist Church (50th and Saint Paul), with the ceremony provided via livestream. Guests with accessibility needs may park in Lot 14, directly west of Rogers Fine Arts Center. Depending on the severity of the weather, golf cart shuttles may not be able to run and parking lots may not be attended.

The decision to hold commencement outdoors or indoors will be made on Thursday morning, May 8. If commencement needs to move inside, each graduate will receive an email from the NWU Box Office on Thursday afternoon, May 8, containing two tickets to commencement. The graduate can forward this email to each of their two guests. Each ticket includes a QR code that will be scanned before entering O’Donnell Auditorium and can only be scanned once. Tickets can either be scanned from the email on your phone or can be printed out and scanned. All seats in O’Donnell will be reserved seating. Limited seating for wheelchairs is available in the auditorium; please see an usher for assistance upon check-in. Please note: Tickets are not needed if commencement is held outdoors; the number of guests is not limited in Abel Stadium.

We know that enjoying their Final Walk together is important to our graduates. Even if commencement must be held indoors, we will plan to continue the tradition. Bring an umbrella and enjoy the walk! The exception to being able to hold Final Walk is lightning; if lightning is present, the walk will be cancelled. We ask graduates to line up at 8:15 a.m. in the fieldhouse as planned; a final weather determination will be made at 8:40 a.m. Whether there is Final Walk or not, the Baccalaureate service will proceed at 9:00 a.m. in First United Methodist Church.

After Baccalaureate, graduates will check in for commencement in Gildersleeve Lounge, in the lower level of Rogers Fine Arts Center, then line up in nearby Emerson Recital Hall for the processional. Following the commencement ceremony, graduates will pick up their diploma and alumni gift in Great Hall, Smith-Curtis.

Please email commencement.nwu@nebrwesleyan.edu should you have additional specific questions about an indoor ceremony

Nebraska Wesleyan Bookstore

The Prairie Wolves Bookstore located in the Story Student Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, for late gown pick-up (if necessary) and to purchase NWU memorabilia. For convenience, select NWU items will also be displayed and available for purchase at the concessions area in Abel Stadium. On Friday, May 9, you can stop by the bookstore from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

NWU Coffee Shop

The Archway Café, NWU’s coffee shop on the lower level of Story Student Center, will be open from 8 to 11 a.m. on May 10. Their regular menu (coffee, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruit, smoothies, snacks and cold drinks) will be available for purchase. You may take food and drink into Abel Stadium, but not the Baccalaureate service at First United Methodist Church. The Archway Café is also open on Friday, May 9, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Additional Information

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