Baylor to Celebrate Summer Graduates in Return to the Ferrell Center

Change to morning ceremony will accommodate rising number of Ph.D. candidates

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-709-5959
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WACO, Texas (June 10, 2021) – Baylor University will return commencement to the Ferrell Center to celebrate summer graduates during two in-person ceremonies Saturday, Aug. 14. In addition, the summer ceremonies will feature a change that reflects the University’s rising number of doctoral candidates and the University’s success as it pursues R1 recognition as a top Christian research university.

The University will accommodate this growth during the 9:30 a.m. ceremony as it honors all candidates pursuing degrees in Baylor’s 47 doctoral and 79 master’s programs. During the 2:30 p.m. ceremony, the University will recognize graduates of Baylor 126 undergraduate programs.

Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., will preside over summer commencement, which will return indoors after the University held six ceremonies in May at McLane Stadium, the first outdoor Baylor commencement in more than 65 years and the first in-person graduation ceremony since December 2019. The May ceremonies allowed more than 3,600 graduates to walk across the stage in their regalia as proud Baylor graduates, whether they completed their classes in 2021 or weren’t able to have an in-person graduation in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was so important to our 2020 and 2021 graduates and their families that we find a way to have an in-person spring commencement, even if we had to hold it outdoors at McLane Stadium. The days were a little warm, but we still had a wonderful celebration of our students’ tremendous sacrifices and positive attitudes that allowed them to persevere to the finish line and receive their Baylor degrees,” President Livingstone said. “The same is true of our summer graduates, from our undergraduates to our rising number of Ph.D. and master’s candidates. I look forward to celebrating their achievements as we return commencement to its indoor home in the Ferrell Center.”

President Livingstone will be joined by Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., the deans of Baylor's 12 colleges and schools and dozens of Baylor faculty members who serve as marshals and ushers to honor Baylor’s latest class of alumni.

To participate in summer commencement ceremonies, degree candidates will need to fill out the participation form on the commencement website by July 14, 2021. More information about the ceremonies will be shared throughout the summer.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 19,000 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.