Abilene Christian University will award 836 degrees this weekend in three Commencement ceremonies taking place on Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium. The Friday, May 6, ceremony at 8 p.m. will award 257 master’s and 42 doctoral degree recipients. On Saturday, May 7, 537 bachelor’s degrees will be presented in two ceremonies – 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The Friday ceremony includes all doctoral and master’s degree candidates. On Saturday, undergraduate degree candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Biblical Studies will participate in the 10 a.m ceremony, and undergraduate degree candidates from the College of Business Administration, College of Education and Human Services, College of Graduate and Professional Studies, and School of Nursing will participate in the 3 p.m. ceremony.

Dr. Joey Cope, associate vice president of academics at ACU Dallas, will address the graduates Friday. At both Saturday ceremonies, Josh Ross, a 2002 graduate of ACU and lead minister at Sycamore View Church in Memphis, will be the speaker.

A number of student awards will be presented at the various ceremonies, and at both Saturday ceremonies, Ron Phillips, a 1955 graduate of ACU, will be honored with the Dale and Rita Brown Outlive Your Life Award. Phillips is senior vice chancellor at Pepperdine University and served as dean of Pepperdine’s Caruso School of Law for 27 years. Abilene Christian’s Teacher of the Year also will be announced.

Due to the forecasted high temperatures on Saturday, approximately 800 indoor seats will be available on a first-come basis to watch a livestream of the event. About 300 seats will be available in the Brown Family Club Level at Wildcat Stadium, and about 500 in Hunter Welcome Center. Both of these venues will open one hour before the ceremony. Cold bottled water and cooling tents will also be available around the stadium. 

— Wendy Kilmer

May 4, 2022