Kellogg Convocation

Location:

Welsh-Ryan Arena, 2705 Ashland Ave., Evanston, IL

A livestream will be available on the day of the ceremony on this page.

12:00 p.m. - Students arrive.

1:00 p.m. - Convocation begins. Guests should arrive no later than 12:30pm to ensure they are there in time for the start of the ceremony.

3:00 p.m. - Convocation concludes.

 

Tickets

• Tickets are required for the Convocation ceremony. Tickets will be sent to the graduate to distribute to their guests on or around June 1.

Welsh-Ryan Arena

• The Convocation ceremony will be conducted indoors at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
• ADA accommodations are available at the stadium for all who require them. The closest accessible drop off location to the arena is at Ashland Ave. at Walker Way. Find more info on accessibility here.

Getting There

• Parking is free in the West Lot of the Ryan-Field/Welsh-Ryan Arena complex. We recommend getting there early to avoid traffic and lines to enter the parking lot.
• For those who will be on the main Northwestern campus before the ceremony, the University provides complimentary shuttle bus service between the main Evanston campus and Ryan Field (directly next to Welsh-Ryan Arena). Shuttles will begin one hour prior to events at Ryan Field and will conclude approximately one hour after the completion of convocations. It is highly recommended that graduates and their guests take shuttles early to avoid long wait times at shuttle stops.
• Public Transportation is available either on the CTA (Purple Line) or Metra (Union Pacific North Line) to Central Street. Welsh-Ryan Arena is a few blocks from both stations.

Pictures

• Official photos will be taken of each graduate as they cross the stage and with diploma cover after crossing the stage. These pictures will be available for purchase. Guests and non-university photographers are not allowed on the floor of the arena and must take photographs from their seats.
• Students are also encouraged to take photos in and around the Global Hub with their families during Graduation Weekend.

Reserving convocation tickets for guests
Tickets are required for guests to attend the Convocation ceremony on June 13 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. All students are guaranteed four guest tickets for Convocation at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Graduates will receive instructions on how to reserve their guest tickets via email. Only graduates can reserve guest tickets. Any tickets that go unclaimed during the initial round of ticketing will be reentered into the ticket pool and graduates will be able to request additional tickets from this pool of tickets later in Spring Quarter.

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VIEWING THE LIVESTREAM ON CONVOCATION DAY

The Convocation ceremony will be streamed live on this page on Convocation Day. Check back here about 10 minutes before the ceremony starts to view the ceremony in full.

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DRESS CODE

We suggest letting family members and guests know that it can be quite warm (or cold) on the day of the ceremony. While the ceremony will take place inside, please monitor the weather and dress with weather and comfort in mind. Business casual attire – for example, dress pants and a shirt for men and a dress for women – is appropriate.

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Lodgings, activities, entertainment and dining
Staying overnight? There are four hotels and two bed and breakfast locations to choose from in Evanston. Each lodging option in Evanston offers personalized service, dining and/or banquet facilities, and amenities to help you do business or relax during your stay. The North Shore Visitors Bureau link below has many nearby options close to Evanston. (Please note that the downtown Evanston Hilton Orrington hotel has recently closed).

View the North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau's list of lodging options

 

Be sure to bring your appetite when you’re in Evanston because it offers enough diverse dining options to suit every palate and mood.

View the Downtown Evanston list of restaurants

 

There are many things to do and see in and around Evanston.

visit the Downtown Evanston web site

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EMERGENCY MESSAGING ON CAMPUS

To opt-in to the RAVE system to receive emergency messaging, text “AlertNU” to 226787. This will subscribe you for 365 days. You can opt out at any time by texting “STOP” to the same number. The RAVE emergency messaging system will alert you to any campus emergencies.

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REGALIA

Custom purple gowns are the regalia standard and must be worn by all participating candidates. Visit the regalia page of the Commencement website to find the link to order, along with guidelines and further details about your Northwestern regalia. Place your order by May 4 to ensure that it arrives on time. You can arrange pickup at the Norris Center in Evanston in June or have your order shipped to you for an extra cost.

Caps and gowns are designed for Northwestern and feature the University crest. The tassels feature the Northwestern seal signet and are worn on the left side at all times.

Candidates may not alter or decorate their regalia in any way or wear additional articles not directly related to academic merit. Doing so may interfere with your ability to participate.

All degree candidates wear hoods. The lining of the Northwestern hood is purple and gold, and the color of the velvet border of the hood is acorn. Kellogg's tassels are acorn colored.

All degree candidates may keep their regalia. The gowns are made of GreenWeaver fabric, a sustainable fabric created from 23 plastic bottles that can be recycled after graduation if the graduate chooses to do so.

 

Regalia pickup hours:

Wednesday June 1 and Thursday June 2 – 10a – 6p

Friday June 3 – 10a – 5p

 Saturday June 4 – 10a-4p

Monday June 6 - Thursday June 9: 10am - 6pm

Friday June 10: 10am 12pm

Regalia that is not picked up by Friday, June 10 at 12pm will be available for pick up at the Ryan Field on the day of the ceremony (June 13). We highly recommend you do not wait to pick up at the ceremony and only do this for emergency situations or if you absolutely cannot make the pickup times at the Norris Bookstore. If you need to authorize someone else to pick up your regalia for you, please use this form.

If you ordered your cap and gown for delivery: all deliveries are expected to be made by this Friday, June 3. If you still have not received your cap and gown by Friday, you can still pick up a cap and gown next week during bookstore hours. If your regalia is missing an item, example tassel or tassel medallion, please fill out this form.

Have questions? Contact Steve Hannen at the bookstore.

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PARKING FOR GRADUATION WEEKEND EVENTS

Parking is free and available on campus lots and at the North Campus Parking Garage, 2311 North Campus Drive or the South Campus Parking Garage, 1841 Sheridan Rd. Parking passes are not required.

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ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY

Welsh-Ryan Arena is the recently remodeled basketball and sports arena on Northwestern's campus. With air-conditioning, elevators, and handicap accessible seating, we hope that this venue will provide a comfortable and accessible location for this special day. 

Northwestern University provides reasonable accommodations for all events and programs. While seating is general admission, onsite assistance will be available to direct guests with needs to accessible seating. Every reasonable effort will be made to implement accommodations in an effective and timely manner. Captioning will be available in English on site and on the livestreams in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. Guests can also view the livestream on a mobile device for improved audio quality.

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Ellen Kullman '83
We are pleased to announce that Kellogg alum Ellen Kullman '83 will be this year’s Convocation speaker. Ellen has served as CEO of Carbon since 2019. Prior to this role, she was chair of the board and CEO of DuPont from January 2009 to October 2015. Prior to her 27-year career at DuPont, she worked for Westinghouse and General Electric.

Kullman is co-chair of Paradigm for Parity. She is a member of the boards of directors of Carbon, Dell Technologies, Amgen and Goldman Sachs. She is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Council on Foreign Relations and is a past chair of the US-China Business Council. She serves on the board of overseers of Tufts University School of Engineering and is a trustee of Northwestern University.

A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Kullman holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tufts University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.