Fall Commencement to Be Held in Walton Arena for the First Time

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A record number of students are expected to attend the University of Arkansas Fall Commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19.
Fall Commencement was revived in 2011, after a 40-year hiatus. The event has become so popular with students that it outgrew Barnhill Arena and is being held in Bud Walton Arena for the first time. About 1,200 students have registered to attend the ceremony.

Free parking is available for everyone attending in lots 46, 47N, 47S, 56 and 74A, B, C and E, all of which are near Walton Arena (see the map below). Parking is also available in any unrestricted parking lot on campus.

Walton Arena doors open at 7:30 a.m. for everyone planning to attend the event. No tickets are required. Family, friends and other guests should enter through the south entrance of the arena on Leroy Pond Drive. All bags will be checked for security purposes, so it is recommended that guests plan to arrive early to avoid delays. No balloons, wrapped packages, or strollers are allowed in Bud Walton Arena. Compact umbrellas will be allowed.

Parking for people with disabilities is available in lot 60, and drop-off is located at the south entrance of Bud Walton. 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 using the disabled seating.

Everyone is asked to be seated by 8:45 a.m.

The Boston Mountain Brassworks will present a pre-ceremony concert starting at 8:30 a.m.

James Patterson, America’s best-selling author and a passionate advocate for reading, and Don Rice, an innovative Wall Street entrepreneur and founder of one of the nation’s largest minority-owned municipal investment banking firms, will receive honorary degrees and speak to students during the ceremony.

Fall Commencement will be streamed live online for those who are unable to attend the event.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.