With finals week on its way, the University of Idaho is looking forward to the 130th Spring Graduation and Commencement. According to a press release from UI Executive Director of Communications Jodi Walker, more than 2,200 Vandals will be eligible to receive degrees at the Spring Commencement ceremonies.
Moscow
The Moscow Commencement will be split into two ceremonies based on the colleges. Both ceremonies will be at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome in Moscow. There will be no rehearsals; staff and marshals will guide participants through the ceremony.
The morning ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. and features the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the College of Business and Economics, the College of Engineering, the College of Natural Resources and the College of Science. The seating chart can be found here.
The afternoon ceremony will be 2-5 p.m. and will feature the College of Art and Architecture, the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, the College of Law and the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. The seating chart can be found here.
Students and faculty members should arrive to line up at 8:15 a.m. for the morning ceremony and 12:45 p.m. for the afternoon ceremony. The lineup will be on University Avenue between the ISUB and the Administration Building lawn. Signs will point you toward your specific college’s location.
The Processional from the Administration lawn to the Kibbie Dome will begin 30 minutes before the ceremony. The procession will be led by the Highland Bagpipes. The students will enter the Kibbie Dome as “Pomp and Circumstance” plays. Once the platform party is on stage, the color guard will enter carrying the flags and post the colors before a wind ensemble plays the National Anthem.
Moscow’s keynote speaker will be Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder and CEO of Chobani. The Moscow ceremony will also award certain individuals with honorary doctorates and the President’s Medallion.
Three individuals will receive honorary doctorates: Tim Arnold, for advancements in mining safety and sustainability and support of UI’s new geological engineering program; Kathleen Duncan, for philanthropy and service on university and nonprofit boards; and Dale Bosworth, UI alumnus of 1966 and former U.S. Forest Service chief, for public lands management and conservation service.
Recipients of the President’s Medallion are individuals who have contributed significantly to Idaho’s advancement. This year, two will receive the award: Justice Linda Copple Trout, UI alumna of 1973 and 1977, the first woman appointed to the Idaho Supreme Court, for commitments to public service and legal education; and Col. Kedrick Wills, the former director of the Idaho State Police, for law enforcement leadership.
After opening remarks, awards, honors and honorary degrees, students will cross the stage and receive their diplomas. Faculty are welcome to congratulate students as they exit the stage.
Flowers and memorabilia are available for preorder here. All orders will be ready for pickup at the Kibbie Dome entrance on the day of the ceremony. Photo and video memorabilia will be available for order after the ceremonies. Photography will be provided by GradImages, which will email or mail proofs and an offer for one free print to students that give an address on the card provided at the event.
UI will be enforcing their clear bag policy and conducting bag checks at all entrances for the ceremonies. Graduating students are not permitted to have bags. Guests will be allowed to have clear bags no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, or non-clear wristlets, clutches, wallets and bags no larger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. For a list of allowed and prohibited items, visit www.uidaho.edu/events/commencement/security.
Parking information is available here. Doors will open at 8 a.m. for the morning and 12:30 p.m. for the afternoon. No tickets are required for any of the ceremonies. Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Moscow ceremony will be live streamed at www.uidaho.edu/live.
Boise
The Boise Commencement Ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 18, at 4 p.m. Mountain time at the Boise Centre.
Participating students, faculty and staff should arrive by 3:30 p.m. Signs will be available in the Boise Centre to point you in the right direction.
Boise’s keynote speaker will be Payton McGriff, UI alumna of 2017 and the founder of Style Her Empowered, a nonprofit that provides school uniforms to girls in Togo. McGriff was a finalist for the 2024 CNN Hero of the Year award.
The Boise ceremony will be live streamed at www.uidaho.edu/live.
Idaho Falls
The Idaho Falls Commencement Ceremony will be held on Monday, May 19, at 7 p.m. Mountain time at the Bennion Student Union Building, in the second-floor multipurpose room.
Participants should arrive by 6:15 p.m. Park in the lower lot at University Place, 1776 Science Center Dr. No parking permits are required.
Idaho Falls’ keynote speaker will be Dana Kirkham, the senior director of regulatory and strategic initiatives at the Idaho Environmental Coalition.
The Idaho Falls ceremony will be live streamed at www.uidaho.edu/live.
According to the press release, UI has graduated over 132,000 students with more than 141,000 degrees since its foundation.
For each campus, the numbers of degrees are as follows: Moscow, 30 associate, 1,031 bachelor’s, 44 law, 189 master’s and 20 doctorates, with a total of 1,314 degrees; Boise, one bachelor’s, 88 law, 28 master’s, three doctorates and six specialists, with a total of 126 degrees; Coeur d’Alene, 10 bachelor’s and one master’s, with a total of 11 degrees; and Idaho Falls, three bachelor’s, four master’s and five doctorates, with a total of 12 degrees.
For other questions or more details, visit www.uidaho.edu/events/commencement/spring.
Dakota Steffen can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu.