This coming Saturday morning, as the Eugene summer sun starts to (hopefully) heat up and the Pearl Street Quartet begins to play for Ducks and their families congregated on the Memorial Quad, approximately 1,300 University of Oregon students will become alumni.
The 2015 summer commencement ceremony will take place Saturday, Aug. 15, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on the UO’s Memorial Quad. Friends, families and the general public are invited to attend; tickets are not needed.
An August commencement has been a UO tradition dating back to 1888.
Susan C. Anderson, the senior vice provost for academic affairs, will provide welcoming remarks to students and their families, followed by keynote speaker Randy Kamphaus, dean of the UO College of Education.
“These degrees represent years of dedication and scholarship, a significant achievement that will benefit our graduates for the rest of their lives,” said UO President Michael Schill, who will be out of town during commencement due to a previously scheduled conflict. “The university has also benefitted — from the creativity, passion and curiosity that our students brought to our campus.”
The major difference between this commencement ceremony and the June graduation is size, said Sarah Smith-Benanti, special events coordinator for the Division of Student Life. The August commencement has only one centralized event, with about 150 graduates participating regardless of their major.
Accessibility was one of the most important things to consider about the event, Smith-Benanti said. The Memorial Quad is easily accessible; located on the edge of campus directly in front of the Knight Library. For a map of the UO campus, click here.
Parking is available on nearby streets and in UO parking lots. The closest university parking lot is on Kincaid Street between 13th and 14th Avenues. For a complete campus-area parking map, click here.
For guests with disabilities, there is a drop-off area near the Knight Library entrance and designated parking is available at hooded meters on Kincaid Street between 13th and 15th Avenues. A sign language interpreter will also be available at the ceremony.
While commencement organizers understand that many students participating in Saturday’s ceremony have trigger-happy grandparents eager to snap a photo with their grinning graduate, a designated family photographer area will be set up alongside the ceremony so that other guests’ view of the platform is unobstructed.
It should be noted, too, that alcohol is not permitted on the Memorial Quad.
Further questions about the summer commencement ceremony can be directed to the commencement office by calling 541-346-9262, commencement@uoregon.edu or visiting their website.
— By Nathaniel Brown, Public Affairs Communications