NSU President George Hanbury announced on April 15 that all commencement ceremonies will be held at the Arena at the Don Taft University Center instead of the BB&T Center, as it was in previous years.
The decision was made after legislation was presented to Hanbury by PAN-SGA requesting the change. Lauren Boudreau, second-year student in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, said that Pan-SGA created the legislation in response to feedback from students. PAN-SGA is comprised of the presidents and vice presidents of the 19 student governments on NSU’s campus. It has worked on this legislation for the past five years and voted unanimously to make the change this past summer.
Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies Brad Williams said what NSU heard from students is that they want to graduate on their campus and not in a hockey arena. He said that the new location will allow commencement to be more intimate and that it will remain in this location every year.
“The first official ceremony students had at NSU was convocation in the University Center Arena, and this will be where they spend their last official academic ceremony,” Williams said. “There’s something to me that’s special about that kind of tradition.”
Boudreau is the incoming president of the College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Student Government Association and a member of PAN-SGA.
“I’m very excited about the change,” she said. “I’ve done my entire collegiate education at NSU and was unable to participate in graduation from undergrad. I’m looking forward to celebrating my eight years on campus by walking across the stage at NSU.”
In an email he sent out April 15, Hanbury said students will not need tickets for their guests. The arena holds approximately 4,000 people, along with 500 graduates. If more than 4,000 guests attend, overflow areas will be created to accommodate guests.
Overflow areas will have live viewing screens and will be located at the Flight Deck Pub, the Performing and Visual Arts Theatre and the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center.
Doors will open one hour before the ceremony. Although there are no tickets, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Those who are unable to attend commencement can view it live on NSU’s website.
Originally, between six and eight tickets were to be issued to each graduating student, depending on which ceremony he or she will graduate from and the size of the graduating class.
For questions or concerns about commencement, visit nova.edu/commencement or call the Registrar’s Office at (954) 262-7255.
Commencement Schedule
Undergraduate
Traditional Day Students at the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, Abraham S. Fischler School of Education, H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship and Institute for the Study of Human Service, Health and Justice—May 8 at 10 a.m.
On- and Off-Campus Career Students, College of Health Care Sciences and College of Nursing—May 8 at 4 p.m.
Graduate
Shepard Broad Law Center—May 7 at 1 p.m.
College of Dental Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine—May 15 at 10 a.m.
College of Health Care Sciences Physical Therapy Program, College of Medical Sciences, College of Optometry and College of Pharmacy—May 15 at 4 p.m.
MBA and MIBA Students at the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship—June 5 at 10 a.m.
Master’s Candidates at the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences, H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship, and Oceanographic Center—June 5 at 4 p.m.
Center for Psychological Studies, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute for the Study of Human Service, Health and Justice—June 12 at 10 a.m.
Abraham S. Fischler School of Education—June 12 at 4 p.m.
College of Health Care Sciences (except Physical Therapy) and College of Nursing—August 21 at 2:30 p.m.
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