More than 1,000 Emporia State University students are candidates for degrees during spring commencement ceremonies at White Auditorium on May 12 and 13.
Graduate ceremonies begin at 6 p.m. Friday, May 12.
Undergraduates will receive their degrees in two ceremonies on Saturday, May 13:
- 9:30 a.m. — Undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences receiving a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or Bachelor of Science (does not include Secondary Education).
- 2 p.m. — Undergraduate students in the School of Business receiving a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Science in Business and undergraduate students in The Teachers College receiving a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Science in Education (Elementary and Secondary).
White Auditorium is at 111 E. Sixth Ave. in downtown Emporia.
Blake Benson, a member of the Kansas Board of Regents, will give remarks during all three ceremonies.
For those attending who have accessibility concerns, MK Hunt, coordinator of Student Accessibility and Support Services, recommends arriving early. Doors open for graduate ceremonies at 4:30 p.m. May 12. On May 13, the doors open at 8 a.m. for the morning ceremony and 1 p.m. for the afternoon event.
The best entrance to the building for accessibility is the east end of the north doors facing Sixth Avenue. Although not a designated drop-off spot, the easiest place to help passengers out is on Market Street, just south of Sixth Avenue.
“A wheelchair or transport chair makes entering the auditorium easiest,” Hunt said.
For those without their own wheelchair or transport chair, White Auditorium has one wheelchair and one transport chair available. ESU staff at graduation will assist individuals needing to use these to enter and exit the auditorium. The auditorium’s wheelchair and transport chair are only to assist individuals with mobility concerns enter and exit the building. They are not available as seating for the graduation ceremony.
Accessible seating is available on the floor behind the graduates and on the second-floor concourse. An elevator to the second floor is available, and a wheelchair lift from there to the concourse with someone available to assist with using it.
A seating chart indicating accessible seating areas can be downloaded at https://www.emporia.edu/documents/2134/Graduation_Seating.pdf.
Please contact ESU Student Accessibility and Support Services during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, to make accommodation requests 48 hours in advance. You can reach SASS by phone at 620.341.6637, fax at 620.341.6640 or email at sass@emporia.edu.
For those unable to attend, all ceremonies will be streamed on the Internet live. The link for the live streams as well as other information can be found online at www.emporia.edu/about-emporia-state-university/commencement/.