Commencement

This commencement ceremony is intended for fall 2023, spring 2024, and projected summer 2024 Liberal Arts graduates majoring in English or History.  To participate, students must first apply to graduate (or, for summer graduates, join the walk list by visiting the Liberal Arts Student Division). For further details, reveiw the information on the Liberal Arts graduation website relevant to your graduation semester. Once approved, graduates and "walkers" will be sent a link and instructions for a mandatory RSVP.  Please reach out to us through the contact e-mail above if you missed the RSVP deadline but would like to participate in our commencement.

The RSVP form was be sent out on February 26, 2024 and closed on April 12, 2024. All graduates must complete the RSVP form in order to partcipate.

Tickets will be required for guests planning on attending this commencement ceremony. Graduates can request tickets when they RSVP to the ceremony. There is a limit of 4 tickets per graduate. Ticket requests closed on April 12, 2024 and we are at capacity. 

Additionally, we will be livestreaming the ceremony online! That way guests unable to make it to Hogg Memorial Auditorium can still watch the proceedings. 

The ceremony will be livestreamed for home viewing. 

For guests on campus without a ticket, there will be a remote viewing location for up to 200 guests in the Union's Santa Rita Suite. Seats will be available on a first come, first served basis. Doors to the Santa Rita Suite will also open at 2:00. 

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All UT parking garages will be open to the public on Friday, May 10. Recommended parking is in San Antonio Garage (SAG). San Antonio Garage is a short walking distance from Hogg Memorial Auditorium. 

An ADA-accessible shuttle will be available to transport guests with limited mobility from San Antonio Garage to Hogg Memorial Auditorium. You can view a parking map here. Due to Hogg Auditorium's location in central campus, there are not many ADA accessible parking spots near the venue. 

More parking information can be found here. 

The University has established security requirements for all commencement ceremonies. Please view the policies here and make sure all guests do as well.

Graduates, please include accommodation requests in your event RSVP.  Commencement planners will respond to inquiries not addressed by the information below.  If an accommodation request was not included in the RSVP, please reach out to us at the contact e-mail near the top of the page.

Hogg Auditorium ushers will be available to assist guests in locating accessible spaces for their needs.

An ADA-accessible shuttle will be available to transport guests with limited mobility from San Antonio Garage to Hogg Memorial Auditorium. You can can view a parking map here. Due to Hogg Auditorium's location in central campus, there are not many ADA accessible parking spots near the venue. 

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Keith Sharman will deliver this year's commencement address. Keith Sharman is an award-winning producer for 60 Minutes in New York. He has won two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Awards, the broadcast journalism equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize: the first for a 2006 investigation into a billion-dollar corruption scandal in the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and the second, for being part of the CBS NEWS team that covered the Newtown shootings in 2012. Keith has received twelve Emmy nominations and won his first for 60 Minutes’ coverage of the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris. 

During his 23 years at 60 Minutes / CBS NEWS, Keith has specialized in big interviews, breaking-news, economics, history, politics, sports & war. He’s produced pieces that included interviews with President Joe Biden; Vice President Kamala Harris; Secretary of State Antony Blinken; former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush (for an obituary of President George H.W. Bush). In 2019, he produced the first interview with Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia following the assassination of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi. In 2017, he produced Congressman Steve Scalise’s first interview during his recovery from the Congressional baseball shooting. 

This past February, he was part of a 60 Minutes / CBS News team that were the first journalists to cover the U.S. Navy’s response to attacks on international commercial shipping in the vital waterways of the Red Sea.

Keith has reported stories from more than twenty-five different countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Russia & Syria. He’s also worked with some of the biggest names in broadcast news, including Ed Bradley, Anderson Cooper, Steve Kroft, Norah O’Donnell, Scott Pelley, Lesley Stahl, and Mike Wallace.

He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and two daughters.

The university-wide commencement ceremony will be held on May 11 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.  Procession tickets are required for degree candidates and guests.

The English & History graduation ceremony provides an occasion for recognizing degree candidates individually, including the traditional crossing of the stage and shaking of hands.

The university-wide ceremony takes place following the college ceremonies and is the culmination of commencement weekend.  Degree candidates from every college and school are eligible to participate.  At this ceremony, students are recognized with others from their college as a group, rather than individually.  The ceremony includes a distinguished speaker, the lighting of the Tower to honor graduates, and a concluding fireworks display.

The Texas Exes will be hosting several celebrations for UT graduates, including the Great Texas Exit. More information can be found on their website. 

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Is academic regalia required?

Absolutely.  All Liberal Arts majors are expected to wear a traditional black cap and gown with a white stole and white tassel to Commencement.  Though you are not required to purchase regalia through the University Co-Op, many graduates start their regalia search at their graduation shop.

When and where do I check in?

Student check-in will occur in the Union in the Quadrangle Room starting at 2:00pm. All students must arrive and check-in by 2:30pm. 

How long will the ceremony last?

That is difficult to predict, though the aim is around an hour and 45 minutes, give or take 15.

Can I get a picture?

FLASH Photography will take a photo of you as you cross the stage, as well as an individual posed photo shortly thereafter.  FLASH will e-mail you proofs of your photos directly; if you choose to purchase photos, you will do so directly through FLASH. 

What should I bring with me?

Ideally, nothing but your regalia. Please leave bags, purses, etc at home or with friends/family. There will not be a staff member guarding items during the ceremony and we ask that graduates do not bring them into Hogg Auditorium. 

Anything else?

Congratulations!  We look forward to seeing you in May!    

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