Commencement Ceremonies Moved to Apogee Starting 2015

[Cerebus]

Dec. 8, 2014

Dear UNT community,

Taking part in graduation is one of my favorite things about being a university president. Graduating from college is a defining moment in a person's life — the achievement of a long-held dream and the start of a bright future filled with opportunity. It's a huge honor to be a part of this life-changing moment for the more than 8,500 students who graduate from UNT each year and to share in the pride of their family and friends. It reminds me how powerful and transformative a college education is for students and their families and friends.

To mark the occasion with the grandeur and fanfare it deserves, we're changing commencement so that graduates can celebrate their successes and transition from being students to alumni with the entire UNT community. Starting in May 2015, UNT will hold a single university-wide commencement every May at Apogee Stadium for all graduates who earn their degree in the current academic year. Our inaugural university-wide commencement will be held May 16, 2015, kicking off a new tradition and celebrating UNT’s 125th anniversary. This is a much-needed step forward for a university that is growing in size, quality and reputation.

The university-wide commencement will be more festive and more memorable, featuring a nationally prominent speaker, degree conferral and celebrations before the event. During commencement, graduates will be seated together based on the degree they will earn (bachelor's, master's or doctoral) rather than by college so they can celebrate this important milestone with friends.

In moving to this new format, we don't want to lose the intimacy and important moments that make graduation special for many graduates and their families. Throughout the same weekend, colleges will host recognition ceremonies during which graduates will hear their name called, walk across the stage and shake hands with their college dean. The university-wide commencement will be the formal, official graduation event, and we encourage graduates to attend both.

We will hold college recognition ceremonies twice a year in May and December. We will no longer hold August commencement and those who expect to graduate in the summer can participate in May or December ceremonies, depending on how close they are to graduating.

These changes will not impact December 2014 ceremonies. Commencement ceremonies are set for Dec. 12-13, 2014, and will proceed as usual. Read the December 2014 Schedule of Events.

You likely still have questions about these changes so I encourage you to read the Commencement Changes FAQs to learn more. Many details are still being finalized and we will post information as it's available.

This is the start of a new commencement tradition that will help us honor the most important milestone in our students' journey as a university community while preserving the special moments that make graduation meaningful. I hope that this new tradition gives our graduates plenty of new memories and strengthens their bonds to their alma mater.

UNT proud,

Neal Smatresk

This post has been promoted to an article

[Cerebus]

1) I hope the AD has plenty of personnel at these pushing tickets.

2) I do wonder how they are going to handle bad weather.

[Stix]

interesting...

but what if it rains?

[CMJ]

This does not seem like a good idea for December.

I am glad i had an August ceremony.

[Travis]

Not a bad idea at all. But, there will be no contingency plan with such a location.

[Christopher Walker]

2) I do wonder how they are going to handle bad weather.

interesting...

but what if it rains?

Not a bad idea at all. But, there will be no contingency plan with such a location.

It's not like most other major universities that hold commencement in their stadiums have not thought of this before... Perhaps ask?

[Christopher Walker]

The FAQs. http://www.unt.edu/commencement/changes-faq.htm

[All About UNT]

Cornell

Army West Point

Duke

Oregon State

Michigan

[MeanGreenDan]

This does not seem like a good idea for December.

I am glad i had an August ceremony.

There is no December. The letter says May only. For the entire academic year.

Great idea. This is what large universities do, and I have been wondering why we continued doing it different for so long. Jealous I did not get to experience this, but happy for future graduates!

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

Sadly, this may be the first time many of them go inside the stadium. Might be our first sell-out too.

[FirefightnRick]

1) I hope the AD has plenty of personnel at these pushing tickets.

Yeah right!

Rick

[TheTastyGreek]

Cornell - Average temperature on May 25th: 15 degrees cooler than Denton

Army West Point - 12 degrees cooler than Denton

Duke - 5 degrees cooler than Denton

Oregon State - 16 degrees cooler than Denton

Michigan - 16 degrees cooler than Denton

Adding some useful info here.

I split time in high school between Georgia and the metroplex. GA high school did outdoor graduations... MISERABLE. Metroplex high school did graduations at the Super Pit. Pleasant!

Should make for a neat graduation atmosphere... Until the first hot spring.

EDIT: to add that I'm not criticizing this idea. But, honestly... I'm glad it won't be me sitting in the May sun in a black robe for however many hours it takes to get through the ceremony.

[UNT90]

First sellout at Apogee?

Will RV claim credit?

Question. No answer.

[trud1966]

My thoughts exactly... May/June in Texas.... Shirt & tie under your black cap n gown. Someone one is gonna pass out, bank on it.

Adding some useful info here.

I split time in high school between Georgia and the metroplex. GA high school did outdoor graduations... MISERABLE. Metroplex high school did graduations at the Super Pit. Pleasant!

Should make for a neat graduation atmosphere... Until the first hot spring.

EDIT: to add that I'm not criticizing this idea. But, honestly... I'm glad it won't be me sitting in the May sun in a black robe for however many hours it takes to get through the ceremony.

[JRock]

When I taught college, we always had it outdoors. If it rains, they hold it at a nearby venue. Always a backup plan.

[meaniegreenie]

Nice pictures, but this is Texas.

[UNT90]

Usually in mid May, highs are in the high 80s. Not terrible.

The thunderstorms are what is scary.

[Huff]

I hope the weather cooperates better for this group of graduates than it did for our group. We were scheduled to graduate at Fouts Field in an evening service. We practiced at Fouts that morning then the weather changed and it rained harder than I have ever seen before or since. We moved our graduation event to Men's Gym. We sat in folding chairs on the gym floor with our parents and friends in the stands. North Texas was MUCH smaller in those days so we were able to make it work. The school is a lot larger today so the event would have to be broken up if moved to The Super Pit. Most high schools that I know have moved their graduations to an indoor facility due to the uncertainty of weather at that time of the year. I hope this works out but I have my doubts.

[DeepGreen]

Will the Athletic Dept. charge the University for the use of Apogee? Doesn't the AD pay the university a fee for using the Super Pit for basketball?

Edited December 9, 2014 by DeepGreen

[eulessismore]

My thoughts exactly... May/June in Texas.... Shirt & tie under your black cap n gown. Someone one is gonna pass out, bank on it.

First sellout at Apogee?

Will RV claim credit?

Question. No answer.

Students think creatively?

Too hot?

Hit the Hill and party like game day.

Shade trees, cold beer.

Have diploma mailed.

[Texas Stranger]

In May, if rain is all you get during inclement weather, you're lucky.

[TheWestie]

OU does theirs outside. So does UT. And Arizona State.

Pretty hot places. This will likely be at 7pm. Or maybe 8, give the sun a chance to dip more and not fry the people at the top of the student section at Apogee.

[oldguystudent]

There is no December. The letter says May only. For the entire academic year.

How am I reading this incorrectly? Is a college recognition ceremony different from a graduation, perhaps?

We will hold college recognition ceremonies twice a year in May and December. We will no longer hold August commencement and those who expect to graduate in the summer can participate in May or December ceremonies, depending on how close they are to graduating.

[oldguystudent]

Cornell

Army West Point

Duke

Oregon State

Michigan

If only we had a baseball team.

[Eastwood Eagle]

I graduated high school outside in south Texas in June and I lived (sorry my UNT90 just came out).

I'm more concerned about the length of the ceremony since they will not be having multiple commencements. Seems like it may take a long time to gradate everyone at once.