Ceremonies recognizing the academic and personal accomplishments of Western Illinois University students and alumni will be held Saturday, May 10 in Macomb.
The number of students eligible to participate in Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremonies is 1478, including 913 undergraduate students, of which 82 are in the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies Degree Program; 565 are master’s-level graduate students.
WIU will also issue 25 doctorates in Educational Leadership and one doctorate in Environmental Science: Large River Ecosystems.
Spring 2025 Commencement Weekend Schedule:
Saturday, May 10 – Western Hall, Macomb
9 a.m., Combined Graduate/Undergraduate Ceremony (College of Arts and Sciences; College of Business and Technology; General Studies)
1:30 p.m., Combined Graduate/Undergraduate Ceremony (College of Education and Human Services; College of Fine Arts and Communication; School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration)
Ceremony Live Streams
Western Illinois University provides live-streaming video of the commencement ceremonies held at the Macomb campus. The live feed will be available approximately 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each ceremony on WIU’s YouTube channel.
Distinguished Alumni
Gerald E. Salzman, a 1971 agriculture economics graduate, is the leading principal at GES International LLC, focusing on farm equipment and services. In 2014, he retired as senior director, global marketing, after 42 years with International Harvester and CaseIH. While at WIU, he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho and Alpha Zeta fraternities, Blue Key, Student Government Association, Interfraternity Council, the Ag Economics Club and the University Union Board. Salzman, who now lives in Mundelein, IL, joined the WIU School of Agriculture Advisory Board in 2020, including a term as chair.
Joseph H. Snowden, a 1991 sociology graduate, is the deputy chief of staff and executive director of administrative services for the City of Mobile, AL. He has worked for the City of Mobile for more than six years, starting as the senior director of maritime and transportation. Mobile is the second largest city in Alabama, and has the ninth busiest seaport in the U.S. Snowden enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 1986 and through the ROTC as a Second Lieutenant in 1989. In addition to his WIU degree, Snowden graduated from the U.S. Army War College in 2011 with a master’s in strategic studies and from Troy University in 2002 with a master’s in human resources management.
For more information on the 2025 Distinguished Alumni, visit go.wiu.edu/4kbpebb.
Flags
Displayed in the arena are the flags of 34 nations representing students in today’s graduating class at Western Illinois University. The flags represent the following countries: Afghanistan, Antigua, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, China, Dominica, France, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, the United States and Zimbabwe. Western Illinois University was home to students from 65 countries during the Spring 2025 semester.
Gonfalons
Gonfalons, which are banners hung from a crossbar on poles, made their inaugural appearance in the Fall 2009 Commencement ceremonies. Gonfalons for Western Illinois University, the School of Graduate Studies, and each of the four academic colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business and Technology, Education and Human Services and Fine Arts and Communication, as well as the Centennial Honors College and University Libraries, will be included in the ceremony.
Photos
Photographs of each graduate will be taken as they receive their diploma cover. Proof sheets will be mailed from Western’s Center for Photography and Design Production to each graduate, with instructions for ordering photos.
Open Ceremonies; ADA Requests
Graduation ceremonies are open to family and friends of the graduates. Tickets are not required; seating is on a first-come basis. Doors open 90 minutes before each ceremony. An interpreter will sign each ceremony and assistive listening devices will be available to the public at the information table in the north lobby of Western Hall.
Graduating students who need special assistance should contact the Student Development and Success Center at SDSC@wiu.edu or (309) 298-1884.
Western Illinois University staff will be available in the lobby entrance for family members or guests who need assistance.
***Courtesy of Western Illinois University***
