Ceremony Details
Columbia Southern University will hold its 2024 commencement ceremonies on Friday, October 25, 2024, at the Foley Event Center at OWA (1001 E. Pride Blvd., Foley, AL 36535). We are currently planning to hold two ceremonies, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. You will be assigned a ceremony time when your registration is processed. CSU reserves the right to add additional ceremonies and reassign graduates in order to balance capacity limits.
Please contact us with any questions regarding the 2024 Commencement Ceremony.
For many, earning your degree has been a longtime goal. We encourage you to invite friends and family to join you at the ceremony. Each graduate may request up to four guest tickets. Up to three (3) additional tickets may be purchased for $30 each. To ensure an accurate head count, you must request all guest tickets on the registration form. Small children who do not require their own chair will not require a ticket. As a graduate, you do not need a ticket to participate.
Ceremony Registration
The commencement registration deadline is September 9, 2024.
Eligibility to Participate in Commencement
- Students must submit a petition to graduate and receive audit results.*
- Students must submit a $165 ceremony fee along with the commencement registration form to participate.
- Students must complete all graduation requirements or have submitted their enrollment for any remaining course(s) required for program completion at the time of commencement registration.
- Students who have not completed all graduation requirements by the registration deadline are not eligible to be designated as graduating with honors.
The commencement registration deadline is September 9, 2024, or when maximum seating capacity is reached, whichever comes first. Once registration is closed, CSU will add all additional registrants to a waitlist until further notice.
*Students must complete the registration form in addition to submitting their petition to graduate.
Commencement Registration
Regalia Information
Graduates are required to wear regalia during the commencement ceremony. You may order your regalia through HerffJones.com. Herff Jones will ship your regalia materials directly to you prior to commencement.
Graduates must place all orders by September 20, 2024 at 11:00pm CST/ 12:00am EST to ensure delivery by commencement. No orders will be allowed after this date.
Keynote SpeakerChief Master Sgt. (Ret.) Kaleth O. Wright, Trustee
Chief Master Sgt. Kaleth O. Wright is an organizational leadership consultant, executive coach, and professional speaker with an outstanding record of helping organizations achieve peak performance by training and mentoring executives in the art of servant leadership and motivating multi-generational teams across cultures and geographies.
He is the former CEO of the Air Force Aid Society, where he led a team that provided $20 million per year in emergency financial assistance, scholarships, and community programs to service members and their families. He is a thought leader in diversity, resilience, and leadership with mastery in the use of interpersonal and mass communications via social media, where he has hosted the “Blueprint Leadership” and “The New Normal” podcasts.
Wright is a veteran who served 32 years in the Air Force, culminating as the 18th chief master sergeant of the Air Force, where he provided direction and represented the interests of the enlisted force. He also served as the personal advisor to the chief of staff of the Air Force and secretary of the Air Force on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale, and proper utilization and progress of the force. During his career, Wright led at every level including squadron, group, wing, air expeditionary task force, and numbered Air Force Major Command, and he deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield/Storm as well as Operation Enduring Freedom.
As a dynamic and engaging speaker, Wright has delivered more than 200 keynote addresses to audiences around the world. He has provided more than 10,000 hours of teaching, coaching, and leadership expertise to individuals and audiences at all levels of leadership. Wright championed international leadership development programs for 17 partner nations and worked with Congress on legislative affairs to enhance quality-of-life policies and programs for service members and their families.
Wright earned a Bachelor of Science in business management from the University of Maryland’s Global Campus and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He studied executive leadership in distinguished programs at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government Center for Public Leadership, Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, Howard University’s School of Business as well as the Center for Creative Leadership. He was recognized as one of the Mighty 25 by the “We Are the Mighty” in 2020 for his exceptional leadership and military service. Wright also was honored in 2020 by Waldorf University with the dedication of the Kaleth O. Wright Excellence in Leadership Scholarship, a four-year award for military members. He currently serves as an affiliate instructor for Harvard University’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative and is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council.
The Foley Event Center at OWA
The CSU Commencement in-person ceremonies are held at The Foley Event Center at OWA, located just minutes away from the CSU campus.
Driving Directions from Nearby Airports
- From Pensacola Regional Airport to the Foley Event Center
- From Mobile Regional Airport to the Foley Event Center
Where to Stay and Eat
Pre-Commencement Activities
The Columbia Southern University Alumni Association in kicking off the commencement celebrations on Thursday, October 24, 2024. More details will be released in the upcoming months. We look forward to celebrating with you!
Virtual Commencement
Columbia Southern University hosted a virtual ceremony on May 17, 2024.