Commencement

Commencement day kicks off with the Baccalaureate Degree Conferral Ceremony for graduates on the Great Lawn. The ceremony begins with the pomp and circumstance of the grand processional led by CNU faculty, the Class of 2026 and the stage party, continues with the formalities of the degree conferral process, an address from President Kelly, the singing of the alma mater, and concludes with the grand recessional featuring a key CNU tradition – the faculty gauntlet.

From the processional start to the end of the recessional, it is roughly a one hour program. Guest seating is limited for the conferral ceremony. Each graduate will be allotted two seats in the reserved seating section for guests, but there is unlimited standing room and it will be livestreamed. We recommend giving these wristbands to those with accessibility concerns or guests who are unable to stand for extended periods of time. Many guests choose to line the processional route so they can watch and capture their graduate’s march up the lawn.

Please note, graduates' names are not called out nor do they walk across the stage at the conferral ceremony–this happens during the Grad Walk.

Following the Degree Conferral Ceremony, graduates will reunite with their family and friends to spend the day together enjoying the defining traditions that are associated with being a Captain–the penny toss, graduate hooding, visiting the Alumni House, departmental receptions, ringing the bell and, of course, to have their moment walking across the stage during the Grad Walk. If graduates bring guests to the Degree Conferral Ceremony, it is recommended that they make a plan of where to meet up after the recessional, as there will be significant movement on campus.

The Grad Walk is separated into college blocks and each graduate registers for a time within their block to walk across the stage. Now, this is the part where Christopher Newport is really unique! Unlike traditional ceremonies that have you sitting in the hot sun for hours, hundreds of feet from the stage, waiting forever just to barely glimpse the graduates, Christopher Newport allows graduates and their guests to walk right up to the stage TOGETHER! The graduate and their guest group enter the queue for the Grad Walk, the graduate goes up the ramp to the stage, their guests walk directly in front of the stage to witness their graduate’s walk, have their name read, receive their diploma cover and shake hands with the President. Family and friends are close enough to talk to each other and capture that picture-perfect moment.

Please limit the amount of guests you bring with you to the Grad Walk Queue to no more than 10-12 people. Additional guests are encouraged to utilize the seating in front of the stage. And, for those with mobility restrictions, we have a special seating area to wait right in front of the stage until their group arrives. For those joining from afar, the Conferral Ceremony and the Grad Walk will be livestreamed.