HAYS – Fort Hays State University will recognize approximately 1,300 graduates during its third annual fall commencement Friday and Saturday, Dec. 17-18.
Graduates who have chosen to participate in person will be honored in two ceremonies on Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (GMC). All graduates will be recognized in two virtual ceremonies Saturday.
The ceremonies will begin on Friday for undergraduate, master’s, and Ed.S. candidates in the College of Education and Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship at 8:30 a.m. Central time, followed by the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, and the Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics.
The 11 a.m. ceremony will feature the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the College of Education for undergraduate, master’s, and Ed.S. candidates.
Saturday’s virtual ceremonies will begin at 8 a.m. for the Ed.S. and master’s students. The undergraduate virtual ceremony will follow at 10 a.m.
All ceremonies – in-person and virtual – will be broadcast on Central time and will be located on the Tiger Media Network and the FHSU Facebook. An individual is not required to sign up for a Facebook account to view the ceremonies.
Recordings of the virtual ceremonies will be archived on the FHSU YouTube channel, with the link provided on the commencement website on the “Summer/Fall Graduates” tab.
Graduates of FHSU Online graduates will be treated to come-and-go receptions Friday and Saturday.
Light refreshments will be served at the in-person reception from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday in the Fort Hays Ballroom, on the second floor of the Memorial Union. It will include a faculty meet-and-greet from 1 to 2 p.m.
A virtual reception for those who cannot attend in person will run from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday via Zoom. That reception will feature a guest speaker, followed by a meet-and-greet with faculty and staff.
Those wishing to participate in either reception should RSVP here by Friday, Dec. 10. Graduates can request faculty and staff they would like to meet within the RSVP form.
Masks are not required for the in-person ceremonies, but they will be available at each door, along with sanitizer.
Doors to GMC and the adjoining Cunningham Hall will open at 7:45 a.m. Graduates will check in at Gate 2 or Gate 3. The graduates will enter the area that says, “Graduate Entrance Only,” and guests will be asked to enter the door labeled guest door entrance (located at both gates).
Graduates and faculty will be seated on the main floor of Gross Coliseum. Guests will be seated in the balcony. The elevator is accessible by Gate 3. Seating for persons with mobility impairment and patrons in wheelchairs are available on the main floor; a commencement staff member will escort the individual(s) and one guest to the disability seating area on the GMC floor. There are no reservations for this area, and seating is limited. Drivers will find Gates 2 and 3, at the northwest and southwest corners, most convenient for dropping off passengers with disabilities.
An interpreter for those who are hearing impaired will be located near the left side of the stage and shown within the commencement livestream video feed.
Traffic in the GMC area is anticipated to be high during the transition periods between each commencement ceremony. Parking lots adjacent to the coliseum typically fill up quickly, but parking is available on the main campus. In the event of inclement weather, unpaved lots near GMC will be closed, making it necessary to park on the main campus.
Here are a few suggestions from the University Police to help ease the congestion:
• Guests arriving for the second ceremony are encouraged to arrive no more than 15 to 30 minutes before 10 a.m. Arriving too early will result in guests being forced to park further away or face departing traffic from the first ceremony. Delaying arrival will also allow time for departing guests from the first ceremony to clear the area in preparation for the second ceremony.
• Graduates driving themselves are encouraged to arrive early and park on the main part of campus and walk or take the shuttles to GMC. This will better ensure they avoid traffic congestion, get a parking spot, and arrive on time for their ceremony. Shuttles will be available both days before and after both ceremonies with the drop-off station at Gate 3.
• Faculty and staff attending are also encouraged to park on the main part of campus and walk or take the shuttles to the ceremonies.
• All guests are encouraged to carpool when possible. Fewer cars will ease traffic congestion and increase the amount of parking at GMC.
• VIP parking is available on the west side of GMC, with handicapped parking on the east side.
Recordings of the virtual ceremonies will be archived on the FHSU YouTube channel, with the link provided on the commencement website on the “Programs and videos” tab.
Graduates, families and friends are encouraged to sign and write a message on the Kudoboard. Share photos and messages on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook by using the hashtag #tigergrad.
The in-person commencement ceremonies will be broadcast live at https://fhsu.edu/commencement/watch-live and the Fort Hays State Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/forthaysstate.
The commencement schedule, maps, directions, links to accommodations in Hays, and general information can be found at www.fhsu.edu/commencement/.
