KU graduation is Sunday; here are some things to know
photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo
The University of Kansas commencement ceremony — complete with hundreds of graduates walking down Campanile Hill to the KU football stadium — is Sunday. Here are some details you may need if you plan to attend.
Time: The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 14.
Place: The ceremony itself will take place inside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, 1101 Mississippi St., on the northern edge of the KU campus.
The Walk: While the ceremony takes place inside the stadium, one of the iconic moments of graduation day is the walk down the hill. There is a trick to seeing particular graduates as they walk down the hill. There are two lines of graduates. One goes down the east edge of the hill, while the other goes down the west edge. The following majors are in the east line: law; medicine; engineering; business; journalism; health professions; music; professional studies. The following majors are in the west line: pharmacy; education and human services; architecture and design; social welfare; and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Tickets: You don’t need any. You’ll be able to enter the stadium and choose any of the bleacher seats in the facility. The public can start entering the stadium at 9:30 a.m.
Parking: It is one of the few days of the year where you can park in almost any lot you would like, regardless of whether you have a parking permit. Parking in the various garages on campus also is free. Buses will be running through campus. You can go to any bus stop and ride for free to the stadium. Shuttles also will run for one hour after the ceremony. One parking activity that is discouraged is tailgating. It is not allowed on graduation day. Also, don’t bring alcohol to the campus, firecrackers or other noisemakers, and pets aren’t allowed to attend the ceremony.
Weather: As has long been the case, there is no back-up plan to have the graduation ceremony indoors if bad weather strikes. KU officials will monitor the weather and push back the start of the ceremony, if required. If severe weather continues, events may be canceled. Weather-related announcements will appear on KU’s official Twitter account and on its website, commencement.ku.edu/.