Charles Woodson, former Wolverine and NFL football player, Heisman Trophy winner and philanthropist, will deliver the University of Michigan’s Spring Commencement address for the Ann Arbor campus at 10 a.m. Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
Woodson will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
Also receiving honorary degrees at Saturday’s commencement ceremony are:
• Jeanne Craig Sinkford, professor and dean emerita of the Howard University College of Dentistry and senior scholar-in-residence at the American Dental Education Association, Doctor of Science.
• Penny W. Stamps, president of the Stamps Foundation, creator of the Penny Stamps Distinguished Lecture Series, recipient of the 2013 National Philanthropy Lifetime Achievement Award and U-M alumna, Doctor of Fine Arts.
• David R. Walt, Harvard Medical School Professor of Pathology, founder of Illumina Inc. and Quanterix Corp, recipient for the ACS Katheryn C. Hatch Award for Entrepreneurial Success and U-M alumnus, Doctor of Science.
Walt also is delivering the commencement address for the Rackham Graduate Exercises ceremony, at 10 a.m. Friday in Hill Auditorium.
Venue
Michigan Stadium opens for Spring Commencement seating at 8 a.m. All family members and guests attending the ceremony, including children older than 2, must have a ticket to enter the stadium.
Security guidelines prohibit purses, bags, wristlets, cases of any size, water bottles and other select items. Cell phones, pagers and small cameras are allowed at commencement.
Permitted items that will not fit in pockets, including medicine, medical equipment and diapers for small children, should be placed in a clear plastic bag, quart- or gallon-size only. Exceptions to some prohibited items will be granted for medical reasons only.
See a complete list of prohibited and permitted items on the commencement website at myumi.ch/aVKkw.
A live webcast of the ceremony will be available online.
Transportation
Michigan Stadium is located at 1201 S. Main St. in Ann Arbor. There is no open public parking at the stadium for Spring Commencement. Parking for vehicles with state-issued “handicap plates or tags” is available on the north side of the stadium.
There are a number of campus parking lots at a walkable distance from the stadium, but they are expected to fill up quickly. Additional parking is available at Pioneer High School for a $10 fee, as assessed by the Ann Arbor Public Schools.
On Thursday, U-M parking structures at Fletcher, Hill and Thayer streets and the blue area of the Palmer structure will be open at 9 a.m. for commencement guests.
From Friday to Sunday, all U-M parking lots and structures will be open to the public beginning at 9 a.m.
Due to limited parking near Michigan Stadium, Spring Commencement guests are encouraged to use the complimentary shuttle service to and from area hotels and parking lots. Service will begin at 7:45 a.m. and will run approximately every 20 minutes until 9:45 a.m. Buses will resume operation at the end of the ceremony. All shuttle buses are wheelchair-accessible.
To find more details about travel, parking and shuttle buses, visit myumi.ch/J9gkl.
Inclement weather plan
Spring Commencement is scheduled to take place in Michigan Stadium rain or shine. If severe weather occurs, the ceremony may be shortened, suspended or concluded.
If a schedule adjustment is determined necessary, instructions will be given to guests via public address announcements and video screen messages. Graduates and guests are asked to listen for announcements and remain seated until instructed otherwise.
Umbrellas are not permitted in Michigan Stadium, but raincoats and ponchos are allowed.
Rackham Graduate Exercises
The Rackham Graduate Exercises ceremony is at 10 a.m. Friday in Hill Auditorium. David R. Walt, Harvard Medical School Professor of Pathology and founder of Illumina Inc. and Quanterix Corp., will deliver the keynote address.
The event is for those receiving master’s or doctoral degrees through the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies.
For more information, contact the Office of University and Development Events at rackhamgraduateexercises@umich.edu or 734-647-6037.
Dearborn and Flint graduation ceremonies
UM-Dearborn’s commencement ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. U-M President Mark Schlissel will deliver the keynote address. To find more information about U-M Dearborn commencement, visit myumi.ch/6vYnV.
UM-Flint ceremonies will take place at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center. Legal and cultural historian Martha S. Jones will serve as the commencement speaker. To find more information about UM-Flint commencement ceremonies, visit myumi.ch/aMN0G.
More graduation ceremonies
Thursday
School of Kinesiology, 4:30 p.m., Hill Auditorium, annjtrav@umich.edu or 734-764-7280
School of Public Health, 12:30 p.m., Hill Auditorium, jsteppe@umich.edu or 734-214-6430
Lavender Graduation, 4:30 p.m., U-M Museum of Art, spectrumcenter@umich.edu
Friday
Stephen M. Ross School of Business, 3:30 p.m., Crisler Center, liannce@umich.edu or 734-647-0342
School of Information, 3 p.m., Power Center, wachtera@umich.edu or 734-647-3110
School of Music, Theatre & Dance, 4 p.m., Hill Auditorium, dianals@umich.edu or 734-764-0592
La Celebracion Latina, 6 p.m., Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, hgalvan@umich.edu or 734-936-1753
Saturday
Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, 2 p.m., North Campus Research Complex, bbscott@umich.edu or 734-647-9886
School of Education, 5:30 p.m., Hill Auditorium, jsteppe@umich.edu or 734-214-6430
College of Engineering, 3 p.m., Crisler Center, hollyat@umich.edu or 734-647-7046
School for Environment and Sustainability, 1 p.m., Rackham Auditorium, sshowen@umich.edu or 734-763-9925
School of Nursing, 1:30 p.m., Hill Auditorium, umsn-studentevents@med.umich.edu
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, 4:30 p.m., Rackham Auditorium, erinren@umich.edu or sampselc@umich.edu
School of Social Work, 1:30 p.m., Power Center, mtgorton@umich.edu or 734-936-0961
Native Student Graduation Celebration, 7 p.m., Matthaei Botanical Gardens, hgalvan@umich.edu or 734-936-1055
Black Celebratory, 7 p.m., Power Center, courts@umich.edu or gtz@umich.edu
Sunday
Alfred Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning, noon, Hill Auditorium, kateej@umich.edu or 734-763-6518
May 4
School of Dentistry, noon, Hill Auditorium, yokia@umich.edu or 734-647-4026
Law School, 4 p.m., Hill Auditorium, rickardj@umich.edu or ljgray@umich.edu or 734-764-4705
May 11
Medical School, 3 p.m., Hill Auditorium, bdensen@umich.edu or sypher@umich.edu or 734-615-4856
