Ursuline College is set to hold what will be its final commencement as an independent institution on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. at the Wolstein Center in downtown Cleveland. More than 300 undergraduate and graduate candidates are expected to cross the stage in a ceremony many on campus see as closing a 155-year chapter. Students, faculty and the Ursuline Sisters will gather for one last sendoff before the college’s planned integration into Gannon University later this year.
The college’s Commencement 2026 information lays out the Wolstein Center ceremony and the full weekend schedule. The main event is expected to run about two hours, with a nursing pinning and a Baccalaureate prayer service slated for May 1, according to Ursuline College.
Sister Laura Bregar, president of the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland, is scheduled to deliver the commencement address, and Ursuline President David King will preside, the college has said. The official messaging leans into continuity, with the line, “This moment is not an ending,” anchoring the release. WOIO reports that the remarks frame the day as both a farewell to independence and a handoff of Ursuline’s mission to a larger Catholic system.
Students have been describing the milestone as bittersweet. Local coverage highlights seniors such as Ta’lia Johnson, who said being part of Ursuline’s final independent graduating class feels emotional, and Ricky Nance, a special-needs student who transferred from Notre Dame College and already has a para-professional role lined up at the Julie Billiart School in Lyndhurst, according to Cleveland.com.
Merger timeline and what it will change
Ursuline and Gannon signed a definitive agreement in late 2024 and have described the union as unfolding in stages. A Higher Learning Commission approval allowed a formal “change of control,” and Gannon University has stated it assumed key governance responsibilities effective June 30, 2025. Both institutions say the integration is expected to culminate with a full merger in December 2026. During the transition, students are told to expect few immediate changes in tuition, course offerings or campus life, per Ursuline College.
A long local legacy
The college traces its origins to 1871, when the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland founded the school, and moved to its Pepper Pike campus in 1966, according to local reports and institutional histories. Over the decades, Ursuline has emphasized women-focused education while expanding into nursing, graduate programs and adult education, all while maintaining its Catholic mission, according to Cleveland.com and college materials.
Sunday’s ceremony is expected to double as a graduation party and a symbolic passing of the Ursuline name into a new institutional chapter. Details on livestream access and guest guidelines are available on the Commencement 2026 page, according to Ursuline College.
