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Abilene Christian University will recognize 430 graduates during December Commencement on Dec. 16 in Moody Coliseum. The 7:30 p.m. ceremony will include 228 bachelor’s degrees, 144 master’s degrees and 58 doctoral degrees. 

Dr. Brad East, assistant professor in the Department of Bible, Missions and Ministry and the 2022 Teacher of the Year, will give the charge to the graduates. A number of student awards will be presented at the ceremony as well.

This is the first time for Commencement to take place in the newly renovated Moody Coliseum. Because of the expected audience size, tickets are required. Each graduate had access to up to seven tickets for friends and family at no cost. The ceremony will be livestreamed in Boone Family Theatre, or friends and family can watch the livestream from wherever they are.

ACU has also updated the regalia for students earning a bachelor’s degree and their escorts. The new regalia features purple and white on the cuffs of the graduate’s robe, adds purple to the cuffs of the escort robe, and introduces a new tradition – the ACU Commencement Stole. Generations of ACU undergraduates have participated in ACU’s tradition of selecting an escort to accompany them during Commencement and hood them during the ceremony – someone who has supported and inspired them in achieving this milestone. This year, a new tradition begins with the ACU Commencement Stole, which will be worn by bachelor’s candidates during Commencement and afterward may be passed on to encourage a current or future Wildcat to reach this same milestone themselves.

— Wendy Kilmer

Dec. 15, 2022