UCA announces spring commencement

CONWAY – The University of Central Arkansas will hold spring commencement Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, in the Farris Center on campus.

The times for the ceremonies are as follows:

Graduate Ceremony

Friday, May 5, 2023

7 p.m.

Undergraduate Ceremonies

Friday, May 5, 2023

4 p.m. — College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Saturday, May 6, 2023

9 a.m. — College of Education and College of Business

Noon — College of Health and Behavioral Sciences (Exercise and Sport Science, Health

Sciences, Nutrition and Family Sciences, and Psychology and Counseling)

3 p.m. — College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and College of Health and Behavioral

Sciences (School of Nursing and Communication Sciences and Disorders)

The university will confer 922 undergraduate degrees and certificates and 238 graduate degrees and certificates from the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; College of Business; College of Education; College of Health and Behavioral Sciences; College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the Graduate School. 

Students receiving the President’s Medallion for Outstanding Student of the University 2022-23 are:

  • Hayden Hudnall — College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
  • Will Biernat — College of Business
  • MaryAnna Merideth — College of Education
  • Courtney Clawson — College of Health and Behavioral Sciences
  • Hypatia Meraviglia — College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

The university will award Distinguished Professor Emeritus designations to Emogene Fox, College of Health and Behorial Sciences; Kenneth Barnes, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; and John Choinski, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Upon approval by the UCA Board of Trustees, this designation can be granted to a tenured faculty member one year after retirement from active service with the university at or after age 62 who served the university with extraordinary distinction. 

UCA President Houston Davis will address the graduates. Courtney Clawson, 2022-23 president of the Student Government Association, will deliver a pre-recorded greeting for students. Vaughn Scribner, 2023-24 president of the Faculty Senate, and Carlos Herrera, 2022-23, president of the Staff Senate, will speak to graduates in pre-recorded messages on behalf of faculty and staff, respectively. Tyler Rodgers, UCA Alumni Association president, will speak in a pre-recorded message on behalf of alumni. Shelby Hickman will deliver a pre-recorded message on behalf of graduate students. 

Spring commencement ceremonies are ticketed events that are not open to the general public. Graduates will each be given a specified number of tickets that they may share with friends and family. Entry will not be allowed without a ticket. All tickets are general admission; seats will not be assigned.

Those not in attendance can watch a live stream of the commencement ceremonies here.

For more commencement information, visit uca.edu/commencement.