Fall 2018 Commencement The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Fall 2018 Commencement will take place Thursday, December 6, 2018 at the Von Braun Center in the Propst Arena. The ceremonies will include students who have completed degree requirements in the Spring semester. Doctoral, Masters, and Bachelors degrees will be presented. 10:00 a.m. Ceremony: Colleges of Engineering; Science 2:30 p.m. Ceremony: Colleges of Arts, Humanities & Social Science; Business; Education; Nursing; Professional & Continuing Studies Graduating students for the 10:00 a.m. ceremony may begin checking in at the East Hall at 8:30 a.m. Graduating students for the 2:30 p.m. ceremony may begin checking in at the East Hall at 1:00 p.m. The arena will open at 8:30 a.m. for guests for the 10:00 a.m. ceremony. The arena will open at 1:00 p.m. for guests for the 2:30 p.m. ceremony. VBC Rules and Regulations Fall 2018 Commencement Speaker (2:30pm Ceremony): General Gustave F. Perna General Gustave F. Perna assumed duties as the 19th Commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) in September 2016. General Perna served for two years as the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff in his previous assignment. He oversaw policies and procedures used by all Army logisticians throughout the world. Prior to joining the Army staff he served for two years as Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Materiel Command, one of the Army’s largest commands with more than 64,000 employees impacting all 50 states and 144 countries. The General’s other command assignments include: Commander, Joint Munitions Command and Joint Munitions and Lethality Lifecycle Management Command, responsible for the lifecycle management of $40 billion of conventional ammunition; Commander, Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Defense Logistics Agency, responsible for the procurement of more than $14.5 billion worth of food, clothing, textiles, medicines, medical supplies, construction and equipment items for America’s Warfighters and other customers worldwide; Commander, 4th Sustainment Brigade, where he deployed the brigade to combat operations during OIF 05-07; Commander, 64th Forward Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado, where he deployed the battalion to combat operations during OIF I; Deputy Commanding Officer, 64th Corps Support Group, 13th Corps Support Command, Fort Hood, Texas; and Commander, B Company, 143rd Ordnance Battalion, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. General Perna’s key staff assignments include: Director of Logistics, J4, U.S. Forces-Iraq, responsible for sustainment plans and policies for strategic and operational logistics to sustain coalition and joint forces; Executive Officer to the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency, supporting the Director’s mission of providing Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and other federal agencies with logistics, acquisitions and technical services support; Ordnance Branch Chief, Human Resources Command; DISCOM Executive Officer and G4, 1st Cavalry Division, where he deployed to Bosnia; 544th Maintenance Battalion Support Operations Officer and Battalion Executive Officer, 13th COSCOM; and G4 Maintenance Officer, 13th COSCOM, where he deployed to Somalia as a member of Joint Task Force Support Command. He graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy with an Associate’s degree in Business Administration. Graduating as a Distinguished Military Graduate, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Infantry Officer. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Maryland and a Master’s degree in Logistics Management from Florida Institute of Technology. His military education includes: Infantry Officer Basic Course, Ordnance Officer Advance Course, Logistics Executive Development Course, Support Operations Course, Command and General Staff College and Senior Service College. His awards and decorations include: Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Parachutist and Air Assault Badges. Information Apply to GraduateDiploma InformationCountdown to Cap and Gown Graduation ChecklistHonors and Honor SocietiesParticipants List (Spring 2018) Schedule of Events 10:00 a.m. Ceremony TimeEventLocation 8:30 a.m. Students check-in East Hall 8:30 a.m. Doors open for guests Propst Arena 10:00 a.m. Ceremony begins Propst Arena Schedule of Events 2:30 p.m. Ceremony TimeEventLocation 1:00 p.m. Students check-in East Hall 1:00 p.m. Doors open for guests Propst Arena 2:30 p.m. Ceremony begins Propst Arena Note: If there is an event at the same time as Commencement, please arrive 15-20 minutes before doors open. Candidate Instructions Guests No tickets are required for guests. Please notify family and friends that the doors will open exactly one hour prior to the scheduled ceremony time. Guests, family members and spouses are not permitted in the assembly or robing areas and should go directly to the arena. The Von Braun Center is committed to creating a safe, comfortable and enjoyable experience for all guests. All patrons entering the Von Braun Center during an event are subject to screening, which varies from event-to-event. Screenings range from visual inspection and bag search to screenings by a magnetometer (metal detector) and/or pat-down search conducted by security personnel. The purpose of the inspection is to detect prohibited items. For more information about prohibited items, please visit the VBC website. Commencement Guide Download Hyperlinked PDF Candidates Candidates will need to arrive at the Von Braun Center one and a half hours prior to the scheduled ceremony time. See the Von Braun Center Propst Arena Layout Map for student seating locations. Line-Up and Procession Students should report to their college line-up area in the Von Braun Center East Hall no later than one hour prior to the ceremony. You will receive a line-up card indicating your number in line and be instructed by University staff about when and where to line up. Your line-up card is the key to get you across the stage. Commencement in 2 minutes! Student perspective Participation in Commencement Fall Commencement - Students who have completed degree requirements in the Summer semester, as well as those who have applied for graduation and will complete all degree requirements for the Fall semester. Spring Commencement - Students who have applied for graduation and will complete all degree requirements for the Spring semester. Doctoral candidates must notify Graduates Studies in order to participate in the ceremony. What to Bring to Commencement Degree candidates should purchase their caps and gowns from the UAH Campus Bookstore prior to the ceremony and must bring them, along with their tassels, to Commencement. Students should not bring purses, cell phones, etc., into the Von Braun Center. Personal items may not be left in the assembly or robing areas during the ceremony. Please refer to Guest Searches in the Commencement Guide for more information on prohibited items. Academic Regalia Commencement is an occasion marking a special time in a student's academic career. Appropriate attire for the occasion is a black academic gown and mortarboard with no personal accessories or messages. Undergraduate student members of academic honor societies may wear the insignia or honor cord of that academic honor society. Flowers, personal jewelry, pins or cords from social fraternities and sororities are not to be worn on academic robes. All graduates participating in the ceremony must wear their academic regalia. Caps and Gowns Caps and gowns may be purchased at Countdown to Cap and Gown or in the UAH Campus Bookstore Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Doctoral candidates should pre-order your cap and gown at least one month prior to the ceremony. Tassel Colors Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences - White Business - Drab Education - Light Blue Engineering - Orange Nursing - Apricot Science - Gold Professional Studies - Black Doctoral - Old Gold Future Commencement Dates Spring 2019 Commencement: Thursday, May 2, 2019Fall 2019 Commencement: Monday, December 16, 2019Spring 2020 Commencement: Thursday, April 30, 2020Additional dates can be found at this link.