June 2, 2019 - Construction at William R. Johnson Coliseum, scheduled to begin later this summer, will have an impact on summer commencement at Stephen F. Austin State University scheduled for August 17. While August candidates typically participate in one ceremony at 9:30 a.m., this summer’s candidates will participate at either 9:30 a.m. or 2 p.m., similar to the schedule used at the December and May ceremonies.
Approximately 430 current SFA students are expected to earn diplomas this summer, but seating at the coliseum, which typically has capacity for 7,200 guests, will be temporarily reduced due to the construction.
“More than 1,000 guest seats will be temporarily inaccessible due to our coliseum expansion and renovation project,” said Dr. Steve Westbrook, interim SFA president. “In the interest of safety for our faculty and staff, our graduates and their guests, we have made the decision to divide the ceremonies this summer in the same way we do for the fall and spring ceremonies.”
Candidates from SFA's James I. Perkins College of Education and the College of Fine Arts will participate in the 9:30 a.m. ceremony. Candidates from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, the Rusche College of Business, the College of Liberal and Applied Arts, and the College of Sciences and Mathematics will participate in a 2 p.m. ceremony.
A basketball practice and performance center is being constructed near the northeast corner of Johnson Coliseum, with a tunnel connecting the new facility to the current building.
The ceremonies will be streamed on the SFA Facebook page, www.facebook.com/sfasu. For more information about the events, visit www.sfasu.edu/registrar/455.asp.
