The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media will hold its departmental spring commencement ceremony at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Carmichael Arena.
No tickets are required, and there is no limit for attendees. Graduates are welcome to invite as many family members and friends as they wish.
The University will employ additional safety measures this year for all departmental ceremonies. Please be sure to review the policies on bags and prohibited items.
Watch the livestream of the event here.
Erin Matson '22, an exemplary student-athlete and head coach of the UNC women's field hockey team, will present the commencement address to the school’s graduating students. She has been featured in stories on influential media platforms that include The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, CNN, ABC, NBC, Yahoo, USA Today, PBS, The Guardian, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic and countless other publications. A longtime member of the U.S. field hockey national team, Matson has extensive international experience. While balancing collegiate play, international play and her studies at UNC Hussman, she became an entrepreneur, founding the “One” brand that puts on summer clinics for youth and markets gear bearing her personal brand.
Graduates, families and friends are invited to a reception with Dean Raul Reis, faculty and staff at Carroll Hall following the ceremony from 5–6 p.m. Graduates can pick up UNC Hussman goody bags at the reception while supplies last.
The University’s commencement ceremony will be held in Kenan Stadium at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024. More information on the University ceremony is available at commencement.unc.edu.
Graduates should arrive at Woollen Gymnasium at 300 South Road (adjacent to Carmichael Arena) no later than 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 11.
The University will employ additional safety measures this year for all departmental ceremonies. Please be sure to review the policies on bags and prohibited items.
Enter Woollen from South Road and go downstairs from the lobby to the basketball courts to check in and line up for the processional. UNC Hussman faculty and staff will be there to direct you.
When you check in at Woollen Gymnasium, UNC Hussman staff will give you a name card. If there is any potential that your name could be mispronounced, please write your name phonetically on the name card and talk with Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Curriculum Jules Dixon-Green at the check-in table.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU KEEP YOUR NAME CARD WITH YOU UNTIL YOU CROSS THE STAGE.
At 3:00 p.m., the processional will begin. Graduates will walk indoors from Woollen Gymnasium into Carmichael Arena and down through the seating area to the floor. Faculty marshals will guide the processional and direct you to your seats.
Once you are seated, it is strongly recommended that you text your family what row you are seated in on the floor at Carmichael Arena. Graduates will not be seated in alphabetical order, so letting your family know which row you are in will help make sure they don’t miss your moment crossing the stage.
Faculty marshals will prompt you when your row is to move toward the stage for your name to be called.
As you step onto the stage, you will hand your name card to Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Curriculum Jules Dixon-Green (undergraduates) or Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs Heidi Hennink-Kaminski (graduate students) and walk to center stage where you will be greeted by Dean Raul Reis. (If you misplace your card, you will be stopped before going on stage, and you will need to fill out a new card before crossing the stage.)
You will return to your seat for the remainder of the ceremony after walking across stage.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates will process out of the arena as directed by the faculty marshals.
After the ceremony, please instruct your guests to meet you outside of Carmichael Arena. Lingering in the lobby causes significant congestion and can be a hazard, particularly for guests with disabilities.
Graduates, families and friends are invited to a reception with Dean Raul Reis, faculty and staff at Carroll Hall following the ceremony from 5–6 p.m. Graduates can pick up UNC Hussman goody bags at the reception while supplies last.
Pre-ceremony and crowd control: There is another ceremony immediately before ours. Families and friends attending the UNC Hussman ceremony will wait outside of Carmichael Arena until the doors are opened prior to our ceremony. When the other ceremony is over, those attendees will be exiting as our attendees are entering. This can cause traffic flow issues, so families and friends should be prepared to contend with large crowds converging.
Wheelchair and disability entrance: Guests in wheelchairs and those with limited mobility should try to arrive at Carmichael Arena before the ceremony and look for signage marking the wheelchair and disability entrance. UNC Hussman staff will be present to direct you into the arena.
Disability seating: Carmichael Arena has accessible seating along the walkway between the lower and upper seating areas of the arena. (View a seating chart for Carmichael Arena.) UNC Hussman staff will be present to direct guests to disability seating. We ask that companions defer to guests in wheelchairs for space in the disability seating areas until the start of the ceremony. Space permitting, only one companion may join in that area. Seating for additional family members and friends will be reserved on the seating rows immediately below the accessible seating areas.
Disability parking: Disability parking will be available in the Cardinal Deck on West Drive off of Manning Drive across from the hospital. Shuttles from the Cardinal Deck to Carmichael Arena will be available. Shuttles will also be available from Carmichael Arena to the Cardinal Deck following the ceremony. Please see the UNC Transportation and Parking site for more commencement parking information.
General seating: No tickets are required for the ceremony, and guests will select their seats on first come, first served basis. (View a seating chart for Carmichael Arena.)
General parking: General parking will be available in the Cardinal Deck on West Drive off of Manning Drive across from the hospital. Shuttles from the Cardinal Deck to Carmichael Arena will be available. Shuttles will also be available from Carmichael Arena to the Cardinal Deck following the ceremony. Please see the UNC Transportation and Parking site for more commencement parking information.
Duration of ceremony: The ceremony generally lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. Concession stands will not be open in Carmichael Arena, so water bottles are highly recommended for both guests and graduates.
Post-ceremony and exiting the arena: Graduates will process out of the arena at the conclusion of the ceremony. Please exit Carmichael Arena promptly following our ceremony as guests attending the ceremony following ours will be entering at the same time.
For other questions or concerns, please contact the staff at the Undergraduate Hub at (919) 962-6657 or [email protected].