WINONA, Minn. – More than 1,000 students will participate in Winona State commencement ceremonies Friday — at least 100 fewer than a year ago. At the ceremony, university President Scott Olson will deliver a handshake and tentative diploma to every participant. Actual diplomas will be mailed after final grades for spring semester are tallied. Last year at this point, the university announced it was expecting “nearly 1,200” graduates. That puts the Class of 2022 at 100 to 200 fewer than last May — a 10% to 20% drop that reflects the university’s shrinking enrollment. The ceremony Friday will be divided into sessions at 9 a.m. and 12 and 3 p.m. because of capacity limits at the McCown gym. Remote viewing sites will be at the Somsen auditorium and the DuFresne Performing Arts Center. The ceremonies also will be broadcast live on HBC TV 25.
