News

CHENEY, Wash. - One year after experimenting with a Friday graduation ceremony, Eastern Washington University's 2011 Commencement will be held on Saturday, June 11, at Roos Field, on the Cheney campus.

This year, Eastern has 2,519 eligible undergraduate (bachelor's) and 660 eligible graduate (master's and doctoral) students who have applied for graduation. Typically, about 55 percent of those students participate in the ceremony. Last year, the ceremony was held on a Friday in an effort to make it easier for EWU employees to help with ceremonies. After listening to feedback, the event was moved back to Saturday to accommodate students and families who prefer having it on that day.

Undergraduate students will begin lining up in the central mall at 8:30 a.m., and a procession into Roos Field will begin at 9 a.m. The ceremony will begin when all students are seated, and will last approximately two hours. Associate Professor Mimi Marinucci of the Women's and Gender Studies Department will be the keynote speaker. She recently received the EWU President's Award. Marinucci also received a Professor of the Year award, as well as Faculty Merit Award for Scholarship, Teaching and Service.

At 1:30 p.m., graduate students will line up in the Reese Court Pavilion mezzanine, proceeding into Roos Field at 2 p.m., followed by a commencement ceremony that will last about an hour-and-a-half. The keynote speaker will be Assistant Professor Amanda Reedy from the School of Social Work, who is receiving the Graduate Faculty of the Year award.

All university parking lots will be available for free parking on graduation day. Attendees should prepare for heavy traffic and backups, as many people will be coming in from Spokane off Interstate 90.