When and where is Commencement?
Commencement 2023 is Saturday, May 13, at 9:00
a.m., in Young-Wise Memorial Stadium, weather permitting.
Please note that high heels/spike heels are not allowed on the football field or track. They will damage the artificial turf and could cause injury to the wearer. Much of the guest seating is on the field, so we must require all attendees follow this rule. Guests in heels will be asked to sit in the bleachers.
If case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be in the Wellness and Athletics
Center Event Gym at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 13. Graduates will receive four (4) tickets for the Event Gym ceremony. Additional guests may sit in the Recreation Gym in the Wellness and Athletics Center where the ceremony will be live-streamed on a large screen. Graduates and faculty will process and recess through the Recreation Gym so guests may see graduates before and after the ceremony. The final decision on
whether we will use the Inclement Weather Plan will be shared on Hendrix
College social media and www.hendrix.edu by 2:00 p.m. Friday, May 12.
The Commencement ceremony will be live-streamed at www.facebook.com/hendrixcollege for out-of-town guests to view.
How long is the Commencement ceremony?
The procession of students begins outdoors at 9:00 a.m. and the ceremony lasts approximately 2.5 hours.
Please add extra time to your trip to allow for traffic on campus and parking.
Can I bring snacks to the ceremony?
Outside food and drinks are not allowed in the stadium and gymnasiums. Guests will be asked to dispose of them before entering the stadium and gyms. Bottled water will be available for guests.
Where should I park?
Guests may park in all of the campus parking lots. ADA parking is available at the Wellness and Athletic Center. View the parking map.
When will students be notified if they are not
eligible to participate in the ceremony?
Students who fail to meet more than two degree requirements
cannot participate. Students who cannot participate will be notified by Friday,
May 12.
Students who have failed to satisfy two or fewer degree
requirements may request permission from the Registrar to participate in
the ceremony. However, students will not receive their diploma until their
degree requirements are completed.
Students may not be allowed to participate due to misconduct
or behavior not conforming to the standards of propriety congenial to the
College's heritage and aims, as well as to the laws of the state and nation.
Students with unresolved accounts with the Business Office
will not receive their diploma. The Business Office number is 501-450-1333.
Do I need tickets for Commencement?
Guests will not need tickets
for seating in Young-Wise Memorial Stadium. If the ceremony moves indoors for inclement weather, students will receive four (4) tickets for guests.
How does seating work?
Seating is first come. The four stadium gates will open at 7:30 a.m. where seating will be available
on the field and in the stadium bleachers.
Please note that high
heels/spike heels are not allowed on the football field or track. They will damage the artificial turf and could cause
injury to the wearer. Much of the guest seating is on the field, so we must require all attendees follow this rule. Guests in heels will be asked to
sit in the bleachers.
If the ceremony moves indoors, doors to the Wellness and Athletics Center lobby will open at 7:30 a.m. for guests to line up for the Event Gym. Doors to the Event Gym will open at 8:00 a.m. for seating on the floor and in the bleachers. Doors to the Recreation Gym will open at 7:45 a.m.
Can we take photos and videos during the
ceremony?
We kindly ask guests to please enjoy your graduate’s moment from your seating
area, knowing that:
- There will not be
space available beside the stage for taking personal photos.
- Image magnification
screens will be above the stage to enhance viewing.
- A professional
photographer will take individual photos of each graduate after they leave
the stage, and these images will be available for purchase.
- In addition, Hendrix
has a second professional photographer covering the full event, and those
photos will be available as free downloads from the Hendrix Flickr page
the week after Commencement.
Is there a professional photographer?
A photographer from Arkansas Candids will take photos of each student receiving
their diploma. All graduates will be photographed and can view proofs of the
photos at www.arkansascandids.com with no
obligation to purchase.
What should I do if I have a guest who has
special needs?
Please contact Christa Davis at 501-505-2961 or davisc@hendrix.edu for
more information about seating. ADA accessible parking is reserved in the
Wellness and Athletics Center parking lots. View the parking map.
Is there a special way to honor my graduate?
Parents and families who make a gift of any size to the Hendrix Annual Fund during the 2022-2023
academic year will be recognized with their student, by name only, in the
Commencement program. To be included in the
program, gifts must be received at Hendrix by
Monday, April 3. Make a gift in honor of your student, at www.hendrix.edu/makeagift, mail a check with your student’s name on the memo line to
Hendrix College, Office of Advancement, 1600 Washington Avenue, Conway, AR
72032, or
call Christa Davis at 501-505-2961.
How can my student order a cap
and gown? Graduation announcements? Diploma frames? Class
ring?
Students will have a task on their CampusWeb checklist to
order regalia online beginning January 30. Master of Arts in Accounting students who only need a hood should visit the Spirit Store. Official
Hendrix graduation announcements, diploma frames, and rings will be available to order online.
When must my student move out of student
housing?
Graduates must be checked out of Hendrix College housing by 5:00 p.m.
on Sunday, May 14. Students may make a Late Stay Request if they cannot be out by noon on
May 14, by emailing their Area Coordinator no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday,
April 28.
Where should I stay and where should I eat?
Information about area lodging and dining is provided on our Conway Hotels & Restaurants page.
Is there someone I can contact with additional
questions?
Questions about Commencement can be sent to commencement@hendrix.edu or call
Academic Affairs at 501-450-1273.