BOULDER, Colo. — The University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) will award more than 9,700 degrees during its spring commencement ceremony Thursday.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will deliver the commencement speech Thursday morning at Folsom Field on the CU campus.
Thursday's ceremony will award more than 9,700 degrees to students who earned their degree in fall 2022 or applied to graduate this spring or summer, including: 7,157 bachelor’s degrees, 1,788 master’s degrees, 195 MBAs, 192 law degrees and 396 doctoral degrees.
The commencement ceremony is free and open to the public and tickets are not required. Traffic is expected to be heavy in and out of Boulder and on campus.
Security screenings will be in place and anyone attending the event must carry their goods in a clear bag and no umbrellas will be allowed.
Folsom Field gates will open at 7:00 a.m. Thursday. CU recommends guests should be in their seats by 8:15 a.m. in order to watch the student processional into the stadium.
CU brought back its in-person commencement ceremony in 2022 after holding virtual ceremonies in 2020 and 2021.
CU Boulder’s Senior Class Council made the invitation last month to Polis to speak at the spring ceremony.
"Throughout our time at CU, the Class of 2023 has been building up momentum," said Ethan Meyer, president of CU Boulder’s Senior Class Council. "A momentum to drive change and lead our generation in developing solutions to the many challenges our world and local environments face. In searching for a speaker, we have sought out an individual who shares this same sense of momentum."
"Having discussed various candidates, we converged on Governor Polis. As a Coloradan, public servant, and active member within our local community, Governor Polis has embodied the very spirit and values our class strives towards."
"We are honored to have Governor Jared Polis, a trailblazing Coloradan and forward-thinking national leader, as our commencement speaker," CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano said. "As an entrepreneur, parent and public servant, Governor Polis is an excellent selection to address our graduates, who will certainly face their own challenges and opportunities as they become tomorrow’s leaders."
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