Commencement Ceremonies are Friday & Saturday, Aug. 7-8
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University will conduct Commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday, Aug. 7 and 8, one for students graduating this summer and the other for students who graduated in May.
The Summer Commencement ceremony will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, while the Spring Commencement ceremony, postponed from May, will start at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8.
Both ceremonies will be in Centennial Bank Stadium.
Attendance is by ticket only, in order to maintain social distancing protocols due to the coronavirus pandemic. Graduates may take their seats on the field as they arrive, since there will be no processional.
In addition to their own ticket, graduating students have been allowed up to four guest tickets each, based on the request form they were asked to submit in advance.
While the program will be abbreviated due to the anticipated summer heat, student speakers will be featured at both ceremonies.
Shanna Porterfield of Benton will speak at the Summer Commencement on Friday, Aug. 7. Porterfield is graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics from the College of Nursing and Health Professions.
ChrisTina Okolo of Batesville, recipient of the Wilson Award, the highest recognition for a graduating student at A-State, will speak at the Spring Commencement on Saturday, Aug. 8. Okolo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the College of Sciences and Mathematics. She also was one of six recipients of the Distinguished Service Award.
Graduates will be seated six feet apart on the field, with the commencement stage in the south end zone beneath the Centennial Bank Stadium video board. Guests will be seated in the stands.
Everyone will be required to wear a face covering when entering and exiting the stadium. Ushers will work to keep groups spaced out in lines to keep everyone as safe as possible. Once guests and students are in their seats, they may remove their face covering.
The A-State Alumni Association will provide Red Wolves masks for the graduates on their way into the stadium. Gates will open two hours before each ceremony. Check-in for all graduates and faculty will be at the Registrar’s Office tent at Gate 20, at the southeast corner of the stadium. Guests may enter through Gates 2, 6, 7 on the west side of the stadium, or Gate 18 on the east side.
A-State’s standard clear bag policy will be in effect, however, two notable exceptions will be made. Due to potential weather conditions, outside food and drink will be allowed (but no glass containers). Also, umbrellas will be permitted. Additional Commencement details are included in an email sent Friday to graduating students.
For those who cannot attend in person, live streaming of the commencement ceremonies will be available online at AState.edu/livestream.
Prior to the opening of First National Bank Arena in 1987, commencement ceremonies were often held in the stadium, with the last being the Summer Commencement in August 1986.
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