In just over 50 days, we’ll come together to honor the achievements of the Class of 2026!

Take note of the key dates below and keep an eye on your inbox and the Commencement 2026 webpage for details on how you can participate in this special time of year.

Sunday, May 17, 8:30 a.m., Ed Robson Arena
Doors open at 7 a.m.

Commencement Speaker: Dee Bradley Baker ’86

The College is pleased to welcome Dee Bradley Baker ’86 back to campus as the 2026 Commencement speaker. A highly accomplished and versatile voice actor, Baker has built a decades-long career across television, film, and video games, known for bringing both iconic characters and entirely original voices to life. Learn more about Baker’s career and accomplishments on the Commencement website.

Announcing This Year’s Honorary Degree Recipient

Each year, CC awards honorary degrees to individuals whose exceptional achievements and contributions inspire our community. Through professional, scholarly, or artistic accomplishments, honorees reflect the values of curiosity, creativity, and leadership. This year, we are proud to recognize Christopher Benoit ’03.

Benoit is an attorney who has been shaped by the communities and mentors he has worked alongside throughout the Americas and has put that training to work both locally and internationally. After graduating from CC, Benoit accompanied genocide witnesses in Guatemala with NISGUA, organized in various worker centers in the U.S., and worked in Mexico with ProDESC defending communities affected by unscrupulous mining practices and forced labor. These experiences drew him to the University of Washington School of Law and to practice on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Based in the borderlands since 2009, Benoit and community partners founded a worker-led organization that changed state wage theft laws. With his law partner, Lynn Coyle, he exposed failures in the El Paso Police Department’s use-of-force oversight, resulting in systemic changes.

As border enforcement intensified, Benoit’s practice changed. Benoit’s FOIA litigation uncovered surveillance of human rights lawyers, earning him and his client the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sunshine Award in 2022. In 2019, he and Coyle obtained a ruling putting ICE on notice of substandard medical care for hunger strikers. That fight continued alongside the ACLU of New Mexico in 2023 where litigation brought to light the truth behind the death by suicide of a young man at a private facility where inspectors had flagged critical safety failures.

In the last two years, alongside co-counsel, Benoit investigated deaths in expanding detention facilities, secured one of the first federal habeas wins challenging the unlawful detention of a DACA recipient, and forced the first evidentiary hearing on the government’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, winning release for a family facing deportation to El Salvador’s CECOT prison. He has also worked to ensure robust legal defense for immigrant rights organizations facing criminalization. 

Benoit exemplifies the application of a liberal arts education in service of building community and power for the most vulnerable.

In addition to Commencement, other related events and festivities include:

Tuesday, May 5, 11 a.m., Shove Memorial Chapel

Honors Convocation is our opportunity to honor outstanding students and faculty. The annual program includes departmental awards, all-college awards, faculty teaching and professorships, and awards from the CC Student Government Association. All members of the campus community are welcome to attend, and a livestream of the ceremony will be available online.

Saturday, May 16, 3 p.m., Shove Memorial Chapel

Baccalaureate is a centuries-old graduation tradition, providing an opportunity to reflect on this rite of passage, hear from a faculty member, and celebrate our talented students. Students and their invited guests may attend in person (two guests per student).

A livestream of the ceremony will also be available online.

Announcing the Baccalaureate Speaker: Lori Driscoll ’94, Professor, Chair of Neuroscience & Psychology

A native of Colorado and a first-generation college student, Driscoll graduated from CC in 1994 with a degree in Psychology. A gap year job at a compounding pharmacy spurred Driscoll’s love of pharmacology, which she combined with her neuroscience background in her studies of Biopsychology at Cornell University. 

After receiving her PhD in 2003, Driscoll returned to CC, where she has taught Psychology and Neuroscience courses for 23 years. Her research focuses on how early life adversity interacts with dietary factors to influence gut health and brain development and function. 

Faculty must register in advance to march in the Commencement 2026 events, including the Honors Convocation, Baccalaureate, and Commencement ceremonies. Please use this link to register to march.

Spring 2026 regalia rental requests are due by Wednesday, April 6 at noon. The Dean of Faculty’s office will be paying for the rentals this year. Please use this link to request your regalia from the CC Bookstore.

For questions, reach out to Kinsey Fischer, Assistant Director of College Events at kfischer2025@coloradocollege.edu“> kfischer2025@coloradocollege.edu.

Want to get involved and be a part of the Commencement excitement? Please consider volunteering. To learn more or sign up, please contact the College Events team at events@coloradocollege.edu or (719) 389-6935.

A limited number of tickets will be available for staff and faculty who are not marching. Stay tuned for more information on how to claim a ticket. Livestreaming will also be available online for Commencement, Honors Convocation, and Baccalaureate events.

Thank you for all you do each day to contribute to our CC community, and for welcoming the hundreds of friends and family members visiting campus for these special celebrations.

14 E. Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

You’re less than 50 days away from crossing the stage and beginning your next adventure!

Keep an eye on your inbox and the Commencement 2026 webpage for important updates and information to help you prepare for this milestone occasion.

First things first—Don’t forget to apply to graduate! Graduating seniors must submit their application by Friday, April 17 to participate in this spring’s ceremony. IMPORTANT: You will not be able to claim guest tickets for Commencement or Baccalaureate events until you complete the application process.

If eligible, you will find the application link in your student menu in Banner SSB. The process takes just a few minutes and includes opting in to the ceremony, providing your height for gown sizing, and confirming other key details. Please also record your name in Canvas to ensure it is pronounced correctly during the ceremony.

Sunday, May 17, 8:30 a.m., Ed Robson Arena
Doors open at 7 a.m.

Commencement Ceremony Ticket Information 

Each graduate will have an opportunity to claim an anticipated maximum of seven guest tickets for Commencement, subject to availability. Please watch your inbox in the coming weeks for final ticketing details. After you’ve applied to graduate, eligible students will be able to access these free, general admission guest tickets via your CC Ticketmaster Account at the beginning of May, with specific instructions to come via email. A livestream of the ceremony will also be available online. 

Commencement Speaker: Dee Bradley Baker ’86

The College is pleased to welcome Dee Bradley Baker ’86 back to campus as the 2026 Commencement speaker. A highly accomplished and versatile voice actor, Baker has built a decades-long career across television, film, and video games, known for bringing both iconic characters and entirely original voices to life. Learn more about Baker’s career and accomplishments on the Commencement website.

Announcing This Year’s Honorary Degree Recipient

Each year, CC awards honorary degrees to individuals whose exceptional achievements and contributions inspire our community. Through professional, scholarly, or artistic accomplishments, honorees reflect the values of curiosity, creativity, and leadership. This year, we are proud to recognize Christopher Benoit ’03.

Benoit is an attorney who has been shaped by the communities and mentors he has worked alongside throughout the Americas and has put that training to work both locally and internationally. After graduating from CC, Benoit accompanied genocide witnesses in Guatemala with NISGUA, organized in various worker centers in the U.S., and worked in Mexico with ProDESC defending communities affected by unscrupulous mining practices and forced labor. These experiences drew him to the University of Washington School of Law and to practice on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Based in the borderlands since 2009, Benoit and community partners founded a worker-led organization that changed state wage theft laws. With his law partner, Lynn Coyle, he exposed failures in the El Paso Police Department’s use-of-force oversight, resulting in systemic changes.

As border enforcement intensified, Benoit’s practice changed. Benoit’s FOIA litigation uncovered surveillance of human rights lawyers, earning him and his client the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sunshine Award in 2022. In 2019, he and Coyle obtained a ruling putting ICE on notice of substandard medical care for hunger strikers. That fight continued alongside the ACLU of New Mexico in 2023 where litigation brought to light the truth behind the death by suicide of a young man at a private facility where inspectors had flagged critical safety failures.

In the last two years, alongside co-counsel, Benoit investigated deaths in expanding detention facilities, secured one of the first federal habeas wins challenging the unlawful detention of a DACA recipient, and forced the first evidentiary hearing on the government’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, winning release for a family facing deportation to El Salvador’s CECOT prison. He has also worked to ensure robust legal defense for immigrant rights organizations facing criminalization. 

Benoit exemplifies the application of a liberal arts education in service of building community and power for the most vulnerable.

In addition to Commencement, other related events and festivities include:

Tuesday, May 5, 11 a.m., Shove Memorial Chapel

Honors Convocation is our opportunity to honor outstanding students and faculty. The annual program includes departmental awards, all-college awards, faculty teaching and professorships, and awards from the CC Student Government Association. All members of the campus community are welcome to attend, and a livestream of the ceremony will be available online.

Classes will be dismissed at 10:30 a.m. so that everyone can attend the ceremony.

Saturday, May 16, 3 p.m., Shove Memorial Chapel

Baccalaureate is a centuries-old graduation tradition, providing an opportunity to reflect on this rite of passage, hear from a faculty member, and celebrate our talented students. Students and their invited guests may attend in person (two guests per student).

Seniors who have applied to graduate will receive an email as we get closer to the ceremony with instructions for how to claim tickets to the Baccalaureate ceremony through Ticketmaster. A livestream of the ceremony will also be available online.

Announcing the Baccalaureate Speaker: Lori Driscoll ’94, Professor, Chair of Neuroscience & Psychology

A native of Colorado and a first-generation college student, Driscoll graduated from CC in 1994 with a degree in Psychology. A gap year job at a compounding pharmacy spurred Driscoll’s love of pharmacology, which she combined with her neuroscience background in her studies of Biopsychology at Cornell University. 

After receiving her PhD in 2003, Driscoll returned to CC, where she has taught Psychology and Neuroscience courses for 23 years. Her research focuses on how early life adversity interacts with dietary factors to influence gut health and brain development and function. 

14 E. Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Chris Gruschow ’26 earned the Award for Academic Achievement Abroad from the Forum on Education Abroad for his research on health anxiety. 

By Julia Fennell ’21

After spending a semester in Copenhagen conducting research on health anxiety, CC senior Chris Gruschow ’26 earned the Award for Academic Achievement Abroad from the nonprofit Forum on Education Abroad.  

“Receiving the Award for Academic Achievement Abroad for my project on health anxiety means a great deal to me,” says Gruschow, a Neuroscience major. “It serves both as recognition of the hard work my coauthors and I put into this study, and as an acknowledgement of how transformative studying abroad was for me as well as how impactful it can be for many others.”

READ THE FULL STORY »

Students in Spring 2024 “Warfare in Greece and Rome” simulate being hoplites by wearing two backpacks, a helmet, and using cardboard silhouettes of a hoplite’s shield and of his weapons, which were cut PVC pipe segments. Photo by Eileen Broderick.

By Julia Fennell ’21

Students employed different military strategies from the Roman Empire and experienced what wielding ancient Greek and Roman armor was like through hands-on simulations in their Warfare in Greece and Rome class.

Associate Professor and Chair of Classics Richard Fernando Buxton taught students in Block 5 about how warfare was conducted in ancient Greece and Rome, the impact war had on society, and the development of military strategy and technology. Students learned why some forms of combat, such as that of the Roman legions, proved to be so effective.

READ THE FULL STORY »

The CCE is now accepting nominations for their annual Community Engagement Recognition Night (CERN) awards! These awards recognize students, faculty, staff, and community organizations who have gone above and beyond in contributing to the public good. Nominations are accepted until midnight on Monday, April 6. To nominate a student, faculty or staff member, or community organization, review awards and sample nominations here, and then simply fill out this form. Accompanying cash awards are generously supported by the Class of 1981. Questions? Email cce@coloradocollege.edu. 

 Recipients will be honored at CERN on Thursday, April 30, from 4:30-6 p.m. in Bemis Great Hall. All are invited, we hope you can join us!

Wednesday, April 1, 3-4 p.m. | Bemis Great Hall

What does it really take to compete in both Division I and Division III? Join Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine for a closer look at CC’s unique athletics model. This Work of the College Series session will unpack how the College balances two distinct divisions, what it means for student-athletes, and the differences in recruiting, scholarships, training, and competition. You’ll also learn how athletics contributes to the broader CC experience.

Be sure to register today!

Friday, March 27, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Hans and Margaret Rey’s Curious George series is one of the most beloved and successful picture-book series of all time. The texts’ enduring power stems partly from the timeless beauty of Hans Rey’s illustrations, and partly from the (cautious) celebration of the title character’s curiosity, and, by extension, the celebration of childhood innocence. This talk will frame the Curious George series in the larger context of mid-twentieth century children’s picture books, and also, in the context of the Reys’ remarkable success story as Jewish refugees and immigrants who went on to live the American dream.   

This lecture coincides with the upcoming theatre show Curious George: The Golden Meatball, on stage from July 25-August 2.

Themed Cocktail: Cheeky Monkey
Lecturer: Marc Napolitano, Assistant Professor of English, United States Air Force Academy
Tickets: $24 ($18 for FAC Members), includes your first drink

First-place winners of the Tiger Lookalike, Willa McLaughlin ’27, Gabby Marchant ’27, Molly Vance ’27 pose with their prize. Photo by Jamie Cotten / Colorado College

Many of us work with data every day—whether we’re updating records, running reports, processing forms, completing research, or helping students and departments get the information they need.

So how do we make sure the information we rely on stays accurate, secure, and useful for everyone? Find out how Colorado College plans to enable data through Data Governance with Erica Shafer, CC Data Strategist, at a Work of the College Series session on Thursday, April 9, 3-4 p.m., Tutt Library in the Timothy Fuller Event Space.

Data governance helps establish clear, consistent practices for working with data across campus—reducing confusion, strengthening trust in institutional data, and improving our ability to quickly find answers that support day-to-day work.

Erica will introduce CC’s new data governance framework, updates on its rollout and imminent projects, as well as options for you to get involved in helping improve the data experience and culture at Colorado College. 

No technical background is required—this session is designed for anyone who works with data at CC.

We hope to see you there!

The Work of the College Series is a year-long program of events with four goals: (1) clarify organizational structures and decision-making processes; (2) offer campus constituencies the opportunity to dialogue with leadership about campus affairs; (3) increase decision-making transparency in hopes of building trust; and (4) build community.

The Work of the College Series consists of:

14 E. Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903