Commencement 2023

Upcoming Dates And Times

Start Date

End Date

Description

Western Theological Seminary will host their 147th commencement ceremony on Saturday, April 29, at 4:30 PM. The ceremony will be held at Dimnent Memorial Chapel on the Hope College campus.

WTS is excited to welcome Rev. Professor Sarah Coakley, systematic theologian and philosopher of religion, as the 2023 commencement speaker.

Graduate Commencement Day Schedule
Saturday, April 29, 2023

12pm: WTS is open for all graduates to pick up their Gown, Cap, and Tassels (GCT) in the Atrium if you have not already done so.

12pm – 1pm Individual Graduate Photos

Individual graduate photos will be taken on the north end of the Atrium. We will have a graduation robe, hood, cap and tassel available for you to wear in your photo.

1:20pm Commencement Rehearsal ***Mulder Chapel***
Mandatory for all graduates. Due to a previous event scheduled in Dimnent Chapel, rehearsal will be held atWTS in Mulder Chapel. ALL graduates are required to be present for rehearsal.

2:45pm Graduate Group Photos: Will be taken outside Mulder Chapel or in the Atrium if inclement weather. ALL graduates are strongly encouraged to be a part of the Class of 2023 group photo and photos of your graduate program or cohort. You must bring your gown, cap, and tassel with you.
4:00pm: All graduates, faculty, and platform participants gather in the lower level of
Dimnent Chapel to line up for the service processional. Doors to the Dimnent Sanctuary for guest seating will open at 4:00pm.
4:30pm: WTS 147th Commencement Ceremony

5:45pm-ish Reception: Refreshments will be served in the WTS Atrium.Faculty and staff will be present to celebrate with graduates.

Have questions? Contact Cherri Westhouse at cherri.westhouse@westernsem.edu

QA

When and where will commencement be held this year?

Commencement will be held at 4:30pm at Dimnent Chapel at Hope College, just a short walk to the north of our chapel, at 277 College Ave., Holland, MI 49423

Is there a restriction on the number of family and friends that can attend?

No, there is no restriction on the number of guests that you may invite.

Who is the commencement speaker?

Rev. Professor Sarah Coakley will be giving our commencement address this year. She has had an international career as a systematic theologian and philosopher of religion, retiring recently from the Norris-Hulse Professorship of Divinity, Cambridge University. She taught at the Universities of Lancaster, Oxford (at Oriel College), and at Harvard Divinity School, where she was Mallinckrodt Professor of Divinity from 1995-2007. Her academic writing has always been marked by her wide interdisciplinary interests, culminating in the production of her own (ongoing); systematic theology and her Gifford Lectures of 2012, evolution, ethics, and religion. Sarah Coakley was ordained as an Anglican/Episcopal priest in 2001 and has served (as an associate or assisting minister) in a number of parishes in both the USA and the UK, and for 10 years (2008-18) at Ely Cathedral, UK, as an honorary canon. Her chief concern in the pastoral context has always been to assist the Church in integrating its calls to prayer, theological understanding, and social transformation, and the method of her ’systematic theology’ is designed to address these goals. She is currently completing her second volume of systematics on the topic of sin and racism.

Will commencement be livestreamed?

No. However, it will be recorded, and an email notification will go out when the link to the recording is posted.

Who orders my gown, cap and tassel (GCT)?

You do. Graduates should follow this LINK to the Herff Jones website to order their GCT.

When do I pick up my gown, cap and tassel?

Gowns, caps & tassels may be picked up as follows:
Thursday, April 27, 10:30am – 2:00pm (front desk)

Friday, April 28, 9:00am – 2:00pm (front desk)

Saturday, April 29, 12:00pm – 1:00pm (Atrium)

Do I get to keep my gown, cap, tassel and hood/stole?

Graduates who are participating in the commencement ceremony may keep their gown, cap, tassel and hood/stole.

When do I have my individual graduate photo taken?

Individual graduate photos will be taken on Thursday, April 27 and Saturday, April 29.

When are the group photos of the class of 2023 going to be taken?

Group and cohort photos will be taken immediately following the mandatory rehearsal. It is expected that it will be Saturday at 2:45pm either on the north steps of Mulder Chapel or in the Atrium if inclement weather.

What time and where is the rehearsal for all graduates?

Rehearsal is mandatory and will begin promptly at 1:20pm in Mulder Chapel at WesternTheological Seminary. Because of a previously scheduled event at Dimnent Chapel we will be holding rehearsal at WTS. This is out of the norm for our rehearsal and, therefore, even more critical that all graduates attend. In order for the ceremony to go smoothly for each of you and your fellow graduates, it’s important for everyone to be present for the same instructions. If you have an extreme reason that keeps you from attending rehearsal, you should contact the Faculty Marshal, Professor Sue Rozeboom at sue.rozeboom@westernsem.edu at least two weeks in advance.

What time do the doors open at Dimnent Chapel for commencement guests?

Doors into the sanctuary for seating will not open until 4:00pm.

Where can graduates, family and guest park on the day of commencement?

Parking is available on the WTS campus as well as on nearby streets. Hope College has also made available to us parking in lot 12 by the A. Paul Schaap Science Building. (This is for the events of commencement day only.) There will also be handicap parking reserved in the north staff lot closest to Dimnent Chapel.

Will WTS have a reception following commencement?

Yes, there will be a reception in the Atrium at WTS. Faculty and staff will be present to celebrate with graduates.

If I have question/s regarding commencement, who should I direct it to?

Your questions can be emailed to cherri.westhouse@westernsem.edu. She will direct it to the person or department most able to answer it.