Campus News

During university’s 175^th anniversary year, graduation ceremonies return to the Coronado after two-year absence due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Rockford, Ill. (May 14, 2022) – Rockford University, the region’s leading private, four-year educational institution, will hold its 168^th Commencement on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 10 a.m. at the Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford. The university will award undergraduate and graduate degrees to more than 370 students from 23 states and 13 countries.

The Coronado Performing Arts Center will host the university’s Commencement for the first time since 2019. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the university’s 2020 Commencement ceremony was held virtually and the 2021 ceremony was held on campus at the university’s Sam Greeley Field.

“In our 175^th year as an institution, we are grateful to recognize this milestone event by returning to the historic Coronado Theatre,” said Rockford University President Dr. Eric W. Fulcomer. “Our students have worked hard for this moment and we look forward to celebrating them.”

Providing this year’s keynote address to the graduates is Kimberly Wehle, an author, lawyer, law professor, and legal expert.

Currently a tenured professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, Wehle’s scholarship focuses on the separation of powers, administrative agencies, and civil litigation. She is a former legal analyst for CBS and provides frequent legal commentary for CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, NBC, BBC, NPR, and other media outlets. Her political commentary can also be read in Politico, The Atlantic, The Bulwark, and The Hill. Wehle is the author of the books, “What You Need to Know about Voting – and Why,” “How to Read The Constitution – and Why,” and “How to Think Like A Lawyer – and Why.”

“I am both thrilled and humbled to participate in the celebration of this important milestone in the lives of Rockford’s esteemed graduates,” said Wehle, “The world needs you!”

Tickets are required to attend the Commencement ceremony, and have been limited to degree candidates and their guests. No tickets will be available at the door on May 14.

About Rockford University: Rockford University is a private four-year, co-educational institution founded in 1847 offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in traditional liberal arts and professional fields. The university offers more than 80 majors, minors, and concentrations, including the bachelor’s degree completion program offering a B.S. in management studies and accounting studies. Through its graduate programs, degrees are extended to include the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), and Master of Education in Urban Education (M.Ed.). Rockford University is home to one of only 11 Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) chapters in Illinois, the most prestigious honor society in the United States. Named by The Princeton Review as a Best Midwestern College and as a U.S. News & World Report Best Midwest Regional University, Rockford University currently serves approximately 1,250 full-and part-time students.

For more information: Emma Bergstrom, Rockford University, 815.394.5041, ebergstrom@rockford.edu.