FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The popularity of Fall Commencment continues to grow among University of Arkansas students. So far 1,356 students have signed up to attend the ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, in Bud Walton Arena.

Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz will be the commencement speaker.

When the U of A reinstated the fall ceremony in 2011 – after a 40-year hiatus – 700 students attended and it was held in Barnhill Arena. By 2015 the event had outgrown Barnhill and had to be moved to Walton Arena. Each year has set a new record.

For this Fall Commencement a total of 1,064 undergraduate, 291 graduate and one law student have registered to walk during the ceremony. That’s 141 more students than last year.

“The number attending fall commencement includes students who graduated in the summer, and some who will graduate in May – as well as those who are finishing their last classes this month,” said Dave Dawson, the U of A registrar. “And actually even more students have applied to graduate in December – 1,968 so far – which is also a big increase from last year. So we’ll be celebrating student success on several different levels.”

Guest information

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

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.

student information

Students can now get updated information on graduation and commencement through the free University of Arkansas Graduation app, which can be downloaded from either Google, for android phones, or Apple for iPhones.

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 a.m.

Here are a few helpful tips for graduating students:

• DO wear comfortable shoes.
• DON’T forget your regalia: wear your gown, cap, tassel, cords, stoles and hood when you arrive.
• DO arrive early.
• DON’T bring personal items – leave them with your guests.
• DO wear something with pockets under your gown for small items, like phones and keys.
• DO silence your phone.
• 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.