About the Ceremony

Walk down the Hill

KU Commencement’s most treasured tradition is the ceremonial walk down Mount Oread. It begins on Memorial Drive. From there, graduates march through Memorial Campanile, which superstitious students avoid doing until Commencement. In many ways, the walk is the ceremony.

Students graduating in summer 2026 or fall 2026 are welcome to participate in the 2026 Commencement ceremony. Their names will be included in the 2027 Commencement book.

Academic procession

The academic procession is the traditional march into Memorial Stadium and the Commencement ceremony. Marshals of the university lead the procession, which consists of faculty representing KU’s 14 schools, graduating candidates for degrees, and university administrators. Inside the stadium, students proceed to their seats on the field. Graduate names are not read during the ceremony, although graduates are often recognized at their school or departmental events.

Order of exercises

Commencement procession
Led by faculty and marshals of the university, KU’s class of 2026 proceeds into Memorial Stadium to the sound of herald trumpets and processional music provided by the KU School of Music Commencement band.

Remarks and recognitions
Once the procession has concluded, Chancellor Douglas A. Girod welcomes guests and graduates. The dean of each school will give brief remarks to recognize graduates.

Farewell and conferral of degrees
Chancellor Girod delivers farewell remarks, then confers the degrees of the class of 2026. In ceremonial recognition of their graduation, the new graduates move their tassels to the left side of their mortarboards.

Recessional
To the accompaniment of University Carillonneur Elizabeth Egbert Berghout, graduates exit the stadium to meet their friends and family. Guests must exit Memorial Stadium the same way they entered; guests are not allowed on the field and may not exit that way.

Academic regalia

Graduating students wear traditional academic regalia to signify their degree-granting program and level of achievement. 

• Bachelor’s candidates: Traditional mortarboards with colored tassels, gowns with square-cut sleeves
• Master’s candidates: Mortarboards with black tassels, gowns with pointed sleeves, draped hoods
• Doctoral candidates: Tams with short black tassels, gowns with bell-shaped sleeves, draped hoods with velvet edging

The tassels for bachelor’s degree candidates, the lining of the hoods for master’s degree candidates, and the velvet edging on the hoods for doctoral candidates are in colors that signify the graduate’s discipline: