Baylor to Celebrate More Than 3,000 Graduates at Spring Commencement

Spring graduation ceremonies return to the Ferrell Center for first time since May 2019

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-709-5959
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WACO, Texas (May 12, 2022) – Last spring in the midst of COVID, Baylor University celebrated the Classes of 2020 and 2021 with socially distanced outdoor ceremonies at McLane Stadium. In 2022, Baylor’s spring commencement returns to the Ferrell Center May 13-14.

More than 3,000 graduates – including nearly 90 graduates who completed their degree requirements in 2020 and 2021 – will walk the stage during four commencement ceremonies. With the University’s rising retention and graduation rates, Baylor has added more ceremonies in the past few years to accommodate the growth in graduates earning their degrees.

President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., will preside over the ceremonies, which will be held at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., and the deans of Baylor's 12 colleges and schools will present the degree candidates for the recommendation of their degrees. More than 100 faculty members will serve as marshals and ushers during commencement.

George W. Truett Theological Seminary will hold its commencement ceremony for 35 graduates, including two 2020 graduates and degree recipients from as far away as Rwanda, Zimbabwe, China and Zambia, at 6 p.m. Friday, May 13, at First Baptist Church in Waco. President Livingstone will preside over the Truett ceremony as well and will have the unique honor of presenting her daughter, Shelby, with her Master of Divinity.

“It’s been a remarkable year for Baylor University – from enjoying our first really normal semester since 2020, to earning Research 1 recognition as the premier Christian research university, to the ongoing successes of our athletics teams,” President Livingstone said. “This is certainly one of the most joyful times of the year and that joy culminates with commencement. Alongside their families, we celebrate with our graduates as they receive their Baylor degrees, head out into the world and let their lights shine wherever they go as proud Baylor Alumni.”

The ceremonies will be livestreamed on the commencement website and on the Baylor University Facebook page.

Success after Baylor

Baylor graduates are more prepared than ever to go out into the world and continue the path toward their career goals. More than 50% of all graduating Baylor students this spring have full-time job offers or graduate school acceptance before they ever cross the stage, according to the latest data from the Baylor Career Center.

While students nationally tend to wait until graduation to start their job search, Baylor students are being proactive as they follow their calling and are finding positions sooner than average. They engage the Baylor Career Center, which provides professional assistance to all Baylor students through specialized career coaching, top resources, connections with employers, graduate school planning and more from the moment they set foot on campus.

Based on the significant increase in placement and success for Baylor students over the past few years, the career center expects this graduating class to present the highest rates yet. Official placement and success data can be found on the career center website.

Shining a light through a Senior Class gift

For over a century, members of each graduating senior class have joined together to leave their mark at Baylor by contributing a gift to the University.

This year’s Senior Class Gift will support one of Baylor’s most beloved icons – the lights of Pat Neff Hall. Since 1978, Pat Neff Hall has glowed green after a Baylor athletics victory. In recent years, lights on Pat Neff have helped Baylor commemorate and memorialize significant events in the community. The Senior Class Gift goal is to modernize the lightning by upgrading to an LED system that is brighter, more reliable and flexible.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.