May 2008 Commencement

The University of Tampa will hold its May Commencement on Saturday, May 10, 2008, at the St. Pete Times Forum in downtown Tampa with more than 800 students eligible to participate. The ceremony will last approximately two hours and 15 minutes depending on the number of graduates who participate and the length of the speeches.

Commencement Schedule

Friday, May 9
4-7 p.m.
Reception to honor Class of 2008 and their families (all undergraduate and graduate students and their families)
First and Ninth Floors, Vaughn Center
Light refreshments will be served. 
Dress is casual. 
For further information, contact the Office of Development and University Relations at (813) 253-6220 or alumni@ut.edu.

Saturday, May 10
8-10 a.m. — University bookstore will be open. 
9 a.m. — Graduates arrive at the Forum.
9:15 a.m. — Graduates assemble in caps and gowns for the line march.
9:40 a.m. — Processional to commencement seating will begin.
10 a.m. — Commencement ceremony will begin.

Directions and Parking

The St. Pete Times Forum in located at 401 Channelside Drive in Tampa. From the University entrance, take Hyde Park Boulevard south to Platt Street. Turn left (east) onto Platt Street and continue across the Platt Street Bridge and under the Convention Center. The Forum and parking deck will be on your right at the intersection of S. Morgan Street and Channelside Drive.

Graduates and their guests should park in the Forum’s city parking deck located just across the plaza from the Forum. Other city parking facilities are also available. A parking garage is located next to the Convention Center and open-air lots are located near the Forum.

Guests

The doors to the Forum will open for seating at 8:30 a.m. Family and friends should enter through Gates A or B, where they will receive directions to the seating area. No tickets are required; there is plenty of seating for everyone. One concession stand will be open at section 102, near Gate B, with water, soft drinks and coffee available.

Guests with Disabilities

Guests in wheelchairs should enter the Forum at the box office entrance near Gate B. Ushers will seat them in a special seating area on the arena level behind the graduates. Special seating for guests with walking disabilities will be on the tops of Sections 104 to 112, which is a flat area opposite the stage. Because seating in these areas is limited, only one or two individuals may sit with the guest who has special needs. Your cooperation is required in order to accommodate all of our guests. If guests with limited (not severe) walking challenges want to sit closer to the stage, they should take a high row in a section closer to the stage. These seats are not reserved. The Forum’s Jumbotron will be covering the ceremony and will be in the center of the floor. 

Hotel Accommodations

The two host hotels for the 2008 May Commencement are the Hyatt Regency Tampa and the Westin Tampa Harbour Island. Visitors are urged to make reservations as soon as possible. Please identify yourself as an attendee of The University of Tampa Commencement. Reservation requests received after the cut-off date will be based on availability at the hotel’s prevailing rates.

You may call the Hyatt Regency Tampa at (813) 225-1234 or visit the Web site by April 10, 2008. You may call the Westin Tampa Harbour Island at (813) 229-5000 or visit the Web site by April 11, 2008.