12/06/18
HAYS, Kan. – Spring commencement 2019 at Fort Hays State University will see a change in the program: Friday’s commencement ceremony will become a morning affair.

“The Commencement Committee, in conjunction with the Commencement Task Force created by President Mason, made this recommendation based on feedback from students, families, faculty and staff,” said Registrar Craig Karlin.

FHSU President Tisa Mason appointed the task force earlier this year to consider issues of convenience and comfort. The commencement site, Gross Memorial Coliseum, is not airconditioned and temperature can become an issue on a May evening.

“Anyone who attended the Friday ceremony in the past knows the temperature rises to a dangerous level in Gross Memorial Coliseum during the evening event,” said Karlin. “We hope to provide a safe and more enjoyable venue for all in attendance by taking advantage of cooler morning temperatures.”

Both spring 2019 commencement ceremonies, Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18, will begin at 9 a.m. 

More information, including which colleges attend on which day, is available on the page at https://www.fhsu.edu/commencement/ .

Another change coming next year, said Karlin, is a fall ceremony for all graduates. That graduation ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13.

“The intent is to provide a more convenient ceremony for the growing number of December graduates,” said Karlin. “This, in turn, will help reduce crowd sizes at the May ceremonies, which have become increasing large as the university has grown.”