UI graduation ceremonies this weekend

IOWA CITY -- The University of Iowa will confer an estimated 1,480 degrees at three December commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday, to honor students graduating at the end of the fall semester.

The UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has 795 degree-seeking candidates; the Tippie College of Business has 280 degree-seeking candidates, including 197 business undergraduates and 83 MBAs; the UI College of Nursing has 10 degree-seeking candidates; University College has 16 degree-seeking candidates; and the UI Carver College of Medicine and UI College of Dentistry each have one student graduating.

Ceremonies and speakers in each college are:

Friday, Dec. 16, the UI Graduate College ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena with 156 non-doctoral degree candidates and 156 doctoral candidates. UI President Sally Mason and Graduate College Dean John Keller will confer the degrees, and Ed Folsom, English professor, will address the graduates.

Saturday, Dec. 17, 9 a.m., a combined undergraduate ceremony will be held, also at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, for the 795 undergraduates from CLAS, the Tippie College of Business, the College of Nursing, the Carver College of Medicine, and the University College. Mason will confer degrees, and the student speaker will be graduating student Hanna Wolle, of West Des Moines, who will receive a dual degree in economics and Asian languages and literature-Chinese.

Saturday, Dec. 17 at noon, a ceremony will be held for the 55 degree-seeking candidates from the UI College of Engineering, at MacBride Hall Auditorium. UI Executive Vice President and Provost Barry Butler will confer the degrees. Faculty speaker will be Julie Jessop, associate professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, and UI graduating mechanical engineering student Joseph Whitlock of Naperville, Ill., will give the student address.

Seats are not reserved and tickets are not necessary for admission to any of the commencement ceremonies. Doors will open one hour before each ceremony. Carver-Hawkeye commencement ceremony guests should use south and west entrances.

Because of safety concerns, guests will not be allowed to take in large bags, backpacks, or packages at Carver-Hawkeye Arena during ceremonies. Also, security officials reserve the right to inspect purses and camera bags. Because of new safety guidelines implemented at Carver-Hawkeye Arena ceremonies, including the establishment of a search lane, parents and other guests are encouraged to come earlier than normal to allow time for inspections.

Search lanes with tables will be set up at the south and west entrances, where UI Public Safety officials will search any purses or bags brought into the building. Everyone will be asked to open their coats or graduation gowns for visual inspection. Air horns are not permitted and will be confiscated if found.

The Tippe School of Management (MBA program) will also host a graduation celebration for its 83 graduates at 4:30 pm. at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center on Friday, Dec. 16.