UC Holds First August Commencement Ceremonies in More Than 30 Years

While August is traditionally considered the start of the school year, it will –

for the first time in 34 years

– also mark degree completion for 2,130 University of Cincinnati students come

Saturday, Aug. 10.

That’s when UC will hold end-of-summer commencement ceremonies, revisiting a practice that was in place from at least the early 1960s to 1979.

During those years, UC held end-of-term ceremonies to close out each academic quarter. And, now on semesters, after several years of

higher enrollment and higher retention

resulting in more graduating students, the university is revisiting its past in order to provide today’s students with timely graduation ceremonies. (At UC, enrollment has increased more than 27 percent between 2002 and 2012. And first- to second-year retention rates have increased from 77 percent to 86 percent over the last 10 years, with graduation rates increasing nearly 15 percent in that time.)

It’s expected that going forward, UC will hold

commencement ceremonies

at the end of spring term, at the end of summer term and at the end of fall term. 

The upcoming Aug. 10 ceremony is set for 9 a.m. in Fifth Third Arena.

• Doors for the event will open at 7:30 a.m.
  

• Parking is free in all West Campus garages on that day. 

• Each graduating student will be able to invite up to eight guests. No tickets will be needed to attend the ceremony. Seating is general admission, first come, first seated.
  

• Immediately following the Commencement ceremony, the UC Alumni Association will host a reception for all graduates and guests under a big-top tent near the Russell C. Myers Alumni Center.

UC President Santa J. Ono will lead the event which will include undergraduate and graduate students.

The class of August 2013 is comprised of 2,130 students who applied for graduation will earn a total of

2,138 degrees

. (Some students will earn more than one degree.)

The average age of these graduating students is 29.6 years. Thus, UC’s last August Commencement occurred before most of them were even born!

Degrees earned are

• 216 associate degrees
• 696 bachelor’s degrees
• 1,056 master’s degrees
• 170 doctoral degrees (These doctoral graduates will participate in December’s Commencement ceremony.)
  

SEE a statistical breakdown

of the class of August 2013.

WATCH the event

via webcast.

SEE history highlights

from the August Commencements up to 1979.

Meet an August 2013 graduate

• First-generation college student and former resident of UC’s Gen-1 House Tracy Steagall graduates, with a major in organizational leadership and a minor in business administration.

For graduates and guests:

• Visit the Commencement web site.