December 2025 Convocation
Date and Time
Friday, December 19, 2025
1:00 - 3:00 PM
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
August and December 2025 graduates are eligible to participate in the December Gies Convocation Ceremony.
Register Today
Regalia
Graduates must have custom University of Illinois regalia to participate in the ceremony. If you missed the November 28 ordering deadline through Herff Jones, please see instructions online and complete the Late Order Form. Contact Patty Storie with questions.
Guest Tickets
Due to the size of the venue, all graduates who are registered to participate in the ceremony must have tickets for their guests, including children. Information is available on the graduate registration form and in the confirmation email graduates will receive upon registration form submission. Graduates do not require a ticket to participate.
Accessibility Requests
Graduates: If you will need accessibility-related accommodations in order to participate, please indicate when registering for the ceremony. Guests: If one of your guests will need accessibility-related accommodations, please contact our office at Gies-Convocation@illinois.edu. Learn more about accessibility at the Krannert Center.
Livestream
The convocation ceremony will be livestreamed here for any guests unable to attend the ceremony in person to view. Please note: Online participation or remote recognition during the ceremony is unavailable. The livestream will only be active during the time of the event.
Photography
Each graduate will have their picture taken as they receive their diploma. Graduates will receive information on ordering proofs, directly from GradImages®, following the ceremony.
Parking
Parking is available free of charge, for graduates and guests, in the Krannert Center's underground garages during the Gies Convocation Ceremony. The spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Paid meters and lots may be available in the surrounding areas. Additional details will be provided closer to date. Information on directions can be found online.
Welcome Message from the Dean
W. Brooke Elliott
Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business and Dean
Gies College of Business
Read the Message
Welcome to the December 2025 Convocation Ceremony of Gies College of Business!
We are honored to celebrate this major milestone with you today and are exceptionally proud of all you’ve achieved – successfully completing a rigorous curriculum, earning your degree, and exploring your passions and purpose.
We hope you’re graduating with confidence in yourself to take what you’ve learned and apply it toward whatever is next in your journey. As you move on to that next experience, please look back on the memories and relationships you’ve made in your program – and the support you’ve received along the way, whether from family, friends, faculty, staff, or alumni.
We’re all excited to see where your future takes you and the impact you will make in the lives of others. I know you will continue to make the College proud.
Please carry the passion, purpose, and integrity of your Gies Business experience with you always. Proudly share what you have learned. And remember, once you are part of the Gies Business community, you are always part of the Gies Business community. Congratulations to the Class of 2025.
Convocation Alumni Speaker
Barbra Bukovac
Partner and Vice Chair, Consumer Markets, PwC
Learn More
A Partner and Vice Chair at PwC, Barb Bukovac has over three decades of experience advising companies on strategic, operational, financial, tax, and governance matters. She is deeply experienced in working with clients, members of the C-Suite, boards, and various committees on financial reporting, auditing, technology, risk, regulatory, and governance matters.
She joined PwC in 1988 and was admitted to the partnership in 2000 as an International Tax Partner. She is one of the most senior female tax leaders and is the firm’s first female vice chair. As a Senior Partner, Barb has led the PwC’s largest global clients in multiple industries, through times of immense change and disruption, spanning M&A, financial crises, exits, liquidity, global regulatory scrutiny, and workforce and shareholder activism.
She serves as the Board Chair and Audit Committee Chair of Hadley (a nonprofit organization serving the visually impaired), The Chicago Network (Programming Chair and Board Member), NRF Foundation (Board Member), and she previously served on the Dean’s Business Council at Gies College of Business.
Her civic work and professional contributions have been recognized by many prestigious organizations, including by Notable Leaders in Accounting Consulting & Law from Crain’s Chicago Business, CEO Perspectives Leadership Program, and Power 50 by the National Diversity Council.
Outside of work, Barb is the proud mother of two daughters and is an avid runner, having completed two marathons and several half marathons. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Gies College of Business in 1988 and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for each convocation ceremony?
August and December 2025 Graduates are eligible to participate in the December 2025 Gies Convocation Ceremony. August and December 2025 and May 2026 Graduates are eligible to participate in the May 2026 Gies Convocation Ceremonies.
If you have academic-related eligibility questions, undergraduate candidates should contact the Office of Undergraduate Affairs at undergrads@business.illinois.edu or 217-333-2740.
Master’s, MBA, and PhD candidates should contact their respective degree program office with questions.
What is the difference between Gies Convocation and Universitywide Commencement?
During the Gies Convocation Ceremony, you will have the opportunity to have your individual name read along with the rest of the Gies graduates and you will walk the stage and receive your diploma cover.
During Commencement, all graduates from across the University are eligible to participate. Your degree program will be announced, and you will stand with the rest of your fellow graduates. Individual recognition does not occur at this ceremony. You are not required to attend the Commencement Ceremony to participate in the Gies Convocation.
If you intend on participating in either or both, please note there are separate registration processes for each. You will need to register for each ceremony separately. Please note: Universitywide Commencement is only held in the Spring.
Does applying for graduation also register me for the Gies Convocation?
No, applying for graduation does not automatically register you for either Gies Convocation or Universitywide Commencement. There are separate registration processes for each.
For information regarding applying for graduation, please contact your academic advisor.
Visit the Universitywide Commencement Ceremony website for information on Commencement and how to register.
When will I receive instructions for the day of the ceremony?
If you have registered to participate in the Gies Convocation Ceremony, you will receive a final confirmation email in early December with all the information and instructions needed for the day of. This email will be sent to the email address used at registration. This information will include arrival time, line up and name card instructions, ceremony details, and information on returning regalia, photography, parking, and venue policies.
Will I receive my diploma at Convocation?
All graduates participating in the Gies Convocation Ceremony will have their names read as they cross the stage. Everyone receives a diploma cover (only). Because it is not possible to process final grades and prepare degree lists by Convocation weekend, diplomas will be mailed approximately 9 weeks after your conferral date.
I am receiving two degrees/dual programs, will I be recognized for both degrees?
Each graduate will cross the stage one time during the Gies Convocation Ceremony and have their name read in the department/degree area they used during the convocation ceremony registration.
I am receiving two separate degrees, both from Gies. Can I get a 2nd diploma cover?
Upon the conclusion of the in-person ceremony (AFTER the platform party has recessed out of the room), the graduate may approach the stage area and request a 2nd diploma cover from a Gies volunteer. Alternatively, graduates may order diploma covers from the Illini Union Bookstore.