With May quickly approaching, the Daily Wildcat has compiled some information University of Arizona seniors should know to prepare for graduation.
UA BookStores GradFest 2022
UA BookStores will be hosting GradFest 2022 to fulfill all students’ graduation needs. According to their website, students will be able to pick up “commencement regalia, diploma frames, graduation announcements, etc.” at the bookstore for three days in March.
Graduation regalia includes a navy cap and gown, tassel, stoles and more. Regalia can be ordered online at these two links:
- Order Undergrad Regalia
- Order Graduate Regalia
- Medical regalia is individually ordered based on college. Students can visit UA BookStores website, and find more information under: Graduation Regalia.
The event will be at the UA BookStore, 1209 E. University Blvd. The dates and times for regalia pickup are:
- Tuesday, March 22, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 23, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Thursday, March 24, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
For more information, visit the UA BookStore’s website.
Commencement and convocations
Commencement will be held in-person on Friday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Arizona Stadium, 1 N. National Championship Dr.
The ceremony will include a series of speakers congratulating the graduates and videos showcasing their accomplishments over the last four years, according to Marissa Simental, a student assistant at the UA Office of Commencement. Guests will not be permitted, but a live recording of the ceremony can be accessed on the UA Commencement website.
“The R.S.V.P. should be open around mid-March. The deadline for registration is not set yet, but once it is, you must meet it, or you will not be allowed in the commencement ceremony,” Simental said.
Students should bring their CatCard or a government issued I.D. to get into the ceremony.
To ensure graduation eligibility, UA students should visit this extensive graduation checklist on the commencement website.
Convocations are held by individual colleges and will allow UA graduates an opportunity to walk across the graduation stage in front of their friends and families, according to the UA Office of Commencement.
Guests will be welcomed to attend the 158th Commencement in-person, but a live stream of the ceremony will also be available on our Commencement website.
These individual ceremonies will be held throughout the month of May, starting Thursday, May 5, and ending Monday, May 16. For a more detailed list of specific college’s dates and times, please visit the spring convocations schedule on the UA Commencement website.
According to the Office of Commencement, graduates wishing to participate in this year’s ceremony are required to RSVP their attendance by 11:59 p.m. MST on Friday, May 6, as tickets will be required for entry.
Graduation Photos
Students are encouraged to book graduation photos leading up to graduation. Graduation photos are “a great way to celebrate an important milestone in people’s lives that they can capture and have forever,” said popular UA graduation photographer Jimmy Song.
Typically, students take pictures at iconic UA locations, such as “Old Main, on the mall and in front of their respective college’s building,” Song said.
“Some people do pictures by themselves, and some do a group session with friends. Usually, the group pictures turn out better because they are more candid,” Song said.
Song recommends booking a photographer sooner rather than later, as graduation is quickly approaching and photographers’ schedules fill up fast.
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