FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – More than 1,200 University of Arkansas undergraduate, law and graduate students have signed up to attend the U of A Fall Commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, in Bud Walton Arena.

Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz will be the commencement speaker.

Doors open at 7:30 a.m. with a pre-ceremony concert by the Commencement Brass Quintet that will begin at 8:30. Guests should be seated by 8:45.

The U of A reinstated fall commencement in 2011 and the ceremony has steadily grown in popularity with students.

The ceremony will be streamed live for those who can’t attend.

Free parking is available in the lots closest to Bud Walton Arena: lots 46, 47N, 47S, 56 and 74A, B, C and E; and in any other unrestricted parking lot on campus.

All guests should enter through the south entrance of Bud Walton Arena.

Tickets are not required, but bags will be checked for security purposes. Balloons, wrapped packages, and strollers are not allowed in Bud Walton Arena. Compact umbrellas are allowed. A full list of prohibited items is available online.

People with disabilities can park in lot 60 or be dropped off at the south entrance of Bud Walton Arena. Seating for people with disabilities is available on the concourse level.

All students should check in at the west entrance of Bud Walton Arena beginning at 7:30 a.m. and must be lined up by 8:30 a.m.

Here are a few helpful tips for graduating students:

• DO wear comfortable shoes.
• DON’T bring personal items – leave them with your guests.
• DO wear something with pockets under your gown for small items, phones and keys.
• DO silence your phone.
• DON’T forget your regalia: wear your gown, cap, tassel, cords, stoles and hood when you arrive.
• DO arrive early.
• DON’T forget to take a bathroom break before the three-hour ceremony.
• DO make plans to meet your guests and family after the ceremony.
• DO have a great time.

Additional information is available on the registrar’s website.

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.