Approximately 1,300 students are expected to cross the stage during three outdoor commencement ceremonies May 8 at West Texas A&M University.

WT officials recently released additional details about the in-person ceremonies, which originally were announced in February.

The three ceremonies will take place in Buffalo Stadium on WT’s Canyon campus, with numbers consistent with CDC and state health protocols. Social distancing will be encouraged. Because the event will take place outdoors, masks are not required but are encouraged when social distancing is difficult.

At 9 a.m., students from the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Science and the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities will graduate.

At 12:30 p.m., students from the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business and the College of Engineering will graduate.

And at 4 p.m., students from the College of Education and Social Sciences and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences will graduate.

The ceremonies also will include more than 200 graduates from May and December 2020 who chose to participate in this year’s in-person event after last year’s virtual graduations.

At each ceremony, graduating students will be seated in rows on the field spaced to provide social distancing around each chair. Although there will be limitations, family and friends will be invited to attend and watch from stadium seating.

Each ceremony also will be livestreamed on the WT homepage, wtamu.edu, and on WT’s YouTube channel.

Handicapped and VIP parking will be located at Jarrett Hall on the west side of the stadium. A drop-off and pick-up zone will be located at the northeast corner of the Jarrett Hall parking lot.

General parking will be available in several parking lots around campus, including across from Buffalo Stadium at the Virgil Hansen Activities Center, across from the Randall County District Courthouse at Mary Moody Northen Hall, behind the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences complex, and elsewhere. Shuttle service will run between the stadium and the First United Bank Center parking lot for every ceremony.

To ensure the safety of all guests and to allow time for cleaning and sanitizing between ceremonies, all guests are asked to exit through the south gates (Entrances 1 and 2). Graduates will exit the field through the north exit. Guests and graduates may meet outside of the stadium, on the east and west sides, after each ceremony.

Students should arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to their ceremony time and will be seated for their ceremony after cleaning and sanitizing from the prior ceremony has been completed. Guests will be able to choose their seats after cleaning and sanitizing from the prior ceremony has been completed.

High heels cannot be worn on the turf in the stadium; they are a health hazard because heels can stick in the turf and can cause a fall. Heels also will harm the turf. Flats and wedges are acceptable.

Students and guests should wear sunscreen and bring water. Graduating students will be provided a bottle of water when they enter the field. Guests can purchase drinks and candy from a stadium concession stand.

WT is committed to serving both the campus and the community, as detailed in the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

-West Texas A&M University