photo by: Richard Gwin

With Kansas University's commencement ceremony just around the corner, KU Facilities and Operations employee William Bagwell works on some ramps Tuesday morning at Memorial Stadium.

More than 4,500 members of the Kansas University class of 2016 are expected to participate in KU’s 144th Commencement Sunday at Memorial Stadium.

The tradition-heavy ceremony kicks off at 10:30 a.m., when degree candidates begin their processional through KU’s campanile, down the hill and into Memorial Stadium. The ceremony is expected to last about two hours.

KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little will present the only speech planned for this year’s commencement, according to KU spokeswoman Erinn Barcomb-Peterson.

The chancellor also will present two honorary degrees, both to KU graduates.

Receiving a Doctor of Science will be Brian McClendon, an engineer who co-founded Google Earth and now works for Uber, for outstanding contributions to the fields of electrical engineering. Receiving a Doctor of Arts will be Terry Evans, a visual artist renowned for her photography of the Great Plains, for outstanding contributions to the fields of photography and visual arts.

photo by: Richard Gwin

A trio of graduates leap in unison after entering Memorial Stadium during the KU commencement on Sunday, May 17, 2015.

Tickets are not required to attend the ceremony. For those unable to attend, the event will be broadcast live online at commencement.ku.edu.

Dozens of KU schools and programs have planned their own recognition ceremonies throughout the weekend. A complete listing of those events also is available at commencement.ku.edu.

Campus parking — including the Allen Fieldhouse and Mississippi Street parking garages — will be free and open to the public all weekend, from 1 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

On Sunday, free shuttle buses will run starting at 8:30 a.m. and ending one hour after the all-school ceremony. The loop includes stops along Jayhawk Boulevard and in front of Learned Hall, the Burge Union, the DeBruce Center, Ambler Student Recreation Center, Murphy Hall and the Kansas Union.

As of Thursday, the National Weather Service was predicting a high of 64 degrees with a slight (20 percent) chance of showers during the day on Sunday.

In the event of rain, commencement exercises may continue outdoors at the stadium, and participants and guests are encouraged to have their own rain gear, including umbrellas.

If severe weather is likely — including thunderstorms with lightning, high winds, heavy or prolonged rain or risk of tornados — KU will delay commencement until 12:30 p.m. The announcement of a delayed ceremony will be made by 9 a.m. Sunday online at alerts.ku.edu, on Twitter at twitter.com/KUnews at LJWorld.com and on local TV and radio stations.

If the ceremony is delayed until 12:30 p.m., graduates should begin assembling on Memorial Drive at noon instead of 10 a.m.

If weather worsens once the program begins, the ceremony will be shortened or called off.