(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – The Warrensburg community can expect a bump in community visitors this weekend as the University of Central Missouri hosts its annual fall commencement exercises in the Multipurpose Building.

Including a record number of graduate students for fall, more than 1,700 graduate and undergraduate students have met their degree requirements and are eligible to participate in graduation ceremonies Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11-12, according to a news release.

Commencement weekend begins at 6 p.m. Friday with the Graduate Commencement, and will be followed on Saturday with ceremonies at 10 a.m. and at 2 p.m. honoring students with undergraduate degrees. The morning ceremony is for graduates of the Adrian and Margaret Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Degrees will be conferred in the afternoon for graduates of the College of Health, Science, and Technology and the College of Education. Of the total eligible participants, 721 are undergraduates and 990 are graduate degree candidates, which is a fall record for candidates seeking post-baccalaureate degrees. An additional 277 students have been approved to walk early or late for the fall semester, if they choose. Not all students who earn degrees will likely participate in the festivities.

President Charles Ambrose will present the commencement address at all three ceremonies. Performances by department of music groups, the UCM Concert Choir, Brass Ensemble, and Wind Ensemble also will take place during graduation exercises. Faculty members from academic units across campus will participate in the hooding of graduate students during the Friday evening festivities. A change from previous ceremonies, the hooding will be conducted from the floor level before graduates appear on stage to be congratulated by the president.

Other ceremonies and recognition are planned for Saturday, and include the Nursing Recognition Ceremony conducted by the College of Health, Science, and Technology in Hendricks Hall; the Honors College and department of nursing joint reception from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Elliott Student Union 236-240; and the Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony conducted by the department of military science and leadership at 4:30 p.m. in the Alumni Chapel.

For more information about fall commencement, visit ucmo.edu/commencement/fall.cfm.