Celebrating Our Graduates

Commencement

Congratulations to our Buena Vista University graduates! We have looked forward to watching you process under the Victory Arch for quite some time, and we know your families and friends are just as excited. While we already know the day will be a bit different than originally planned, we will do everything in our power to offer a safe, meaningful event to celebrate your accomplishment.

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2021 Commencement Ceremonies

Rain Breaks in Time for BVU Lakeside 2021 Commencement

Some 366 BVU students became graduates on Saturday as BVU hosted its 130th Commencement on Peterson Field within J. Leslie Rollins Stadium on campus. Resilience continued to define the Class of 2021 as diplomas were awarded on a chilly May day.

More Than 300 BVU Master’s Degrees Awarded in Commencement Exercise

Master’s degrees totaling 309 were conferred during a Buena Vista University Commencement exercise on Peterson Field at J. Leslie Rollins Stadium on Sunday, the second of three graduation ceremonies during an historic Mother’s Day weekend on campus.

Class of 2020 Celebrates Commencement and Closure on Lakeshore

A 351-day wait for 407 Buena Vista University Class of 2020 graduates ended on Sunday as the last of three Commencement celebrations played out under spectacular weather on Peterson Field within J. Leslie Rollins Stadium on the BVU campus in Storm Lake.

COVID-19 Guidelines

All graduates and attendees will be required to follow BVU’s COVID-19 guidelines including wearing face coverings and physical distancing—even while outdoors. For full details on how BVU is mitigating the spread of COVID-19 visit bvu.edu/coronavirus.

Campus buildings remain closed to all visitors, with the exception of outdoor spaces including J. Leslie Rollins Stadium for the Commencement ceremonies.

Photography

Lifetouch will be photographing all Buena Vista University graduates as they receive their diploma cover from President Lenzmeier during the ceremony. If you are interested in ordering your graduation photo, please visit https://events.lifetouch.com/bvu and select your ceremony. Proofs will be sent to the email address you provide a few days after the ceremony. Photo orders can be placed online or by calling 800.505.9496.

Because your proud moment will be capture by a professional photographer, we would prefer that personal photos be taken before and after, but not during the ceremony unless it’s from your seat. Photos of graduates processing through and down the steps of the Victory Arch on their way to the Stadium are great opportunities for personal photos. Anyone taking photos at the Arch will not be allowed to go back to their seat until the graduates have processed in.

Reserved Parking for Guests with Special Needs 

To better accommodate our Commencement day guests, the parking lot north of the Siebens Fieldhouse (parking lot B on the campus map) will be reserved for additional handicap and special needs parking. Use Early Street to access this parking lot. This reserved area will accommodate up to 60 vehicles and is centrally located to the Harold Walter Siebens School of Business/Siebens Forum and to the J. Leslie Rollins Stadium.

Campus Security will be offering golf cart rides for those requiring additional assistance between J. Leslie Rollins Stadium and the special needs parking lots. Please call Campus Security at 712.749.2500 if you need assistance.

Handicap parking is also available at other locations on campus, with limited golf cart shuttle service.

Guests who are not able to access the bleacher seating in J. Leslie Rollins Stadium can be seated on the football field.

Guests requiring a wheelchair may contact Event Services at 712.749.2401 or Angie Dye at 712.749.2103 to make a reservation.

Commencement Speaker

Kansas City Leader, BVU Alum Tapped as Keynote for Historic Commencement

Buena Vista University graduate Adrienne Haynes will serve as keynote speaker during the 2020 and 2021 Commencement exercises on May 8 and May 9. An attorney, entrepreneur, and community volunteer, she had no hesitation in accepting the BVU invitation to share a special message with hundreds of graduates and their family members.

As a BVU student, Haynes participated and served as a leader in at least five organizations on campus, a true liberal arts experience that ranged from her serving as captain of the BVU dance team to President of the Voices of Praise gospel choir to serving as co-founder of BVU’s Women of Courage High School Mentoring Program.