Nearly 1,200 U of A Students Planning to Attend Fall Commencement

Photo Submitted

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – More than 1,800 University of Arkansas students have registered to graduate this fall and so far about 1,200 students are planning to attend the 2016 Fall Commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, in Bud Walton Arena.

Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz will deliver the commencement address.

The event will be streamed live for those who can’t attend the ceremony.

Free parking is available in any unrestricted parking lot on campus, including lots 46, 47N, 47S, 56 and 74A, B, C and E, which are located close to Bud Walton Arena.

Doors will open at 7:30 a.m., and guests should be seated by 8:45 a.m. There will be a pre-ceremony concert by the Boston Mountain Brassworks, the U of A faculty brass quintet, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

All guests must enter through the south entrance of Bud Walton Arena.

Tickets are not required. All bags will be checked for security purposes.

No balloons, wrapped packages, or strollers are allowed in Bud Walton Arena. Compact umbrellas will be allowed.

Seating for people with disabilities is available on the concourse level.

All students should check in at the west entrance of Bud Walton Arena beginning at 7:30 a.m. and must be lined up by 8:30 a.m.

Here are a few helpful tips for graduating students:

• DO wear comfortable shoes.
• DON’T bring personal items – leave them with your guests.
• DO wear something with pockets under your gown for small items, phones and keys.
• DO silence your phone.
• DON’T forget your regalia: wear your gown, cap, tassel, cords, stoles and hood when you arrive.
• DO arrive early.
• DON’T forget to take a bathroom break before the three-hour ceremony.
• DO make plans to meet your guests and family after the ceremony.
• DO have a wonderful time.

Additional information is available on the Registrar’s website.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.