Commencement Practice

All graduates of the college should plan to meet for final instruction for the commencement ceremony at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, in the McClung Museum Auditorium.

You will receive important information regarding commencement registration, seating, photography, and other ceremony proceedings. Commencement practice will last approximately one hour.

Commencement Ceremony Information

Spring/Summer 2008 College Commencement Ceremony

2:00 p.m.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Knoxville Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A
701 Henley Street
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902

Personal items and/or valuables should not be brought to or left unattended at the commencement ceremony. All cell phones must be turned off or set to silent mode as soon as you enter the seating area. Please refrain from cell phone use before and during the ceremony.

Arrival Time

Graduates must arrive at the Convention Center and be fully gowned by 1:15 p.m. The ceremony will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m. and will last approximately 60 minutes.

Location

Graduates and guests should enter the Knoxville Convention Center from the main entrance on Clinch Avenue. You will enter on the third floor. Ceremony participants should take either the escalators or the elevator to the second floor and follow the signs to meeting Rooms 200A and 200B for registration. Guests should take the escalators or elevator to the first floor, follow the signs to Exhibit Hall A, and be seated.

Guest Seating

The facilities will open one hour before the ceremony begins. Guest seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis in Exhibit Hall A. Seating for hearing impaired guests will be available at the front of the auditorium on the left side. General wheelchair-accessible seating will be available throughout the exhibition hall. No tickets are required and guests do not need to register.

Graduate Registration

All graduates must register at the table outside the entrance of Meeting Rooms 200A and 200B. You will receive an index card with your name. Do not lose this card. You must give the card to the designated reader who will announce your name as you cross the stage.

Graduate Processional

After registering and receiving your index card, proceed inside Meeting Rooms 200A and 200B for assembly for the processional. Once inside the Exhibit Hall A auditorium, ushers will prompt you when you should rise and move toward the stage.

Staging

Once on stage, hand your index card to the reader and proceed to accept congratulations from your department head and dean of the college.

Photography

As a courtesy to all in attendance, please have your guests refrain from advancing to the front of the stage to take photos as you are walking across. A professional photographer will be taking photos as you shake hands with the dean on stage. There will be another photographer as you leave the stage that will take your photograph alone. After the ceremony, the dean and department heads will be available in the stage area for additional graduate and guest photo opportunities.

Adjournment

After you have your photograph taken, return to your designated seating area and remain seated until the conclusion of the ceremony. Do not leave any personal items or valuables unattended at any time during the ceremony. Once the ceremony has been adjourned, you may meet your guests and make your way to the reception on the Park Terrace outside the convention center.

Directions, Parking, and Shuttle Information

Directions

The Knoxville Convention Center is located just a few minutes from campus at 701 Henley Street in downtown Knoxville. Directions to the site are below.

NOTE: I-40 closure--At midnight on May 1, 2008, a short section of Interstate 40 between James White Parkway (Exit 388A) and Hall of Fame Drive (Exit 389) will be closed for approximately 14 months for reconstruction. Visit the Tennessee Department of Transportation for specific detour information for SmartFix40.

From the South (Chattanooga):

Take I-75 North to Exit 84 and bear right onto I-40 East. Continue on I-40 to Exit 388A onto 441 South (Henley Street). The Convention Center is on the right at the corner of Henley Street and Clinch Avenue.

From the West (Nashville):

Take I-40 East to Exit 388A onto 441 South (Henley Street). The Convention Center is on the right at the corner of Henley Street and Clinch Avenue.

From the East (Asheville, NC):

Take I-40 West to Exit 387. Turn right onto Western Avenue. At the third traffic light turn right onto Henley Street. The Convention Center is at the corner of Henley Street and Clinch Avenue.

From the North (Lexington, KY):

Take I-75 South to I-275 South. At the I-275/I-40 interchange, bear right onto the ramp marked 441 South (Henley Street). The Convention Center is on the right at the corner of Henley Street and Clinch Avenue.

From Tyson McGhee Airport:

Take Route 129 North. Exit onto Cumberland Avenue. Turn right and travel to Henley Street. The Convention Center is on the left at the corner of Henley Street and Cumberland Avenue.

Parking Information

Free parking for the College of Communication and Information's Commencement Ceremony is available in the student parking areas of UT's 11th Street and White Avenue garages. Please avoid parking in staff parking areas. Parking Services Map (Convention Center located in grid 4) >>

Please note that the Knoxville Convention Center is quite large, and the distances and inclines between parking and the building entrance may be impediments to persons who have difficulty walking. Please plan on additional time to walk these distances.

Commencement Shuttles

KAT will provide the following shuttles. Please review the service times on each route since times may vary according to scheduled events:

Shuttle Route A - Agriculture Campus to Thompson-Boling Arena (4 vehicles)

• First shuttle departs the Agriculture Campus at 7:00 a.m. with service every 5 to 7 minutes to Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Last shuttle departs Thompson-Boling Arena at noon.
• Passengers load on the east side of Joe Johnson Drive.
• Will travel Joe Johnson Drive to Volunteer Blvd. to UT Drive to Chamique Holtzclaw.
• Buses will unload on Chamique Holtzclaw and Lake Loudoun Blvd.

Shuttle Route B - Agriculture Campus to Knoxville Convention Center (4 vehicles)

• First shuttle will depart the Agriculture Campus at 7:00 a.m. with service every 5 to 7 minutes to the Knoxville Convention Center.
• Last shuttle departs Knoxville Convention Center at noon.
• Passengers will load on the west side of Joe Johnson Drive near the intersection of Joe Johnson Drive and River Drive.
• Will travel Joe Johnson Drive to West Volunteer Blvd. to Cumberland Avenue to 11th Street to Clinch to Convention Center

Shuttle Route C - White Avenue Garage to 11th Street Garage to Knoxville Convention Center (6 vehicles)

• First shuttle departs White Avenue Garage at 7:00 a.m. with service every 5 to 7 minutes to the 11th Street Garage and then to the Knoxville Convention Center.
• Last shuttle departs Knoxville Convention Center at 4:30 p.m.
• White Ave. Garage boarding and alighting will occur on the south side of White Avenue at Clement Hall
• During the route, the shuttle will serve 11th Street Garage with boarding and alighting at the corner of White Avenue and 11th Street
• Knoxville Convention Center boarding and alighting will occur in the bus pull-off area on Clinch Avenue
• Last shuttle departs Knoxville Convention Center at 4:30 p.m.

The T East-West (7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.)

•  The East - West route operates between the Ag Campus, KAT transfer station and The Hill with service to various parking areas as well as Circle Park and the University Center
• The T-Access and Access/Link will operate on full schedule from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Additional Route Information

Spring/Summer 2008 Commencement Speaker

 

Anne Holt Blackburn
Anchor
WKRN-TV News 2
Nashville, Tennessee

After three decades of anchoring the news in Nashville, Anne Holt Blackburn is more than a familiar face, she is a trusted friend.

A four-time Emmy Award winning journalist and recipient of the coveted George Foster Peabody Award for the investigative documentary "Under the Influence", Anne is recognized by her peers throughout the mid-south as an outstanding role model.

Anne is one of 13 children born to a family of sharecroppers in West Tennessee. Working various jobs, she attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and graduated in 1973 with a degree in broadcasting from what was then known as the College of Communications. During her senior year, she began her career at the local station, WATE-TV.

Anne moved to Nashville in 1976 to take a reporter and weekend anchor job at WKRN-TV News 2. In 1980, she became primary anchor.

Anne's awards and honors include the 2007 Governor's Award for Lifetime Achievement given by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Tennessee College of Communication and Information, the Jerry Thompson Communicator's "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Nashville Association for Community and Justice, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters. With that honor, Anne earned the distinction of being the first woman, the first African American and the first news anchor to receive the award.

In addition to her anchoring duties at News 2, Anne is a trustee for the University of Tennessee and she serves as spokesperson for News 2's "Food to Families" campaign. A sorting room at the Second Harvest Food Bank bears Anne's name reflecting her years of dedication to helping feed hungry families in Middle Tennessee.

Reception Information

A reception for graduating seniors and their guests will be held on the Park Terrace at the Knoxville Convention Center immediately following the commencement ceremony. Refreshments will be served.

Additional Information

For more information regarding graduation, commencement, and travel, visit the links below.

Office of the University Registrar - General information about graduation and commencement, including frequently asked questions.

UT Book and Supply Stores - Graduation supplies including caps and gowns.

Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corp. - Knoxville accomodations, restaurants, and events.