2.1.24

Dear Faculty and Staff —

UIS Commencement is 100 days away, and our Commencement Committee is hard at work planning this year’s ceremonies, slated for May 10 and 11.

This year’s ceremonies will take place on campus in the UIS Performing Arts Center. To accommodate as many guests as possible for our graduates, we will be holding three ceremonies:

• 7 p.m. Friday, May 10: Graduates from the College of Health, Science and Technology 
• 10 a.m. Saturday, May 11: Graduates from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and
  the College of Public Affairs and Education 
• 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11: Graduates from the College of Business and Management

The decision to transition Commencement to campus was based on a number of factors. We have a beautiful campus, with ample parking and a high-quality event venue — and we have many students who have never been on campus, and even more family members with limited to no direct experience with UIS. This is our opportunity to create amazing memories right here at UIS on one the most meaningful days of our students’ lives. 

Last spring, we received feedback from hundreds of students about their preferences for our commencement ceremonies via a survey issued in partnership with the UIS Survey Research Office. Respondents expressed a strong interest to attend college-specific celebrations in addition to the commencement ceremony itself, which we can achieve much more easily with an on-campus ceremony. There also was strong support for attending a commencement ceremony for “just my college,” as well as support for a ceremony length of approximately 75 minutes; last year’s ceremony, in which all four colleges were together, lasted three hours. 

When asked to rank what was most important, students prioritized (1) hearing their name and walking across the commencement stage; (2) having loved ones attend in person; (3) feeling their accomplishment is being celebrated; (4) commencement being held on campus; and (5) a short ceremony. 

I believe we can provide these experiences with the plans we have in place for May. There will be a ticketing system for guests, and we anticipate using a platform that will allow students to release extra unneeded tickets for those who want more than the maximum allotted. The amount provided per graduate will be established once we have a clearer picture of the number of students who register to participate. We also will provide several overflow seating options on campus featuring a livestream of the ceremony. 

We are looking forward to providing a meaningful, memorable and fun day for our 2024 graduates. You can visit uis.edu/commencement for additional details as they are confirmed. Students will begin receiving communication regarding Commencement next week.

Thank you,

Janet

Janet L. Gooch, PhD

Chancellor

University of Illinois Springfield