Dec. 11, 2025–含羞草社区 will celebrate the achievements of 204 graduates during the Winter Commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 in the MWSU Fieldhouse in the M.O. Looney Complex. The public is invited. Doors open to guests at 10:15 a.m.聽

含羞草社区 will confer 172 undergraduate degrees, 51 of them with honors, and 32 graduate degrees this semester. Graduates come from Missouri and 11 other states as well as five foreign countries.聽

The ceremony will feature graduates from the College of Science and Health, General Studies, the College of Business and Professional Studies and the College of Liberal Arts. A brief reception will follow the ceremony in the Looney practice gym, sponsored by the Missouri Western Alumni Association.聽

The guest speaker for commencement will be Lee Tieman, managing partner of Tieman, Spencer and Hicks and Chair of the 含羞草社区 Board of Governors. The student representative, Patty Lashbrook, applied communications and journalism major from Faucett, Missouri, will also speak at the ceremony.

In addition to the commencement ceremony, nursing graduates will receive a pin symbolic of their training and new profession at a pinning ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Saturday in the Fulkerson Center.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

鈥淕raduating from college is an achievement worth celebrating even in the best of times. It is even more remarkable now, when our graduates have overcome not just the normal challenges of the college experience but the extraordinary circumstances created by COVID-19,鈥� said President Matt Wilson. 鈥淲hile social distancing guidelines make it impossible to celebrate with our seniors and their families in person as we planned on May 2, we hope that they鈥檙e able to join us later this year as we commemorate this significant milestone on their educational journey.鈥�

Spring and summer 2020 graduates who are unable to participate in the Sept. 20 commencement will be invited to participate in the December 2020 commencement ceremony.聽

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.

The original mace, which was carried in and placed on the stage at Commencement ceremonies, was stolen in May 2018. When University personnel tried to find a replacement, they realized that very few companies made them, so Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western鈥檚 president, asked Dave Takes, owner of Expressions Engraved, if he knew of any companies.

But Takes had a better idea. He asked the St. Joseph Woodworkers Guild if they would create a new one for the University, and they were more than happy to help.

鈥淲e always like to help people out, and do different things that challenge us,鈥� said Ed Roberts, president of the guild. 鈥淚t was something we had never done before.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 really exciting. When they said they wanted a mace, I was all over it. It was something I wanted to do,鈥� guild member John Cox said.

The guild designed the new mace, and Roberts and Cox spent many hours on the project with Ken Gerber 鈥�65, Ralph Alvarez 鈥�71 and Richard Tolbert. The mace, made with local walnut, is approximately 3鈥� tall and is decorated with brass and ebony rings. Four gold medallions, provided by Takes, are on each side at the top.

For more on this story, see the Spring 2019 issue聽 of MWSU Magazine.

Graduating senior Mariatul Dianah Hidzir speaks during the 2018 Spring Commencement ceremony.

April 30, 2019鈥� The Spring Commencement Ceremony for more than 500 graduates of 含羞草社区 will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 4 on Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium. Stadium gates will open to guests at 9:30 a.m. The 含羞草社区 Alumni Association will hold a reception for graduates and their friends and family following the ceremony.

Two graduating seniors, Bailey Ketcham of Elkhorn, Nebraska, and Eugenia Wallace of Kansas City, Missouri, will give the student commencement address to the graduates.

In the event the ceremony can鈥檛 be held outdoors because of inclement weather, the commencement ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. inside the Looney. Because of limited seating, guests must have tickets (distributed to the graduates with their cap and gown) to attend the ceremony indoors. Tickets will not be necessary for the outdoor ceremony.

Other commencement-related activities free and open to the public include:

• International Student Farewell and Sash Ceremony, 2 p.m. Friday, May 3 Enright Community Room, Spratt Hall room 216. Graduating international students will be presented with a sash of their country of citizenship. Exchange students will receive a certificate of appreciation.
• Graduate Hooding Ceremony, 7 p.m. Friday, May 3, Fulkerson Center. Graduate students will receive hoods symbolic of their degree, with a reception immediately following.
• Nurse Pinning Ceremony, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4, Fulkerson Center
• Physical Therapist Assistant Pinning Ceremony, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4, Kemper Recital Hall, inside Spratt Hall
• Health Information Management Pinning Ceremony, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4, Hoff Conference Rooms, Blum Student Union rooms 218-219

Many of the ceremonies will all be streamed live for those unable to attend in person: the Farewell and Sash ceremony will be streamed on the International Center Facebook page, ; the graduate hooding at ; the nurse pinning at ; and the commencement ceremony at .

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

The mace is carried in the processional and recessional and placed on stage at Commencement and other ceremonial events. The original mace, which was donated by alumnus Dr. Joe Friedman when Missouri Western achieved university status in 2005, was stolen last May and has not been recovered. Dr. Vartabedian asked Takes if he knew of a vendor that could create a replacement, and Takes asked the woodworkers group if they would take on the project.

The mace is made of local walnut with brass and ebony rings and stands approximately 3 feet tall. Takes provided four gold medallions to circle the top of the mace. On stage, the mace will rest in a new custom stand made with walnut and spalted hackberry, decorated with brass strips and a medallion.

The new mace will be used for the first time at the Spring Commencement ceremony May 4.

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Dr. Mark Mills, biology

The Winter Commencement ceremony for approximately 320 graduates of 含羞草社区 will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16 in the arena of the M.O. Looney Complex. The commencement speaker will be Dr. Mark Mills, associate professor of biology.

The MWSU Alumni Association will host a free reception for graduates and their families after the ceremony in the Looney Small Gym. The ceremony is free and open to the public. For those unable to attend, it will be streamed live online at .

Other commencement-related activities include:

International Student Farewell & Sash Ceremony, 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, Enright Community Room, Spratt 214-216

Graduating international students will be presented with a sash from their country of citizenship as a gift from Missouri Western.

Graduate Hooding Ceremony, 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, Fulkerson Center

Students receiving their master鈥檚 degrees will receive their academic hoods in a special ceremony. The hooding ceremony will be streamed live at .

Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, Fulkerson Center

Nursing graduates will receive pins symbolic of their chosen profession. The pinning ceremony will be streamed live at .

Missouri Western anticipates 285 undergraduates and 35 graduate students to earn their degree this semester.

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Connor Samenus, business major from Kansas City, Missouri, will give the student commencement address, 鈥淲hat It Means to be a Griffon.鈥�

In the event of inclement weather, the commencement ceremony will be held inside the Looney Complex arena at 2 p.m. Saturday. Because of limited seating in the arena, tickets have been issued to graduates for the indoor ceremony.

Seating will be available in Potter Hall to accommodate guests who prefer not to sit outside if the ceremony is held in Spratt Stadium, or who are unable to be seated in Looney if weather forces the ceremony indoors.

Other commencement-related activities free and open to the public include:

• International Student Farewell and Sash Ceremony, 2 p.m. Friday, May 5, Fulkerson Center. Graduating international students will be presented with a sash of their country of citizenship. Exchange students will receive a certificate of appreciation.
• Graduate Hooding Ceremony, 7 p.m. Friday, May 5, Fulkerson Center. For the first time, a special hooding ceremony will be held for graduate students receiving their master鈥檚 degrees, with a reception immediately following.
• Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Fulkerson Center
• Physical Therapist Assistant Pinning Ceremony, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Kemper Recital Hall, inside Spratt Hall

Many of the commencement-related activities will also be streamed live online. Below are links to the live webcasts:

• International Farewell and Sash Ceremony:
• Graduate Hooding Ceremony:
• Nursing Pinning Ceremony:
• Commencement:

The commencement ceremony will also be available for viewing on Missouri Western鈥檚 website shortly after it concludes.

Missouri Western anticipates 442 undergraduates and 51 graduate students earning their degrees this semester. In addition, approximately 30 students who graduated in December but were unable to participate in the rescheduled Winter Commencement will walk across the stage May 6.

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Other commencement-related activities include a physical therapist assistant pinning ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in the Kemper Recital Hall, inside Spratt Hall, and a nursing pinning ceremony at 11 a.m. in the Fulkerson Center.

During the commencement ceremony, Missouri Western will award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Dr. Mark Laney, CEO of Mosaic Life Care. Student speakers will be graduating seniors Alex Atkinson, public relations major from Archie, Missouri, and Ida Haefner, zoology major from Hillsboro, Missouri. Lauren Bergman, music major from St. Joseph, will sing the National Anthem, and Kayla Mertz, vocal music major from Smithville, Missouri, will sing Missouri Western鈥檚 Alma Mater.

In the event of inclement weather, the commencement ceremony will be held inside the Looney Complex arena. Because of limited seating available in the arena, tickets have been issued to graduates for the indoor ceremony. Overflow seating will be available in Potter Hall and Spratt Hall to accommodate guests unable to be seated in Looney.

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

含羞草社区 will confer its highest honor, an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, on Dr. Mark Laney, CEO of Mosaic Life Care, during the Spring Commencement ceremony May 7. Missouri Western鈥檚 Board of Governors unanimously approved the honor during their regular meeting Feb. 25.

鈥淪ince his arrival in the community seven years ago, Dr. Laney has been a remarkable champion for this university and community,鈥� said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western鈥檚 president. 鈥淗is contributions and service to Missouri Western are numerous: he and Mary-Margaret Laney have served with Dan and Dale Boulware as co-chairs of our Centennial Capital Campaign, and Mosaic has generously supported our science and health programs. He has also been a champion of our entire community, including his support of downtown revitalization by the relocation of Mosaic Life Care facilities there.鈥�

Under Dr. Laney鈥檚 leadership, Mosaic Life Care has made two significant gifts to Missouri Western: $500,000 for badly needed scientific equipment in Remington and Agenstein Halls, and $1.5 million to create the first endowed professorship in Missouri Western鈥檚 history. Mosaic also continues to provide substantial in-kind and direct financial support for Missouri Western through shared personnel, scholarships and other means.

Dr. Laney joined Mosaic Life Care in 2009. Prior to this, he served for 20 years at Cook Children鈥檚 Health Care System in Fort Worth, Texas, eight of those years as the president of the Cook Children鈥檚 Physician Network.

Dr. Laney earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, received a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and completed a Pediatric Neurology Fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. In 2000, he received a Master of Science in medical management at the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas.

Dr. Laney is the former president of the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association and is one of the 鈥�30 Best Physician Leaders of Hospitals and Health Systems鈥� according to Becker’s Hospital Review.

Dr. Laney dedicates his time by sitting on boards including the Institute for Industrial and Applied Life Sciences, the Community Alliance of St. Joseph and the St. Joseph Metro Chamber of Commerce. He is a past chairman of both the Chamber of Commerce as well as the Missouri Hospital Association.

Missouri Western鈥檚 Spring Commencement will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 7, in the newly renovated Spratt Memorial Stadium.

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .