MURRAY, Ky. — Murray State University will celebrate December 2019 Commencement on Saturday, Dec. 14, in the CFSB Center with a combined undergraduate and graduate ceremony at 10 a.m.
A total of 750 pending degrees will be conferred during the service — including associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees — with 19 states and 15 countries represented among December 2019 graduates.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin with the Presentation of Colors by the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) Color Guard from Paducah Tilghman High School, while Distinguished Professor Stephen Lacewell will serve as the ceremony’s mace-bearer.
During the ceremony, Claire Ghent and Cole Manion, outstanding seniors for fall 2019, will lead the candidates for the conferral of degrees and provide the valedictions later in the service. Ghent will graduate with a degree in English education, while Manion is graduating with a degree in political science/pre-professional legal studies.
Murray State faculty in attendance will be led into the arena by the recipients of the Regents Teaching Award for Excellence: Crystal Coel, Katherine Hancock, Michael Bordieri, Aaron Irvin, Yousif Abulhassan, Kathy Stanczyk and Jeffrey Henry. They will be joined by the Max Carman Teaching Excellence Recipient Crystal Coel, University Distinguished Mentor Daniel Wann, Distinguished Researcher Alexey Arkov, Faculty Advisor of the Year Patty Parish and University Emerging Scholars Danielle Muzina and Bikram Subedi.
Faculty marshals assisting with the overall ceremony include Susana Bloomdahl, Traci Byrd, Heath Keller, Michael Kemp, Robert Lyons, Matthew Shultz and F. Gilland Welsch.
Murray State President Dr. Robert L Jackson will preside over the ceremony and deliver welcome messages. Jackson, along with Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Tim Todd, will administer the presentation of candidates for degrees.
The doors to the CFSB Center will open Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. for the service. Admission tickets are not required but seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Guests are encouraged to arrive as early as possible.
General guest parking is available in the Stewart Stadium parking lot, east of the CFSB Center and off U.S. Highway 641. Shuttle buses will be available to transport guests from the parking lot to the front doors of the CFSB Center beginning at 8 a.m. The shuttle buses will also be available following the ceremony to return guests to the parking lot.
Guests with accessibility needs may use the parking lot located off Gilbert Graves Drive. Guests with limited mobility may be dropped off at this location. Ushers will be available for assistance. Other special requests regarding accessibility needs can be directed to the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Access at 270-809-3155 on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or to the CFSB Center at 270-809-5577.
Note that one or two family members may escort/accompany the individual/family member with limited mobility to their seats. Escorts may also be seated with the individual/family member with limited mobility in the designated seating.
For those unable to attend, the commencement ceremony will be streamed live at murraystate.edu/streaming. Use #RacerGraduation on social media to share and document the graduation experience. Visit murraystate.edu/commencement for more information.