Commencement
Congratulations, Class of 2025!
Albion College is excited to celebrate the many accomplishments of the Class of 2025 as part of spring Commencement Ceremony, held Saturday, May 3 at 1 p.m. on the campus quadrangle.
As we near the big day, please take note of the following key events for the Class of 2025:
April TBD
- Lavender Celebration (Upper Baldwin)
Friday, May 2
- 2 p.m.: Commencement Rehearsal (Goodrich Chapel)
- 3 p.m.: Champagne Toast and Senior Sendoff – for seniors, faculty, and staff (Science Atrium)
- 5 p.m.: La Cosecha Latinx Celebration (Upper Baldwin)
- 7 p.m.: Kente Black Celebration (Upper Baldwin)
- 8-10 p.m.: Graduation Kickoff Celebration: Tunes and Tastes (Tent across from Goodrich Chapel)
Saturday, May 3
- 10 a.m.: Interfaith Baccalaureate (Goodrich Chapel)
- 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Commencement Brunch for graduating seniors and families, and academic departments (Baldwin)
- 12 p.m.: Graduating seniors lineup for ceremony processional (Outside Goodrich Chapel) — cap and gown required!
- 1 p.m.: Commencement Ceremony (Campus Quadrangle)
Commencement Speakers
Commencement Speaker
Senior Class Speakers
Faculty Farewell Address
Senator Debbie Stabenow
We are proud to announce that Senator Debbie Stabenow will deliver the Commencement address for the Class of 2025.
“Made in Michigan” through and through, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow has blazed trails and made history as the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Michigan. Respected for her bipartisan leadership and dedication to public service, she has transformed policy and improved lives across the nation.
Her deep love for Michigan has driven her efforts to protect the Great Lakes, expand mental health services, and strengthen the state’s manufacturing and agriculture industries. One of her first Senate bills banned oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes. She also authored the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, ensuring environmental protections for future generations.
A champion for Michigan’s economy, Senator Stabenow believes in making and growing things in America. As former chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, she shaped national food and farm policy, created the first specialty crop title in the Farm Bill, and expanded farmers’ markets. During the financial crisis, she led efforts to rescue the auto industry and pushed laws advancing clean energy, electric vehicles, and manufacturing jobs.
In healthcare, she helped write the Affordable Care Act, ensuring maternity care coverage, lowering prescription drug costs, and passing the bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act—one of the biggest expansions of behavioral health services in a generation.
Senator Stabenow has been a relentless advocate for children and families, leading on child nutrition, school-based health clinics, and healthcare access.
After 50 years of public service as a County Commissioner, State Legislator, Congresswoman, and U.S. Senator, she proudly passed the torch in 2025, beginning a new chapter in her lifelong commitment to Michigan outside elected office.
Attention Seniors!
The application form to submit to be a senior class speaker for the Spring 2025 Commencement exercises is now closed. Decisions will be announced in early April.
We are excited to announce the speaker lineups for the following Commencement weekend events in early April: Champagne Toast and Senior Send Off (May 2 at 3 p.m.), Interfaith Baccalaureate (May 3 at 10 a.m.), and Commencement Ceremony (May 3 at 1 p.m.)!
All applicants will be considered for speaking roles at the three Commencement events mentioned above.
Eligibility
To be considered as one of the three senior class speakers, you must:
- Be a member of the graduating class in good academic and judicial standing.
- Submit your Senior Class Speaker application by Friday, March 14, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
- [If selected] Submit your speech in advance by April 25 and participate in designated rehearsals, to be determined.
- Be willing to be a media mogul on stage and across Albion social media channels.
Speech Guidelines
Senior class speeches should focus on the following guidelines to be considered:
- Address peers from the graduating class and be mindful of the broader audience of Albion faculty and staff, families and supporters, and honored guests gathered for the event.
- Inspire and encourage fellow Brits through common insights and shared experiences.
- Share your story of how your time at Albion helped to shape your life, your future professional journey, and/or your role as a member of society.
- Make sure you demonstrate a connection to the theme of building and sustaining community.
- Be no more than 3 minutes in length – this translates to approximately one single-spaced page or 400 words total.
- Be submitted in full by Wednesday, April 25, 2025. (NOTE: Only those selected will need to submit full speeches.)
A committee of faculty and staff members will review submissions and make final speaker selections by early April, based on the following criteria:
- Clarity of ideas and organizational structure
- Authenticity and originality
- Appeal to a broad audience
- Quality of speech content
- Incorporation of the theme
- Connection to Albion’s mission and values
- Adherence to instructions and speech guidelines
Jeremy Kirby, Professor of Philosophy
Professor of Philosophy Jeremy Kirby will deliver the Faculty Farewell for the Class of 2025. As is tradition, the faculty member who welcomes the class during Matriculation Convocation has the honor of wishing them well as they head out into the world as graduates.
Professor Kirby joined Albion College in 2006. His teaching and research interests are primarily in the history of philosophy and also in metaphysics and philosophical logic. He enjoys reading Greek and Latin literature. He is a member of the American Philosophical Association (APA).
He has published articles on Aristotle and supervenience physicalism, contextuality and confusability and Socratic Virtues in journals such as the Southwest Philosophical Review and Florida Philosophical Review. He is the author of Aristotle’s Metaphysics: Form, Matter, and Identity (Continuum Press, 2008).
Professor Kirby has also presented his research findings at several national conferences such as the annual meetings of the American Philosophical Association, the Southwestern Philosophical Society, the annual meeting of the History of Science Society, and the annual meetings of the Florida Philosophical Association as well at international conferences such as the International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology in Austria.
He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. from Florida State University.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ceremony
When is Commencement?
Commencement is on Saturday, May 3. Line up is at noon, and the processional begins at 12:45 p.m. All guests must be in their seats by 12:30 p.m. The ceremony begins at 1 p.m. and lasts approximately two hours.
Will there be a live webcast for family members who are unable to attend?
Yes. The ceremony will be live streamed at albion.edu/commencement so your friends and family who are unable to attend in person can watch the ceremony live.
Caps and Gowns
Caps and gowns must be warn by all participating graduates. Caps and gowns are available for purchase in the Albion College Bookstore. The Bookstore is unable to offer online purchasing.
Regalia Pricing – $80.98
- Cap and gown packages are (This package includes a black tassel)
- Cap
- Tassel (Purple and Gold)
- 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon-Thursday
- 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday
- 9-12 Graduation Day
Graduating Seniors
Do I need to register to graduate?
Yes, you must register for graduation with the Registrar’s Office.
Is there practice for Commencement?
Yes, mandatory Commencement rehearsal will take place at Goodrich Chapel on Friday, May 2 at 2 p.m. During this rehearsal, we will walk through everything you need to know for the next day, hand out honors cords, and conduct a brief survey about your time at Albion. Immediately following rehearsal, we invite you to join faculty, staff, and fellow graduates in the Science Complex Atrium for a celebratory champagne toast and sendoff.
Where do I get honor cords?
You will receive honor cords at Commencement Rehearsal. Only Albion academic honor cords will be passed out at graduation practice. Departmental or academic organization honor cords or pins will be handled by each dept. or org.
How long do I have to move my stuff out of my room?
You have until 8 p.m. the day of Commencement to move out of your room, though it is recommended that you have 90% of your belongings packed before the ceremony. It will make your life a lot easier.
Guests, Tickets and Seating
Where can my family park?
Your family can park wherever they can find a spot on Saturday. Campus Safety will not ticket during the ceremony. Remember, all city parking guidelines must be followed.
Is there a procedure in place for inclement weather?
In the case of inclement weather, Commencement will take place in the Dow Center. Lineup for graduating seniors will occur promptly at 12 p.m. We will communicate any change in location via email, and on the College’s website and social media accounts.
Do guests need tickets to attend the ceremony?
Seating is unlimited, if held outdoors on the Campus Quadrangle, and tickets are NOT required.
If the ceremony is held indoors due to inclement weather, tickets will not be required for family members and supporters.
Access and Accessibility
What is the best way for people with disabilities and those with physical limitations to access the Quadrangle for the commencement ceremony?
Individuals needing assistance should park in the lots on Cass and Oswego Streets immediately behind the library or in the lot behind Ferguson Hall. See the map for details. Albion staff will be providing rides on golf carts from these lots.
Is there an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter?
Yes. An American Sign Language interpreter will be in attendance and easily viewable for those attending in person and virtually.
Are there sufficient restrooms?
Yes, restrooms are available on all floors of Olin Hall, Kellogg Center, Ferguson Hall, and the Stockwell-Mudd Libraries. All restrooms are accessible.
Are chairs provided for seating in the Quad?
Yes, seating will be available for guests including those needing ADA accommodations. Please feel free to bring your own blanket or chairs to enjoy the ceremony from the lawn.
Senior Class Gift
The Senior Class Gift is a long-standing Albion College tradition that began in the late-1800s. The graduating class members choose a project that exemplifies their experiences as students and through which they want to impact the College.
Albion College Graduate Yard Signs
Yard Signs
“Proud of our Albion College Graduate” yard signs are available for purchase and pick-up on the day of Commencement outside of Mudd Library, while supplies last. Pre-order via the online order form or purchase on-site while supplies last. Proceeds benefit the 2025 Senior Class Gift: Career Closet.
Graduate Photos
Professional photography will be provided by Graduation Foto of graduates as they leave the stage with their diploma. Proofs will be sent out within 96 hours.
2024 Commencement Livestream Archive
Planning Your Visit
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