Nearly 900 graduates will be honored during Spring 2022 Commencement on May 6-7 in the first ceremonies in two years without COVID-19 safety protocols in place.

Following guidelines set by Stetson University, all COVID-19 precautions have been removed for the three outdoor ceremonies in Spec Martin Memorial Stadium at 260 E. Euclid Ave. in DeLand.

That means master’s degree candidates can receive the ceremonial hooding during their Graduate Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m.

In addition, all graduates will be able to shake hands with university President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, and other academic leaders as they walk across the stage during their celebration.

“Commencement weekend will surely be a momentous time for our graduates, families and friends,” said Julie Hunter, executive director of University Events. “We are excited to welcome everyone and to celebrate their academic achievements and resilience following a challenging couple of years.”

In total, Stetson will confer degrees upon 899 candidates in the Class of 2022, including 195 master’s degree candidates, 282 undergraduates in the School of Business Administration and the School of Music, and 422 in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Stetson has a long tradition of selecting top graduating students to give the  Commencement keynote addresses. See which students were selected as speakers for this year’s ceremonies.

The ceremonies will be livestreamed through Stetson Broadcast Productions, allowing family and friends to watch the graduates from afar. The ceremonies are as follows:

• Academic Awards and Recognition Ceremony (by invitation only) on Friday, May 6, at 4:30 p.m. The ceremony will be available for virtual participation at Stetson.edu/academic-awards
• Graduate Commencement Ceremony for master’s degree graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Business Administration on Friday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. (tickets required, at no charge).
• Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony for graduates in the School of Business Administration, and the School of Music on Saturday, May 7, at 9 a.m. (tickets required, at no charge).
• Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony for graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences on Saturday, May 7, at 7 p.m. (tickets required, at no charge).

In recent years, due to the pandemic, chairs for graduates and faculty members were spaced 6 feet apart on the field as a safety precaution. This year, seats will be spaced one foot apart, but that will be for comfort, rather than health concerns.

Once the COVID-19 protocols were removed, this year’s graduates were offered 10 tickets to share with their family and friends. The university expects more graduates to participate in the Commencement ceremonies this year following a drop during the past two years, partly due to the heightened health and travel concerns during the pandemic.

The ceremonies will be held at Spec Martin stadium, rain or shine. For more information, visit the Spring 2022 Commencement website and FAQs.

-Cory Lancaster