More than 1,800 University of Iowa students will participate in fall 2019 commencement ceremonies, which begin Thursday, Dec. 19, with the College of Education undergraduate commencement and recognition of Teacher Education Program completion, and end on Sunday, Dec. 22, with the College of Engineering undergraduate commencement.
Everyone is encouraged to use the hashtag #UIowaGrad19 to join the celebration on social media. All commencement ceremonies will be streamed live on the web via the UI commencement website.
Dates, times, locations, and additional information for each ceremony are listed below, including live-streaming video details. More commencement information can be found on the UI commencement website.
Thursday, Dec. 19
College of Education
Undergraduate commencement and recognition of Teacher Education Program completion
4 p.m., Hancher Auditorium
Undergraduate and graduate teacher education students will be recognized individually by their program faculty for completing the Teacher Education Program and being recommended to the state for licensure. Bachelor of Arts degrees will be conferred for the UI College of Education’s undergraduate majors.
Jeremy Manternach, assistant professor of music education in the Department of Teaching and Learning and in the School of Music in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), will be the faculty speaker. Drew Bloom, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who will receive a Master of Arts in teaching in social studies education, will be the student speaker. Lew Montgomery (BA communications studies ’92), director of partnerships at the ACT Center for Equity in Learning, will give the keynote address. Doors will open at 3 p.m. for general admission seating.
Friday, Dec. 20
Graduate College
Master’s and Doctoral Degree Candidates
7 p.m., Hancher Auditorium
Participating university officials include UI President Bruce Harreld and John C. Keller, associate provost for graduate and professional education and dean of the Graduate College.
Saturday, Dec. 21
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and University College
9 a.m., Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Ceremony for all CLAS majors. Participating university officials include CLAS Dean Steve Goddard and Executive Vice President and Provost Montserrat Fuentes, who will confer degrees. Fuentes will be the guest speaker. Graduate Qi “Mendy” Wang will be the student speaker, and graduate Eriq Wolfe will sing the national anthem. Doors will open at 8 a.m. Graduates should arrive no later than 8:15 a.m.
College of Nursing
9 a.m., Hancher Auditorium
UI President Bruce Harreld will confer degrees. Amy Schaffner of Iowa City, Iowa, will be the pre-licensure BSN class speaker and Ellayna Powell of Waukee, Iowa, will be the RN-BSN class speaker. Graduates should arrive no later than 8:15 a.m.
Tippie College of Business Undergraduate Programs
1 p.m., Hancher Auditorium
Student speaker will be Scott Tribbey of Iowa City, who will be receiving a BBA in accounting and finance. Guest speaker will be Dean Sarah Gardial. Participating university officials along with Gardial include Executive Vice President and Provost Montserrat Fuentes and Tippie Associate Dean Kenneth Brown. Graduates should arrive no later than 12:15 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 22
College of Engineering
Noon, Hancher Auditorium
Student speaker will be Haley Hawbaker of Bettendorf, Iowa, who will receive a degree in industrial engineering. Commencement speaker will be Sharon Tinker, an adjunct instructor of chemical biochemical engineering and former engineer with ExxonMobil. Degrees will be conferred by Executive Vice President and Provost Monsterrat Fuentes. Graduates should arrive no later than 11 a.m.
Students with disabilities
Degree candidates with physical disabilities who plan to participate in their ceremony should contact their collegiate commencement coordinator to make necessary arrangements. A list of collegiate contacts can be found on the commencement website.
Social media
Social media users can join the celebration online by using the hashtag #UIowaGrad19 with UI graduation-related posts on your favorite platforms. Best posts will be shared via UI social media channels.
Carver-Hawkeye Arena: Entering the arena
Graduates can enter the arena at the east entrance, which will be for graduates only. Graduates also can enter through the south and west entrances, along with guests.
Guests should plan to use the south and west entrances. Doors to the arena will open one hour before the start of the ceremony, with the exception of the College of Engineering ceremony, when doors will open 90 minutes before the start of the ceremony.
Public safety officials will search any purses or bags brought into the building. Everyone will be asked to open their coats or graduation gown for visual inspection. No backpacks, large bags (limited to 8.5-by-11 inches or smaller), packages, wrapped gifts, balloons, or outside food and beverage are allowed at Carver-Hawkeye Arena during this event. No air horns or alcohol are permitted.
Additional information about seating and evacuation procedures at Carver-Hawkeye Arena can be found here:
Information for guests with disabilities or limited mobility
Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Guests with physical disabilities who have a Disabilities Parking Permit (plate, placard, or sticker) will be permitted to park in Lot 46 adjacent to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Public safety officers will be restricting entrance to this lot to only those guests with the above-mentioned state-issued permits. From Lot 46, guests should enter the arena via the west doors.
Seating for guests is accessible from the upper concourse, which is the same level where you will enter. Guests with disabilities or limited mobility can find seating in the Feller Club Room. This room is equipped with large TV screens and commencement ceremonies can be watched live from here. No food or beverage will be permitted in this room.
Guests with disabilities also are welcome to view the ceremony from the upper concourse level. Wheelchair and scooter spaces can be found in sections K–N on this level. Space is limited and guests are asked to seat themselves and no more than two companions in this area. Guests should provide their own wheelchair if needed.
A sign-language interpreter will be on stage to interpret the ceremony.
Hancher Auditorium
Doors at Hancher Auditorium open an hour before the designated ceremony’s start time.
Hancher Auditorium guests with disabilities or limited mobility who possess a state-issued disabled parking permit can park in the lot adjacent to the auditorium on the west side, with overflow lots southwest of the auditorium in Lot 55.
Guests with limited mobility can enter Hancher through either of the two west entrances. Guests needing seating accommodations should contact Hancher directly at 319-335-1158.
A sign-language interpreter will be on stage to interpret the ceremony.
For the media
All media should have their credentials visible at all times.
Carver-Hawkeye Arena commencements: Doors open one hour before each ceremony. Photographers and news media are permitted on the arena floor until 15 minutes before ceremonies begin. Media and visitors on the arena concourse are asked to keep noise to a minimum while the ceremony is in progress. Interviews should be conducted outside the arena. Clean audio is available through the arena system.
Hancher Auditorium commencements: Doors open one hour before each ceremony. Media and visitors are asked to keep noise to a minimum while the ceremony is in progress. Interviews should be conducted outside the performance hall area.