Information for graduation | May 23, 2026
Augustana College will hold its 166th Commencement Convocation at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026.
The ceremony will be held at the Vibrant Arena at the Mark, 1201 River Drive, Moline, Ill.
Please allow for extra time due to a partial closure on River Drive. Both the River Drive and 6th Avenue exits from Interstate 74 allow for access to Vibrant Arena. Follow your GPS and detours.
Augustana's commencement convocation will be live-streamed above and on the Augustana homepage.
Doors open at noon. No tickets are required for the ceremony. The ceremony will last approximately two hours; please allow additional time to exit the building and parking lot.
Student information
This event is for candidates for the bachelor’s degree only and is mandatory, unless the student has been excused by the Registrar’s Office. Students should wear caps, gowns and tassels.
NOTE: Although normal travel time from campus to the Vibrant Arena is 5 minutes, traffic will be heavy and parking will take longer. Please allocate extra travel time to ensure you are inside the Vibrant Arena by 1 p.m. (for example, leaving your residence at 12:15 p.m.). Leave all belongings with your guests. Graduates not lined up alphabetically by 1:40 p.m. will be placed at the end of the line, out of alphabetical order. Graduates arriving after the procession has begun may forfeit participation in the ceremony.
Graduates are to enter the Vibrant Arena’s “Employee” entrance on the south side of the Vibrant Arena, which is directly beneath the skywalk, where there will be a security checkpoint with metal detectors to assist graduates upon entering. After entering, walk behind the curtain and proceed down the “production hallway.” Once there graduates enter the Conference Center room to check in with faculty and staff and to receive instructions about the graduation ceremony and to get lined up appropriately.
Vibrant Arena procedures
Families and friends should enter through the Vibrant Arena’s main entrance set of doors, where they will have to pass through security and metal detectors. Guests will want to give themselves plenty of time to park and pass through security.
Note: bags and purses larger than 5”x7”x2” are not allowed in the Vibrant Arena. Diaper bags (with a small child present) and medical equipment are permitted, but will be searched. Vibrant Arena does not allow air horns or any noise makers of any kind. Also prohibited are weapons of any kind, pocket knives, pepper spray and helium balloons.
The Vibrant Arena has sufficient seating capacity for commencement and is accessible for people with disabilities. Graduating students or family members with seating or accessibility concerns are encouraged to check with the Vibrant Arena for details.
Related events
The Master's Hooding Ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, May 22, in Wallenberg Hall in the Denkmann Memorial Building.
The Senior Departmental Honors Celebration will begin at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 22, in Centennial Hall.
The Blessing of the Graduates: A Baccalaureate will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 22, in Centennial Hall.
The Senior Send-Off will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 22, at the Gerber Center.
