University officals announce spring commencement schedule, similar to that of spring 2021

Zaria Johnson, Editor-in-chief

University events and protocol officials announced the commencement schedule for the spring 2022 graduating class.

In-person ceremonies will be held at Manchester Field, off of Petrarca Drive adjacent to Eastway Hall and the student center. Undergraduate and graduate students will have combined ceremonies based on the college.

The ceremony for the colleges of Aeronautics and Engineering, Applied and Technical Studies and Arts and Public Health are at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 12. This ceremony will be followed by commencements for the colleges of Nursing and Communication and Information 5 p.m. that evening.

The ceremony for the College of Education, Health and Human Services is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, May 13, followed by the 5 p.m. ceremony for the colleges of Ambassador Crawford Business and Entrepreneurship, Architecture and Environmental Design.

The ceremony for the College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14. A virtual broadcast of all undergraduate and advanced degrees will be available for viewing Sunday, May 15.

Graduating students have four guest tickets, which will be available for download Tuesday, March 22. Students can donate unused tickets to the ticket “give-back pool,” a resource for students with extra guests to request up to two additional commencement tickets.

Students can order caps, gowns and other graduation materials from the university bookstore or online through the university’s Jostens website. Online orders should be placed prior to April 1 to avoid expedited shipping fees, according to the announcement.

The university held one undergraduate spring ceremony inclusive of all colleges and majors at Dix Stadium, and a separate, one-day ceremony for graduate students in 2017 through 2019. The spring 2020 commencement was virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The spring 2022 commencement schedule and location resembles that of the spring 2021 schedule, with ceremonies held over a week-long period and limited the number of tickets per student to adhere to social distancing and COVID-19 guidelines at the time.

The university updated its COVID safety guidelines March 3 to reflect updated CDC mask and social distancing guidelines.

COVID-19 safety principles will be enforced at all commencement ceremonies, according to the announcement, but current university guidelines do not require masks or social distancing at outdoor gatherings and events.

Zaria Johnson is editor-in-chief. Contact her at [email protected].