MAY 2023 GRADUATION ACTIVITIES

No reservations or tickets are required for the Commencement Ceremony or Baccalaureate Mass activities listed below.  Please contact the Saint Luke's College of Nursing for seating/ticketing restrictions related to the Nursing Pinning Ceremony.

Friday, May 12, 2023 

Rockhurst University Baccalaureate Mass 

2:00 pm Friday, May 12, 2023
St. Francis Xavier Church 1001 E 52nd St, Kansas City MO 64110

Students of all faith traditions and their guests are welcome to gather for this liturgical celebration of the class of 2022. Graduates please wear your cap and gown to this event!

1:00 pm: Graduates and Faculty report for Line up at Greenlease Library in full graduation regalia
1:00 pm: Doors open for guest seating at St. Francis Xavier 

Free Parking available in the lot adjacent to St. Francis Xavier Church, or f in the Rockhurst University North Troost Parking Garage (click here for map).

Rockhurst University Saint Luke's College of Nursing Pinning Ceremony 

• 7:00 pm Friday May 12, 2023
• Arrupe Auditorium 5351 Forest Ave, Kansas City MO 64110

Nursing Pinning cermonies are generally reserved for traditional BSN students. Additional information will be communicated from the Nrsing School directly to participating students.  Seating  may be restricted or ticketed; please contact the Saint Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences for seating/ticketing restrictions related to the Nursing Pinning Ceremony.

Saturday, May 13, 2023

Rockhurst University Commencement Ceremony​

• 1:00 pm Saturday May 13, 2023
• Municipal Auditorium, 301 W. 13th Street, Kansas City MO 64105
• Parking & Directions: 

The May Commencement Ceremony honors all May 2023 graduates in one ceremony, including Associate, Bachelor, Masters, and Doctoral degree students.  This event is not ticketed and does not require advanced reservations; there is no limit to the number of guests a graduate may invite to the Commencement Ceremony.  The May Commencement Ceremony is expected to last approximately 3-1/2 hours, and the Hawk Walk celebration to follow another hour or so.  Considering parking and traffic, guests and graduates should plan to arrive by noon and leave around 5:00 pm; it's safest to schedule your post-Commencement celebratory events / dinner reservations after 6:00 pm on Commencement Day.

• 12:00 pm:  Graduates, Platform Party, and Faculty report in full regalia for Check-in & Line-Up
• 12:00 pm:  Doors open for Guest Seating

HAWK WALK Alumni Reception and Cap Toss immediately follows the commencement ceremony as Bagpipers lead our graduates and guests from Municipal Auditorium in an awesome Hawk Walk parade to the KCLive! party stage on Main Street, hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations, until 5 PM.  We provide a bus for accessible transport of guests with mobility challenges from Municipal Auditorium to KCLive; catch the bus at the corner of 13th & Central immediately following the Commencement Ceremony.  This special reception will include an introduction to the Alumni Network, class gift, cash bars, and photo stations to capture celebratory memories of the graduate and their guests. Make sure to take your photo with Dr. Cassady from 4-5 PM! We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2023! Questions? Send us a note!

History

Rockhurst College was founded in Kansas City in 1910 with a charter from the state of Missouri empowering Rockhurst College to grant degrees. The construction of Sedgwick Hall in 1914 allowed the opening of high school classes in 1914; college classes began in 1917. The first class to graduate from Rockhurst College was in 1921. Just as the Jesuit order grew from the calling of one man into a worldwide force, so Rockhurst University has grown from the dream of a small, hardy crew of Jesuits into an institution with national reach.