Fall 2025 Commencement Ceremony
The Fall 2025 College of Arts and Sciences Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, December 12, 2025, at 5 PM in the Holmes Convocation Center.
For details, visit appstate.edu/commencement.
Commencement Macebearer
The Appalachian State University mace is carried by a senior faculty member in all academic processions. Traditionally, the macebearer precedes the chancellor of an institution, both upon entering and leaving a ceremony. The mace serves as a symbol of authority just as it did during the Middle Ages, when a macebearer accompanied an official taking office or opening court.
The App State mace symbolizes the university’s mountain heritage, the rustic location and the sophistication of an emerging, national leader in higher education. To learn more about the App State mace's design, visit appstate.edu/commencement.
Fall 2025 Macebearer
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Joseph Bathanti will serve as the Macebearer for the College of Arts and Sciences' Fall 2025 Commenecement Ceremony.
Dr. Bathanti is the inaugural McFarlane Family Distinguished Professor of Interdisciplinary Education and serves as the writer-in-residence in Watauga Residential College in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. He is also professor of creative writing in the Department of English.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Bathanti holds bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Warren Wilson College. He is the author of over 20 books spanning multiple genres, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and personal essays.
In 2024, Bathanti was named to the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame.
Fall 2025 Hooding Ceremonies
Graduate students will wear their hoods to the commencement ceremony but will not be hooded during the event. Some departments hold special hooding ceremonies prior to commencement.
- Department of Government & Justice Studies (MPA/MAPS Programs): Friday, December 12, 2025, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Plemmons Student Union 417 (Beacon Heights)
To view a campus map, visit maps.appstate.edu.