Laurier to graduate more than 4,000 students at Waterloo and Brantford spring convocation ceremonies

June 4, 2026
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO and BRANTFORD — Wilfrid Laurier University will celebrate more than 4,000 graduating students at spring convocation ceremonies in Waterloo and Brantford.

Two Brantford campus ceremonies will be held at the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts on June 9 and 13 Waterloo campus ceremonies will take place at Lazaridis Hall from June 15 to 19. 

As of June 1, 3,269 students qualified to graduate in Waterloo, while 744 qualified to graduate in Brantford. Laurier expects to confer 3,242 undergraduate degrees, 627 graduate degrees and 144 diplomas. 

Five outstanding community leaders will receive honorary degrees as part of spring convocation: decorated Second World War veteran Sir George Herbert Beardshaw; Blue Jays broadcaster Dan Shulman; Indigenous education champion Ningwakwe Priscilla George; retail trailblazer Diane J. Brisebois; and award-winning R&B singer Jully Black. In addition, Dan Dawson — Laurier’s former assistant vice-president of student and ancillary services — will receive the Order of Wilfrid Laurier University.

Convocation ceremonies will also honour Xu (Sunny) Wang and Michelle Skop with the Faculty Award for Service Excellence and Community Engagement, as well as University Research Professors Jasmine Zine and Steve Sider.

Tickets are required for all Laurier convocation ceremonies. Members of the media are asked to confirm their attendance by emailing lchalmersmorrison@wlu.ca. For more information, visit wlu.ca/convocation.

June 9, 10 a.m., Brantford

• Sir George Herbert Beardshaw, Honorary Doctor of Laws

June 15, 9:30 a.m., Waterloo

• Dan Shulman, Honorary Doctor of Laws

June 16, 9:30 a.m., Waterloo

• Ningwakwe Priscilla George, Honorary Doctor of Laws

• Xu (Sunny) Wang, Faculty Award for Service Excellence and Community Engagement

June 17, 9:30 a.m., Waterloo

• Diane J. Brisebois, Honorary Doctor of Laws

June 18, 9:30 a.m., Waterloo

• Dan Dawson, Order of Wilfrid Laurier University

June 18, 1:30 p.m., Waterloo

• Jasmin Zine, University Research Professor

June 19, 9:30 a.m., Waterloo

• Jully Black, Honorary Doctor of Music
• Michelle Skop, Faculty Award for Service Excellence and Community Engagement

June 19, 1:30 p.m., Waterloo

• Steve Sider, University Research Professor


Learn more about spring convocation in Waterloo and Brantford.