FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A total of 1,208 University of Arkansas graduate and undergraduate students have registered to “walk” during this year’s Fall Commencement ceremony. That number may grow – 1,907 students have applied to graduate this fall, and there is still time for students to register to be part of Fall Commencement.

The ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, in Bud Walton Arena. This is the first time since 2011, when the university resumed holding Fall Commencement, that the ceremony is being held in Walton Arena.

“We returned to holding Fall Commencement at the request of our students,” said Dave Dawson, the U of A registrar. “That first year about 600 students attended, and Barnhill Arena was big enough to accommodate the graduates and their guests. The attendance has increased each year, and last year Barnhill was bursting at the seams. We knew the only place big enough to hold the ceremony is Walton Arena.”

Best-selling author James Patterson and Wall Street entrepreneur Don Rice will receive honorary degrees during the ceremony and will address the students. Patterson will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree and Rice will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.

The doors to Walton Arena will open at 7:30 a.m., and all guests should enter through the south entrance of the arena. No tickets are required. All bags will be checked for security purposes, so it is recommended that guests plan to arrive early to avoid a delay in reaching their seats.

No balloons, wrapped packages, or strollers are allowed in Bud Walton Arena. Compact umbrellas will be allowed.

Seating for people with disabilities is available on the concourse level, which is accessible by elevator. Because there are a limited number of disabled seats, only two additional guests may accompany those utilizing the disabled seating.

The ceremony will be streamed live online for family and friends who are not able to attend the event.

More information, including parking information, is available on the Registrar’s website.