COMMENCEMENT

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Meredith College 2025 Commencement

Meredith College will celebrate the Class of 2025 at commencement on Saturday, May 10.

  • The Undergraduate Ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. in the courtyard area of Johnson Hall.
  • The Graduate Commencement and Hooding Ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. in Jones Auditorium.
  • Families and guests attending the Undergraduate Ceremony are encouraged to bring water and hydrate for the outdoor ceremony.
  • The College will provide a Live Stream for both to allow for additional participation. Watch the live stream at youtube.com/@meredithcollegelive
  • Graduation regalia, including caps, gowns, and hoods, can be purchased from the Meredith College Campus Store. Ordering information has been shared with the graduating class via email.
  • Pick-up for graduation regalia began on February 26 and will continue until graduation. If a graduate did not place an order ahead of time, the Campus Store has these items available for purchase.
  • To ensure proper pronunciation of their names, students can leave a message on the pronunciation hotline: (919) 760-2020.
Meredith College mace.

More details will be added to this site throughout the spring semester. Check back frequently for more information!

First Destination Survey​

Undergrad Students – please complete today!​

Commencement Speaker

Brenda Hughs Breakfast

Award-winning filmmaker Brenda Parks Hughes will deliver the address during Meredith’s undergraduate commencement ceremony. Hughes, a Meredith alumna from the Class of 1970 and member of the Board of Trustees, will share insights gained through her career as an elementary school teacher turned reporter and filmmaker.

Hughes started her career reinvention as a sports reporter at Jefferson Pilot/Raycom’s ACC Sports Center, as one of the first female sports reporters in the Southeast. She moved into television news from sports, working as an anchor/reporter for NBC affiliates WITN in eastern North Carolina and NBC12 in Richmond, Va. After returning to North Carolina, Hughes created Wetbird Productions, Inc., where she produced five feature historical documentaries for PBS North Carolina. Two of those documentaries – Thank You, Eddie Hart and Marching Once More – were distributed nationally and awarded Regional Emmys.

Commencement Weekend Schedule of Major Events

  • Time: 2 p.m.
  • Location: Jones Auditorium
  • Time: 4 p.m.
  • Location: McIver Amphitheater
  • Rain Site: Jones Auditorium


Class Day Rehearsal: Thursday, May 8 at 6 p.m., McIver Amphitheater (Rain site: Jones Auditorium)

  • 10 a.m.
  • Courtyard
  • Graduates should arrive 30 minutes prior to the ceremony start time. Please do not arrive more than 45 minutes prior.
  • Watch the live stream at https://www.youtube.com/@meredithcollegelive
2 p.m.

Jones Auditorium
Doors will open at 1 p.m. Graduates should arrive no later than 1:30 p.m.

Watch the live stream at https://www.youtube.com/@meredithcollegelive

Commencement Participation FAQs

Meredith will hold 2025 commencement exercises for its undergraduate and master’s degree students on Saturday, May 10. Meredith’s Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. in the Courtyard behind Johnson Hall. The Graduate Commencement and Hooding Ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. in Jones Auditorium.

  • Families and guests attending the Undergraduate Ceremony are encouraged to bring water and hydrate for the outdoor ceremony.

All graduates may reserve up to six (6) guest tickets. Space is limited, so please request only the number of tickets you need. 

Undergraduates in the Class of 2025 will register for the Commencement ceremony using SignUpGenius. Registration will open to sign up using this link on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 10 a.m. 

Master’s Degree Candidates should contact their program representative as follows with ticket requests and information about distribution procedures: 

Later this spring, graduates will have an opportunity to request additional tickets if needed. Please note that not all requests for additional tickets can be accommodated. Meredith Events will notify graduates if their request for additional tickets is approved. 

Children two (2) years of age and under do not need a ticket to attend either ceremony, provided they stay in a lap. Strollers are not encouraged as they block aisles.

Ensure you are using your Meredith student email (@email.meredith.edu or @meredith.edu). If your email still isn’t working, contact commencement@meredith.edu for assistance.

Accessibility accommodations can be requested for graduates or graduate guests using our Google Form, which will open on April 9. Graduates should submit the form, regardless of whether the request is for the graduate or one of the graduate’s guests.

Graduates and their guests may park in any campus lot except Lots 1, 12, 18, and along Main Campus Drive. Please see the Meredith College Campus Map for additional guidance.

To ensure all families are able to see their graduates, please refrain from bringing large items such as posters, “fat heads,” and balloons to the ceremony, as they can block other attendees’ view.

A comprehensive rain plan will be shared with graduates before Commencement. Students will be notified of this decision via the Commencement website, email, and social media. Notification will only be sent in the event that the morning ceremony must be moved indoors.

Please visit the Academic Recognition and Graduation section of the Undergraduate Catalogue and the Graduation section of the Graduate Catalogue for more information. Master’s students may also want to ask their program director if they have any questions or concerns about eligibility to participate in commencement.

If you’re concerned about your academic status, please contact the registrar. It should not affect your ability to participate in Commencement but may affect your graduation date.

Diplomas will be mailed to the address listed on your application for graduation.

Academic Regalia

Undergraduate Regalia

Undergraduate students wear maroon gowns and maroon mortarboards.

The tassel worn pertains to the academic degree being received.

  • Bachelor of Arts: black tassel
  • Bachelor of Music: pink tassel
  • Bachelor of Science: gold tassel
  • Bachelor of Social Work: white tassel


Undergraduate students in regalia wear the tassel on the right side of the mortarboard. During the Commencement ceremony the students change the tassel to the left side, signifying they have earned their degrees. 

Undergraduate students may decorate the top of the mortarboard.

Many participants wear international flag patches, which are worn by students, faculty, and staff who have lived, studied, or done research abroad, including international students and faculty. These patches are the only embellishments permitted on the commencement gowns. Graduates may not embroider or otherwise decorate their gowns.

Graduate Regalia

Master’s students wear a black gown, undecorated black mortarboard, black tassel, and a hood.

Hoods, which are given during the Graduate Hooding Ceremony, reflect the color of the academic discipline.

  • Biomedical Sciences: gold
  • Business: drab
  • Education: light blue
  • Nutrition: gold
  • Psychology: gold
  • Criminal Justice: blue


Graduate students in regalia wear the tassel on the left side of the mortarboard as they have already graduated (earned the undergraduate degree). They do not change the tassel during the Commencement ceremony.

Master’s students should not decorate the top of their mortarboard.

International flag patches, which can be worn by students, faculty, and staff who have lived, studied, or done research abroad, including international students and faculty are the only embellishments permitted on the commencement gowns.

What kind of enhancements can graduating students add to their commencement attire?

The College’s Policy on Cultural Identity Enhancements to Academic Regalia at Meredith College’s Commencement Ceremonies states:

Meredith College’s commencement exercises are a dignified celebration of our graduates’ academic achievement. Caps and gowns, also known as academic regalia, are worn to signify this achievement. To honor cultural heritage and identity, graduates are encouraged to wear adornments such as cultural stoles reflecting their cultural heritage and salient identities, provided they are respectful of others and refrain from making political statements.

To ensure the ceremony is conducted with the appropriate tradition and respect for the event, the  College reserves the right to restrict items during graduation if such items may result in a disruption or interference with the graduation ceremony. 

These practices will be periodically reviewed and amended as necessary to accommodate changes in graduation traditions, recognition practices, or the College’s guidelines.

Cultural Stole and Cord Policy FAQs

Meredith College’s commencement exercises are a dignified celebration of our graduates’ academic achievement. To ensure the ceremony is conducted with the appropriate respect for the event, the College reserves the right to restrict items during graduation if such items may disrupt or interfere with the graduation ceremony. 

In support of diversity and cultural expression, graduates can wear enhancements representing their cultural heritage provided they are respectful of others and refrain from making political statements.

A cultural stole is a piece of regalia graduates may wear to express and honor their cultural heritage. It allows students to proudly display their heritage, ethnicity, and cultural affiliations. Cultural stoles typically feature colors, symbols, or patterns that are significant to the graduate’s cultural background.

Kente:  A Kente stole is a woven cloth, originating from Ghanaian tradition, that was historically reserved for royalty but has now become a symbol of pride and accomplishment. It is worn draped over the shoulders like a scarf, similar to traditional graduation stoles. Typically, Kente stoles are worn to signify various achievements, graduations, or significant life events. *Kente Stole History

Sarape Sashes: These sashes are inspired by traditional Mexican sarapes, featuring vivid bands of colors and often adorned with embroidered letters or symbols. Sarape sashes are a symbol of celebration and cultural pride, representing the rich heritage of Mexico and Latinx communities.  

LGBTQ+: Serve as a visual representation of the wearer’s identity within the LGBTQ+ community. These stoles commonly showcase the rainbow flag, which has become universally acknowledged as a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride.

*These are examples rather than an exhaustive list.

An example of a political statement that would be discouraged during a commencement ceremony is a graduate wearing an enhancement expressing strong opinions on a controversial political topic or endorsing a specific political ideology, candidate, or political movement. For instance, advocating for a political policy, making partisan remarks, or engaging in explicit political activism during commencement would be considered inappropriate.

During commencement ceremonies, many students, faculty, and staff wear international flag patches to signify that they have lived, studied, or done research abroad. These patches are the only embellishments permitted on the commencement gowns. 

Graduates may not embroider or otherwise decorate their gowns. Decorating mortarboards (commonly called caps) is allowed for undergraduates and is a longtime tradition at Meredith. (Master’s students should not decorate the top of their mortarboard.)

Members of official academic honor societies can wear approved cords or other visual recognitions of that society. For example, members of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, can wear a cord and members of the newly formed Meredith chapter of the national Phi Kappa Phi campus-wide academic honor society can wear medallions. Cords for participation in activities or organizations are not approved.

Psychology major Sophie Lee, ’22, came to Meredith ready to take on new challenges. Identifying her strengths helped her decide on a career path, which includes pursuing a master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational psychology at Meredith.

Class president and environmental sustainability major Casey Corpening, ’22, is a Meredith College and NC Teaching Fellow. After graduation, Casey is applying her strengths to the classroom as a middle school teacher in the Wake County Public School System.

Tag us on Social Media

#MCGrad25

Class of 2029, take it from #MCGrad25, you’re going to love it here. 💌

Class of 2029, take it from #MCGrad25, you’re going to love it here. 💌 ...

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Who is cutting onions 😭 We love you, Ava, and all of #MCGrad25.

Who is cutting onions 😭 We love you, Ava, and all of #MCGrad25. ...

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“And now I hope you go out and do what you do best… make a difference in the world.” 🥹

#MCGrad25 join us as we reminisce on your big day with words from @aimee.sapp.9.

“And now I hope you go out and do what you do best… make a difference in the world.” 🥹

#MCGrad25 join us as we reminisce on your big day with words from @aimee.sapp.9.
...

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We are still (y siempre!) celebrating our #MCGrad25 Executive Board members! We are so excited to see what the future holds for our 24-25 Co-President Stefanie, our 24-25 Treasurer Vanessa, our 24-25 Social Media Coordinator Genesis, and our 24-25 Relations Officer Stacy. ¡Vuelan alto, Angeles, y no permiten que apaguen su luz! 🩷

We are still (y siempre!) celebrating our #MCGrad25 Executive Board members! We are so excited to see what the future holds for our 24-25 Co-President Stefanie, our 24-25 Treasurer Vanessa, our 24-25 Social Media Coordinator Genesis, and our 24-25 Relations Officer Stacy. ¡Vuelan alto, Angeles, y no permiten que apaguen su luz! 🩷 ...

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