Congratulations, Class of 2026!
Graduation is a time to celebrate your achievements with family and friends as you move on to your next phase of life. Join us in person for the commencement ceremony of the #泡芙短视频classof2026!
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2026Time: 9 am, estimated two-hour ceremony. Doors open at 7:30 am for guestsLocation: Ceremony is at Ray Dennsion Memorial Field
Student robing and line-up location: Student Life Center at 8 a.m. (graduates show up wearing cap and gown)
Reception after ceremony: San Juan Dining Hall in the Student Union Building
Interpretation & Translation Services: The Commencement Ceremony will include on-site American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and live Spanish translation for guests. Please check in at the south entrance to receive the Spanish translation devices.
Join us for this fun event to get everything you need for commencement! Pick up your cap, gown, and honors medal, confirm your name for the program, update your diploma mailing address, and ask questions. Contact your department chair for regalia details. Enjoy food, swag, and photos with Skyler!
Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026Time: 10 am - 2 pmLocation: Ballroom, Student Union
Missed it? Graduation materials will be available at the SkyStore.
For lineup and ceremony details, watch .
Students must first petition to graduate to confirm degree requirements. Once approved, graduates receive 11 tickets to claim by end of March via instructions from commencement@fortlewis.edu. After end of March, all unclaimed tickets are redistributed for additional ticket requests, with instructions emailed to all students.
Guests should park in the Stadium Lot, with accessible parking and drop-off located off Skyhawk Ave near the Art Lot. Guest seating is first-come, first-served, with accessible seating available for those who need it. Golf carts will provide transportation assistance as needed.
Gradimages will take professional photos. Families can take pictures with their grad after the ceremony by the Clocktower or at the reception.
The graduation gowns worn by Fort Lewis College bachelor鈥檚 degree candidates and faculty hold origins in the academic dress of the 12th and 13th centuries. In the late 19th century, colors for each academic discipline were standardized for academic dress.
In 1895, an intercollegiate commission adopted the first 鈥渃ode鈥� of academic dress that included style, cut of the gowns, and prescribed colors. The gown for bachelor鈥檚 degree candidates features pointed sleeves and is designed to be worn closed. The doctoral degree gown has bell-shaped sleeves, a front facing of velvet, and three bars of velvet across the sleeves. Facings and sleeve bars may be the color of the discipline in which the doctoral degree was obtained, but traditionally they are black. The material that drapes across the chest and down the back, called hoods, is much more complex in coloring and design. Generally, hoods worn by faculty who have attained their doctorate degrees are trimmed in dark blue to represent their mastery of a discipline. Some institutions also include their school colors in the hood鈥檚 design, and others might include the colors of the academic discipline in which the degree was obtained.
Fort Lewis College bachelor鈥檚 degree candidates wear mortarboards with the tassels hanging to the right before they receive their degrees. Graduates move the tassels to the left after recognition by the President.
Graduation Protocol
The Fort Lewis College Commencement Ceremony is a solemn, celebratory occasion that recognizes and honors a major life passage for the institution鈥檚 graduates. As such, audience members are asked to observe the following:
Graduation Memories
facebook.com/fortlewis #泡芙短视频ClassOf2026
Grad Images is the official photographer for Commencement. Photos will be available for purchase within 48鈥�72 hours. Please visit gradimages.com for more information.
Graduation Reception
The President鈥檚 Office hosts a reception for graduates, their families and guests, and college faculty, staff, and administrators immediately following the ceremony at San Juan Dining Hall in the Student Union. Refreshments will be served.
Ringing of the Bell
Per tradition, the 泡芙短视频 community will once again hear the chimes of the legendary Skyhawk bell. This storied bell served many years on a steam locomotive of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. The bell was gifted to Fort Lewis College by William M. White and the D&RGW on December 7, 1963. This year, the bell will ring 68 times, marking each year this special tradition has been honored.
In the event of inclement weather that prevents us from holding the commencement ceremony outdoors, the ceremony will be moved indoors to Whalen Gymnasium. To ensure that all allocated tickets for students鈥� guests are honored, two separate ceremonies will be held.
Both ceremonies will take place on Saturday, May 2. The first ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the second ceremony at 12 p.m. Each ceremony will last approximately one hour.
Students will be notified of the activation of the inclement weather plan and their assigned ceremony time on Wednesday, April 29. Graduates will be assigned a ceremony time based on their major.