The University of Houston spring commencement season is officially in the books. For spring 2023, 6,163 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional students received their degrees across 17 ceremonies. As with every commencement season, the Division of Administration and Finance departments were instrumental in ensuring the success of each commencement ceremony. 

This year’s ceremonies required extra coordination and planning from many departments as unforeseen delays in construction by Harris County contractors required the university to close Cullen Boulevard from Elgin Street to Cougar Place Drive to ensure safety and mobility for graduates and their guests. Partners such as Houston METRO also helped by re-routing their buses for the commencement activities. 

“It impacted us greatly,” said Parking & Transportation Department Outreach Manager Richard Zagrzecki. “We had to supply 10 shuttle buses and two charter buses, and our staff had to work 15-hour days on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the heat, rain, etc. We had to send out communication quickly and efficiently.” 

Parking and Transportation provided front-door shuttle service to more than 20,000 graduates and guests (about the seating capacity of the Toyota Center), during commencement week. Additionally, more than 15,000 guests and graduates parked in the university’s parking lots, Welcome Center Garage, and Elgin Street Garage during commencement ceremonies. 

Additionally, division staff supported guests and graduates by answering questions about ceremony logistics received over the phone or via email – responding to more than 70 inquiries from guests and graduates. 

Prior to the ceremonies, Fire & Life Safety staff walked each venue hosting commencement ceremonies, including the Gerald D. Hines College Architecture and Design Building, Fertitta Center, Cullen Performance Hall, and Athletics/Alumni Center. Additionally, Fire & Life Safety team members were stationed at each venue to provide fire safety oversight.  

Also, starting a month before commencement week, Facilities/Construction Management beautified the campus, preparing the ground with extensive cleaning and planting flowers for the backdrop where many graduates take photos. 

In preparation for the festivities and graduation photoshoots, Facilities/Construction Management planted 35 flats of pentas, 35 double knockout roses, 15 red yuccas, more than 120 Canna Lilies, 70 Liriopes, and 10 Agapanthus across campus. They also installed 1,000 yards of mulch to beautify the many flower beds across campus. 

Additionally, due to its popularity as a graduate photo site, Public Art of the University of Houston System refreshed the flags at Odili Donald Odita’s Negative Space artwork, which is prominently located adjacent to the Cullen Performance Hall, host to six commencement ceremonies, with 660 graduates and 3,297 guests. 

The UH Campus Store assisted students before commencement week by hosting the Grad Fair Event in March, which allows students to order their regalia. The UH Campus Store also hosted tables with store representatives at each venue to assist graduates with regalia orders and in wearing their regalia correctly before the ceremonies began. 

When graduates and guests attended this year’s commencement ceremonies, they were provided programs printed by the university’s Copy and Print Department. In total, Copy and Print delivered 60,650 programs for commencement, totaling 2,467,600 pages. Also, the department printed more than 100 parking signs and placed every yard sign. They also printed banners, scripts, and commencement ceremony parking tags. 

UHPD provided support during commencement season with 40 officers on site, most of whom were stationed at key locations around campus to monitor traffic conditions and ensure traffic for commencement ceremonies was smooth and orderly. 

For guests that were unable to attend commencement ceremonies, the University Information Technology department live streamed every ceremony. The live streamed ceremonies received 3,788 concurrent viewers from 33 different countries. 

This truly was a successful team effort by so many departments within the division and illustrates a direct connection between Administration and Finance departments with the university’s academic mission.