Undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees will be conferred during the Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬â€™s Fall 2018 Commencement ceremonies on Friday, Dec. 14, at the Cajundome and Convention Center.
The General Assembly will be held at 11 a.m. at the Cajundome. Doctoral candidates will be hooded at this session. All graduating seniors and faculty members will attend, wearing full academic regalia.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will give the Commencement speech. He became the 56th governor of Louisiana on Jan. 11, 2016.
His leadership has helped reverse an almost decade-long trend of budget cuts that resulted in the largest shift in revenue sources for higher education in state history. The Louisiana Legislature hasn’t cut higher education funding for the past two years.
The governor marked the start of a special legislative session in May with an address at UL Lafayette. That event replaced the customary joint session address in the state’s capitol.
Alumnus Winfred Sibille, ’51, will be awarded an honorary doctorate during the General Assembly.
A longtime advocate for education, Sibille has been a member of the Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ of Louisiana System’s Board of Supervisors since 1995. He has held many leadership roles during his tenure, including chairman of the board. Sibille is the longest-serving board member in UL System history.
Master’s and bachelor’s degrees will be conferred at ceremonies for each academic college. A schedule and locations are below.
Cajundome
- 8 a.m. College of Liberal Arts
- 2:30 p.m. B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration
Cajundome Convention Center - Festival Ballroom (2nd floor)
- 8 a.m. College of the Arts
- 2:30 p.m. Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Cajundome Convention Center - Exhibit Hall B (1st floor)
- 8 a.m. College of Education
- 2:30 p.m. College of Engineering
Bourgeois Hall
- 8 a.m. College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions
- 2:30 p.m. Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ College
Parking for members of the public who plan to attend ceremonies at the Cajundome and Convention Center will be at Cajun Field. Public parking for ceremonies at Bourgeois Hall will be at Blackham Coliseum and at Cajun Field.
Motorists are encouraged to arrive to ceremonies as early as possible to prevent traffic congestion and to streamline parking.
Security measures will be in place at the Cajundome and Convention Center, and at Bourgeois Hall. Å·ÃÀÈý¼¶Æ¬ Police officers will examine the contents of purses, bags, and packages of attendees. Extremely large bags or oversized packages won’t be permitted inside Commencement venues.
Share your story with family and friends by using the #ragingrads hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Google+ posts.
A Snapchat filter will be available from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the Cajundome and Convention Center and at Bourgeois Hall.
The General Assembly will be broadcast live on the UL Lafayette page.
Ceremonies for each academic ceremony will be livestreamed at
Learn more about Fall 2018 Commencement at