UCM Celebrates 2022 Spring Commencement May 6-7

Adding color to commencement exercises at the University of Central Missouri, students often use their mortarboards at graduation to send celebratory messages to friends and family. 

WARRENSBURG, MO – More than 1,860 University of Central Missouri graduate and undergraduate students who will meet their degree requirements this spring or during the summer are eligible to walk in Spring 2022 Commencement exercises planned for Friday and Saturday, May 6-7 in the Multipurpose Building Arena. Five ceremonies will be conducted throughout the weekend.

Candidates for graduate degrees will be honored in two ceremonies on Friday. The first begins at 3 p.m. and is only for students in the College of Health, Science and Technology. The ceremony at 6 p.m. is for graduates of the College of Education; College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies.

Three undergraduate ceremonies are on Saturday. The first begins at 10 a.m, and includes degree candidates representing the College of Education and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. This ceremony is followed at 1:30 p.m. with commencement exercises for graduates of the College of Health, Science and Technology, with degree candidates from the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies being honored at 5 p.m. 

UCM President Roger Best will confer degrees for candidates in all five ceremonies. Additional participation includes members of the Board of Governors, administrative leaders, deans, music faculty and students, and alumni. Many staff members also are volunteering their time to help make this a successful weekend for UCM graduates and their families.

Commencement is also a time for special recognition, and all award presentations will be made on Saturday. The top faculty honor, the Byler Distinguished Faculty Award, will be presented to Jack Rogers, professor of communication, during the 10 a.m. ceremony. The highest form of recognition for graduating undergraduate students, the Charno Awards, will be presented Saturday morning to Justin Cobb, candidate for a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, and Emma Cobb, a candidate for a Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education. They are the first married couple to ever receive this recognition. In addition to these honors, the Governor’s Excellence in Education Award will be presented to Scott Smith, professor of marketing, during the 5 p.m. Saturday commencement exercises. All of these individuals were previously recognized in separate award presentation events on campus.
 
Other opportunities for graduates include the ROTC Commissioning Ceremony for spring and summer 2022 ROTC graduates, beginning at 9 a.m. Friday in the Elliott Student Union Ballroom, and the Nursing Recognition Ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday in Hendricks Hall.