UH Manoa to celebrate 108th Commencement

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Posted: May 7, 2019

Michael Bennett
Michael Bennett

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s 108th Commencement Exercises will take place at the Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday, May 11, 2019. An estimated 2,200 students are expected to participate.

There will be two ceremonies, the first at 9 a.m. and the second at 3:30 p.m. 

The 9 a.m. ceremony (9 to 11:30 a.m.) will recognize undergraduate and advanced degree candidates from the following colleges and schools:
College of Arts and Humanities
Colleges of Languages, Linguistics and Literature
College of Natural Sciences
College of Social Sciences
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources   
Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge
Interdisciplinary Studies
School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
School of Pacific and Asian Studies

The 3:30 p.m. ceremony (3:30 to 6 p.m.) will recognize undergraduate and advanced degree candidates from the following colleges and schools:
College of Education
College of Engineering
John A. Burns School of Medicine
Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, including Public Health
School of Architecture
School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
School of Travel Industry Management
Shidler College of Business
William S. Richardson School of Law

Commencement speakers:
The keynote speaker for both ceremonies is Michael Bennett, humanitarian, author, NFL defensive lineman and founder of the Bennett Foundation. The student speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony is Mart Joshua Lopez, a candidate for bachelor of arts in communications. Annie Nguyen, a candidate for bachelor of business administration in marketing, human resource management and international business, is the student speaker for the 3:30 p.m. ceremony. For bios of the keynote and student speakers, visit http://manoa.hawaii.edu/commencement/.

Logistics:
Doors to the Stan Sheriff Center will open at 7:45 a.m. for the 9 a.m. ceremony and at 2:15 p.m. for the 3:30 p.m. ceremony. Both events are free and open to the public. No tickets are issued and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Balloons, large signs and strollers are not allowed inside the arena. Upon reaching capacity, doors to the Stan Sheriff Center will be closed. Guests of the graduates are encouraged to arrive early to ensure entry and seating into the arena. The Les Murakami Baseball Stadium will serve as an alternate viewing venue for both ceremonies. To view an instructional video for graduates and guests, see  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfecR1db5DI&feature=youtu.be

Parking:
On Commencement Day, free parking is available campus-wide. Graduates and guests are encouraged to carpool and arrive early as considerable traffic and pedestrian congestion surrounding the campus is expected. UH Shuttles will be available from various locations throughout the campus. For more information, please visit the Commencement Transportation webpage at http://manoa.hawaii.edu/commencement/transportation.php. The road leading from the Waiʻalae gate entrance to the Stan Sheriff Center will be closed before and during the ceremonies. The parking area near the ROTC buildings is reserved.

Passenger drop-off:
The passenger drop-off area, including for Uber/Lyft, is located on the ground floor between the lower campus parking structure and the Athletic Complex. A secondary drop-off area is the Bachman Hall parking lot, with entrance/exit from University Avenue. 

Greeting the graduates:
After each ceremony, family and friends may greet the graduates as follows:
Last names A-K:        Clarence T.C. Ching Field
Last names L-Z:         Les Murakami Baseball Stadium Field
Maps will be available in the commencement program. Guests with special needs should consider meeting graduates at a location closer to the Stan Sheriff Center. Guests will be asked to clear the fields at 1 p.m. after the 9 a.m. ceremony and at 7:30 p.m. after the 3:30 p.m. ceremony. Authorized lei vendors will be located on the Clarence T.C. Ching field.

Live webcast and more information:
There will be a live webcast of both ceremonies. To view the live webcasts, and for more information about the Commencement Exercises, visit the Commencement website at http://manoa.hawaii.edu/commencement/. Questions? Contact the Commencement Coordinator at graduate@hawaii.edu or by phone at (808) 956-GRAD.