The 451 students of the Gustavus Adolphus College Class of 2024 will graduate on Saturday, May 25, at an on-campus Commencement ceremony. The processional for the event begins at 1:45 p.m. on Hollingsworth Field, weather permitting.
In addition to the conferring of degrees, the ceremony will feature remarks from President Rebecca M. Bergman, Provost Brenda Kelly, and Gustavus Board of Trustees Chair Marcia Page ’82; an invocation from Chaplain Betsy Hoium; a benediction from Executive Chaplain Grady St. Dennis ’92; and the presentation of the Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching. Senior Commencement Speaker Andrea Cruz Bracamontes ’24 will talk to her classmates and attendees about resiliency, an especially meaningful topic for this year’s graduates.
Like many of their peers around the country, members of the Class of 2024 will be walking across a graduation stage for the first time, having been deprived of that experience by the Covid pandemic when they were high school seniors in 2020. This resilient group of students has overcome the social isolation and the related challenges of that period to achieve admirable accomplishments in a wide variety of academic, athletic, artistic, and co-curricular areas.
Among this talented class are Fulbright scholars, first-generation college students, social media mavens, politically active and engaged advocates, musical performers and actors, current and future artists, multifaceted activists, innovative creators, a host of athletic champions and decorated scholar athletes, and many more.
Use #Gusties24 on social media to share the excitement, messages of gratitude and advice for the graduating seniors!
In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will move indoors to Lund Center Arena (ice arena), where tickets will be required. Each graduate will receive three tickets to distribute to guests. Additional guests may watch the ceremony from the Lund Forum.
| 7 – 9 a.m. | Breakfast a la carte Market Place, C. Charles Jackson Campus Center |
| 8:30 a.m. | Commencement location announced on the Commencement website. Location is planned for outside, unless announced otherwise. |
| 9 a.m. – Noon | Information Desk Open for Indoor Ticket Distribution C. Charles Jackson Campus Center, Lower Level |
| 9 a.m. | Baccalaureate Service Christ Chapel |
| 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Book Mark Open C. Charles Jackson Campus Center, Lower Level |
| 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Geology Museum Open Nobel Hall of Science |
| 10:30 a.m. | Baccalaureate Service Christ Chapel |
| 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Commencement Buffet Evelyn Young Dining Room* (*Advance ticket purchase required at gustavustickets.com. Limited tickets are available at the door.) |
| 12 p.m. | Gates open for seating in stadium or Lund Arena (if indoors) |
| 12:45 p.m. | Graduates Line Up at Christ Chapel (in case of inclement weather line up in Lund Center) |
| 1:10 – 1:45 p.m. | Music Prelude Gustavus Wind Orchestra, Dr. James Patrick Miller, conductor Hollingsworth Field |
| 1:45 p.m. | Commencement Procession Hollingsworth Field |
| 2 p.m. | Commencement Exercises Hollingsworth Field In case of inclement weather, Commencement will be held in Lund Center Arena (ticket required for your three guests). Overflow seating in Lund Forum will air the broadcast on large screen. No ticket required for your additional guests. |
| 4 p.m. | Formal Department Receptions Eckman Mall (Lund Forum if inclement weather) Free, no ticket or RSVP required |
| 6 p.m. | Residence Halls Close Students must be moved out |
Following Commencement exercises, all in attendance are invited to a complimentary reception on Eckman Mall, weather permitting. Look for signs with directions to the appropriate divisional areas on the mall. No reservations are necessary and there is no cost to attend.
If weather conditions preclude an outdoor reception, divisional gatherings will be held in the Lund Center Forum (basketball court)
- Education
Departments of Education; Nursing; and Health and Exercise Science; and the Library. - Fine Arts
Departments of Art and Art History; Communication Studies; Music; and Theatre and Dance - Humanities
Departments of Greek, Latin and Classical Studies; English; History; Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Philosophy; Religion; and Scandinavian Studies; and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies - Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Departments of Biology; Chemistry; Earth Science, Geography, Environtmental Studies; Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics; Physics - Social Sciences
Departments of Business and Economics; Political Science; Psychological Science; and Sociology and Anthropology; and Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies
See the complete schedule or watch the livestream of the Commencement ceremony at gustavus.edu/commencement.