VSU Celebrates 231st Commencement May 7-8 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University will celebrate its 231^st Commencement with a series of three in-person ceremonies — two for undergraduate students and one for graduate students — May 7-8 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

VSU will kick off the two-day event by recognizing graduates from the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration, James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services, and College of the Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 7.

The Graduate School ceremony will follow at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 8.

VSU will close the two-day event by recognizing graduates from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, and College of Nursing and Health Sciences at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 8.

Undergraduate commencement ceremonies will honor the helpers, the healers, the heroes who inspire hope for a healthier tomorrow as they continue to answer the call to action throughout the ongoing global health crisis. The ceremonies will feature a special video message from four VSU alumni who have dedicated their lives to caring for others and creating healthier communities every day. These healthcare professionals are excited to have the opportunity to offer words of encouragement and wisdom to the graduates and to have the privilege of inspiring a new class of creative, conscious, and caring Blazers ready to meet the needs of a changing global society.

The graduate commencement ceremony will honor the educators who continue to transform lives and communities every day while also bringing hope, comfort, and encouragement to learners of all ages — preschool to graduate school — throughout the ongoing global health crisis. The ceremony will feature a special video message from three VSU faculty who have dedicated their lives to creating knowledge, building confidence, uplifting society, and breaking down barriers to opportunity. These professors are excited to have the opportunity to empower a new class of enlightened Blazers and celebrate education as a powerful tool for creating positive change, both at home and around the world.

VSU’s 231^st Commencement features approximately 1,500 candidates for graduation, including students who completed their degree requirements during spring semester and a few special early walkers who will take their final classes during the summer.

All graduates in attendance will have their name called as they walk across the platform area. Each undergraduate commencement ceremony will end with a brief fireworks show in the sky above the stadium; the graduate commencement ceremony will end with a brief on-field pyrotechnic display.

Seating is unlimited, but guests are encouraged to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth and to practice social distancing inside the stadium.

Each ceremony will be streamed live on the VSU website at www.valdosta.edu/commencement.

On the Web:

www.valdosta.edu/commencement