Attending graduation? What to know for ESU commencement

Maddie Carr • May 13, 2026

Spring commencement for Emporia State graduates will take place on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 at William Lindsay White Civic Auditorium. White Auditorium is located at 111 E. 6th Avenue.

Emporia State will hold its graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Friday and Saturday at William Lindsay White Civic Auditorium. In case you missed it, here’s what you should know heading into the spring 2026 commencement weekend.

Commencement ceremony and student check-in

Graduate student commencement will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 15 with undergraduate commencement starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 16. Both ceremonies will be held at White Auditorium, located at 111 E. 6th Avenue. The north doors facing Sixth Avenue are the main entrance to the auditorium.

Student check-in for commencement will begin in the auditorium’s main lobby at 4:30 p.m. for the Friday graduate student ceremony and at 8:30 a.m. for the Saturday undergraduate student ceremony. At check-in, students will receive a reader card that is required to participate in the ceremony. Check-in will close ten minutes prior to each ceremony’s scheduled start time.

Doors will open for guests at the same time that student check-in begins on Friday and at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Guests do not need tickets to attend the ceremony.

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Accessible seating

Accessible seating will be available at the ceremony in two areas of White Auditorium: the main floor behind graduates and the second-floor concourse. Guests will be able to use the auditorium’s wheelchair lift and elevator to access the second floor.

Making accommodation requests

Accommodation requests should be made 48 hours in advance to the Office of Student Accessibility and Support Services. These can be made by phone at (620) 341-5222 or email at [email protected]. ESU staff will have one wheelchair and one transport chair to help those who need assistance entering and exiting the auditorium.

The university recommends that guests with accessibility concerns arrive early and use the entrance at the east end of the north doors to the auditorium.

Virtual commencement broadcast

For those unable to attend commencement in person, there will be a live broadcast of both graduation ceremonies. The link to the Friday and Saturday live broadcasts can be found on ESU’s commencement page.

This brief was compiled from several official ESU communications about commencement proceedings.

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About the Contributors

Maddie Carr, Editor-in-Chief

Maddie Carr is in her second year as editor-in-chief of The Bulletin. She joined The Bulletin in 2022 as a staff writer and is the former opinion editor. Carr is a senior sociology major and plans to pursue graduate school for a master’s degree in journalism. In 2024, she was the first college student in the state to be named Kansas Journalist of the Year by the Kansas Press Association.

Fin Garretson, Photographer

Fin Garretson is a staff photographer for The Bulletin. Garretson is a sophomore psychology major who hopes to pursue a career in therapy and counseling, possibly for children.