With an estimated 2,100 University of Hawaii students expected to participate in Saturday’s graduation exercises, concerns about overcrowding have prompted UH-Manoa officials to split the graduation into two ceremonies based on the college or school awarding students’ degrees.
The first ceremony, scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon at the Stan Sheriff Center, will recognize undergraduate and advanced-degree graduates from the following colleges and schools:
>> College of Arts and Humanities
>> College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature
>> College of Natural Sciences
>> College of Social Sciences
>> College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
>> Hawaiʻinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge
>> Interdisciplinary Studies
>> School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
>> School of Pacific and Asian Studies
The second ceremony, scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center, will recognize undergraduate and advanced-degree graduates from the following schools:
>> College of Education
>> College of Engineering
>> John A. Burns School of Medicine
>> Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work
>> School of Architecture
>> School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
>> School of Travel Industry Management
>> Shidler College of Business
>> William S. Richardson School of Law
“This change, which is being piloted for the first time this spring, was a response to concerns from the campus community that the spring undergraduate ceremonies had grown far beyond the capacity of the campus, creating significant safety concerns for ceremony participants,” the university said in a statement. “The pilot is expected to foster a more even distribution of graduates and guests at each ceremony.”
Michael Bruno, Manoa’s vice chancellor for academic affairs, added, “Ensuring everyone’s safety is a priority and we hope this new format will alleviate the overcrowding and will allow for more guests to enter the arena.”
Doors to the Stan Sheriff Center will open at 7:45 a.m. for the 9 a.m. ceremony and at 2:45 p.m. for the 4 p.m. ceremony. Both events are free and open to the public. No tickets are issued, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Balloons, large signs and strollers are not allowed inside the arena.
Doors to the Stan Sheriff Center will be shut once the arena reaches capacity, according to UH. The Les Murakami Baseball Stadium will serve as an alternate viewing venue for both ceremonies.
Parking will be free campuswide on Saturday. UH shuttles will be available at various locations throughout the campus. For more information, visit the Commencement Transportation website at 808ne.ws/2qWYH6Y.
A passenger drop-off area will be on the ground floor between the lower campus parking structure and the Athletic Complex. A secondary drop-off area will be the Bachman Hall parking lot, which is accessed from University Avenue.
After each ceremony, family and friends may greet the graduates, who will be assigned to a location based on their last names:
>> Last names A-K: Clarence T.C. Ching Field
>> Last names L-Z: Les Murakami Baseball Stadium Field
