Commencement Updates

At Western New Mexico University, the individual members of the spring class of 2022 will again get to choose how they celebrate their accomplishment. A hybrid commencement ceremony on the evening of Friday, May 6, will give graduates and guests the option of participating virtually or in person. The outdoor ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. in WNMU Ben Altamirano Stadium. While WNMU has held early afternoon commencement ceremonies in the past, the university moved the ceremony to later in the day for the comfort and convenience of graduates and their families. Graduates participating virtually will be represented on a large screen. Each will be spotlighted for a few seconds, as has been the custom at recent WNMU commencement ceremonies. Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small is the WNMU Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony speaker. Torres Small grew up in the New Mexico borderlands and, throughout her career, has employed her experience working in...

In light of a wintry weather forecast, Western New Mexico University will hold the in-person portion of the hybrid fall 2021 commencement ceremony at the Fine Arts Center Theatre. Graduates signed up to participate on campus as opposed to virtually should note that the change from a large, outdoor venue means that seating capacity is more limited. However, the event will not be ticketed. Additional seating will be available in the Global Resource Center auditorium, where the ceremony will be live streamed for guests. All attendees, including guests, graduates and members of the platform party, will be required to wear masks...

Western New Mexico University will honor its fall 2021 graduates with a hybrid commencement ceremony on Friday, December 10, at 2 p.m. WNMU is again giving graduates and guests the option of participating virtually or in person at the WNMU Fine Arts Center Theatre. Of the nearly 350 diplomas that WNMU will award to 316 students completing their programs this fall, 95 are master’s, 128 are bachelor’s and 42 are associate degrees, along with 56 graduate certificates, 20 fast-track certificates, and five certificates. Just over 110 of the fall degree recipients are opting to participate in the graduation ritual in person, while almost 80 are choosing to participate from afar. The WNMU fall 2021 commencement ceremony will now take place in campus’ largest indoor venue, the Fine Arts Center Theatre, where graduates and attendees alike will be required to wear masks in accordance with state and university health protocols. While the in-person portion of the ceremony was...

More than 350 students earned degrees from Western New Mexico University in spring 2021, and the Mustang community celebrated through a hybrid commencement ceremony on Friday afternoon. Of the graduates who received diplomas from WNMU this spring, about 250 chose to participate in the commencement ceremony, with 150 walking in person at Ben Altamirano Stadium and 97 turning their tassels over Zoom. The university awarded 37 associate degrees, 121 bachelor’s degrees, 152 master’s degrees, 68 graduate certificates, 10 applied technology certificates, six fast-track certificates, and five high school equivalency diplomas. Recognized as new inductees in the WNMU Student Hall of Fame were Taylor Allison, Kelli McGhiey, Harry O’Callaghan, Samantha Starr-Sullenger and Laruni Witty. “The WNMU Student Hall of Fame is the highest recognition that can be earned by students at the university and is reserved for those students who have demonstrated integrity and achievement through...

The Western New Mexico University spring 2021 hybrid graduation will be held in accordance with the commencement ceremony guidelines issued by the New Mexico Higher Education Department and in keeping with university regulations and practices. In accordance with the state’s Red to Green Framework, capacity for spectator areas of Ben Altamirano Stadium will be limited. Given the number of students who have chosen to participate in the spring 2021 commencement ceremony in person, four people per graduate will be admitted to the stadium to witness this milestone event in their loved ones’ lives. Through email communication, the tickets will be released to graduates, who may use their W numbers to claim them. To secure their tickets, graduates should follow these steps: Step 1: Click here. Step 2: Click “Register.” Step 3: Click “Have a Pass Code?” Step 4: Enter your “W number.” (Example: W00012345) Step 5: Click “Apply.” Step 6: Toggle the plus button up to...

Along with the 350 graduates making up the Western New Mexico University class of 2021, two community members received honorary doctorates during the hybrid commencement ceremony on Friday, May 7, at 2 p.m. Receiving Honorary Doctorates of Laws were former WNMU Regent Chair Jerry A. Walz and former District 35 Senator John Arthur Smith. Walz is a Silver City native and WNMU graduate who excelled as a newspaper editor in his early career and as an attorney since 1980. For a dozen years, he was an instrumental member of the WNMU Board of Regents, having served as Board Chair multiple times and playing a key role in the hiring of current university president Dr. Joseph Shepard. “I am humbled by this honor and, with pride, look forward to joining only a select few who have been embraced with this recognition. My sincerest thanks to Western New Mexico University, President Shepard, the Board of Regents, faculty and staff, all students — past, present and future — and finally...