Commencement
Congratulations to the Guilford College Class of 2024!
The Guilford community warmly invites you to join the celebration of Commencement in the College's 187th year Saturday, May 18, at 9 a.m. on the Quadrangle lawn. Guilford will honor more than 250 students who have earned Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees.
In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Ragan-Brown Field House.
Wendy Poteat ’10, Executive Director of shift_ed, will be the featured speaker.
Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards for excellence of character and service to humanity will be presented to graduating seniors Grace Christensen ’24 and Maren Lamb ’24 and community leader and alumnus John Googe ’50.
Kevin Buikpor ’24, a Cyber Network Security & CTIS double major, Data Analytics minor, will speak for the graduating class.
Liz Nicholson ’12, Director of the Quaker Leadership Scholarship Program (QLSP), will welcome the class as alumni.
Jefferson-Pilot Professor of Justice & Policy Studies Sherry Giles will serve as faculty marshal and lead the Commencement processional.
Quaker Brass, the College Choir and the Guilford Jazz Ensemble will perform at the ceremony.
Baccalaureate will be at 11 am Friday, May 17, in Dana Auditorium, followed by a community-wide picnic. Commencement rehearsal will be held on the quad at 1:30 pm.
See the complete List of Candidates for Commencement in May 2024.
Commencement Schedule
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Cap decorating in Founders Lobby
- 7 p.m. - Latinx Graduation in Carnegie Room, Hege Academic Commons
- 6 p.m. - Lavender Graduation, Joseph M. Bryan Jr. Auditorium, Frank Family Science Center
- 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. - Late Night Breakfast in the Cafeteria
- 6:30 p.m.- Sankofa Pinning for African American Students, Hege Academic Commons, Carnegie Room
- QLSP Graduation, Moon Room - Dana Auditorium
- 6:30 p.m. - Community Potluck on Founders Patio
- 7:30 p.m. - Toast to the Light on Founders Patio
- 8 a.m. - Community Quad setup
- 11 a.m. - Baccalaureate Ceremony in Dana Auditorium
- 12 p.m. - Community Picnic on the Quad
- 1:30 p.m. - Graduation Rehearsal in the Quad (rain location: Dana Auditorium)
- 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. - Happy Hour with the President at Ragsdale House
Information for Families and Guests
In addition to regularly marked spaces, the entire section of parking on George Fox Drive between New Garden Road and Levi Coffin Drive will be reserved for persons with disabilities during Commencement.
The College will engage the services of a photographer, who will photograph each graduating senior individually as his or her diploma is presented. We provide this service to ensure this moment is captured, thus relieving parents and friends of any need for photographing. An email will be sent to the graduating senior the week after Commencement with proofs and information on how to order. You can also search the photo proofs at gradimages.com.
The College encourages all graduating students to share news of this milestone with their hometown newspaper(s) and websites. To make this easy for you, we've prepared a template that you may customize with details about your personal Guilford experience.
How to Write and Send Your News Release
- Save this news release template (.docx) to your computer.
- Personalize the release by replacing the bracketed information with details about your experience at Guilford.
- Identify the contact information for your local newspaper(s) and/or websites. Graduation announcements are usually directed to a general newsroom email address and not to specific reporters. To find that address, visit the paper's website, and look for a "Contact Us" page. The newsroom email address should be on that page. If not, search for the editor of the regional edition of the paper and send the release to them.
- Copy your news release directly into the body of an email (do not send your announcement as an attachment). Use the subject line Local Resident Graduates from Guilford College.
Note: Newsrooms are often inundated with emails, so we recommend that you keep your release short and to the point.
Hotel accommodations for this event are available at the following properties. Please click the link for your hotel of choice to book directly. For additional hotel options, kindly email commencement@guilford.edu.
Springhill Suites Greensboro Airport: 505 Hickory Branch Road Greensboro, North Carolina 27409
Holiday Inn Greensboro Airport: 6426 Burnt Poplar Road, Greensboro, NC 27409
Wyndham Garden Inn: 415 S Swing Road, Greensboro, North Carolina 27409
Holiday Inn Express & Suites: 4305 Big Tree Way, Greensboro, NC 27409
Should the weather forecast be such that holding Commencement outside is not possible, communication to the community will happen on the Thursday immediately prior to Saturday's ceremony. The rain location for Commencement is in Ragan Brown Field House. Each graduate will be given three tickets with the possibility for additional tickets pending the number distributed.