he University of Arizona will hold 18 scaled-back, in-person graduation ceremonies – with several public health measure in place – between May 10 and May 18.
Most of the ceremonies, which are grouped by programs, will take place at two locations: Arizona Stadium and the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center. The Phoenix and Yuma campuses will have ceremonies in their respective cities.
Last year’s UArizona Commencement was held in all-virtual format due the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person ceremonies were allowed to resume this year, thanks, in part, to low COVID-19 infection numbers on campus and the widespread availability of vaccines.
However, this year’s ceremonies will look different from all-university Commencement ceremonies held at Arizona Stadium in the past. The series of smaller ceremonies will have limited attendance, with each student allowed only four guests .
Guests must have tickets to enter, and all attendees must follow the university’s clear-bag policy , which prohibits purses, backpacks and large bags.
Masks will be required, per the university’s face coverings directive , and physical distancing will be in place. In addition, all participating students will be required to test negative for COVID-19 or upload proof of full vaccination to the Campus Health website within 72 hours of the event.
Student attendance at Commencement is optional. As of May 4, around 6,400 students had RSVPed to attend the in-person ceremonies, where more than 7,000 academic degrees will be conferred.
There will not be a single Commencement speaker this year. Instead, pre-recorded and live remarks will be offered by multiple speakers. To learn about this year’s student award winners, read the UArizona News article ” Outstanding Graduates Will Be Honored for Service, Academics and Perseverance .”