Recent Events

June 14, 2008 - University of Washington Commencement Ceremony at Husky Stadium

Before a crowd of nearly 40,000 at Husky Stadium, on a beautiful sunny day, degrees were conferred on 4,100 graduates at the University's 133rd annual commencement ceremony. Quincy Jones delivered an entertaining and inspiring address and received a standing ovation. The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer both covered the event in their Sunday editions. DVDs of the ceremony can be purchased through the Commencement Web site.

May 18, 2008 - The Long Journey Home: Honoring UW Nikkei Students of 1941-1942

(Click on photo for enlarged view)

An historic academic convocation was held on May 18th to honor all the Japanese American UW students, both living and deceased, who were forced to leave campus in 1942 as a result of an executive order, signed by President Franklin Roosevelt, that led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans on the west coast. The honorees were awarded honorary Bachelor of Arts degrees at the ceremony. The Seattle Times and the UW Daily reported on the event, which received a great deal of national and international media coverage. An archived video of the ceremony is available at UWTV.

Office of Ceremonies

The Office of Ceremonies produces what President Emmert has referred to as "the two most consequential ceremonies" of a student's academic life: the Freshman Convocation and the University of Washington Commencement. Convocation and Commencement are the only ceremonies at which the entire University - its faculty, staff, administration, and all 17 schools and colleges - unites to celebrate its fundamental purpose: to provide students with a transformative educational experience and instill in them a passion for learning.

These ceremonies also showcase the University's excellence, its vision and reach, to the entire world. At convocation new students are welcomed into the University community and begin to get a sense of the voyage of discovery that awaits them. At Commencement we share their achievements, as well as those of our outstanding faculty and alumni, with 35,000 guests at Husky Stadium and, via the web, an international audience.

The events produced by the Office of Ceremonies are among the largest and most important public events held by the University. They are the vehicles through which we share our mission with the larger community and nuture a shared commitment to our winning traditions.

These ceremonies offer proof that dreams can come true, that a better world awaits us, and that the future burns bright with promise.

A Future Husky (click for enlarged image)

Honorary Degrees

Occasionally the University honors renown world leaders at special honorary ceremonies planned by the Office of Ceremonies. On April 14, 2008, the University of Washington presented an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. For more information on this ceremony see the Spotlight section on the right. For more information on honorary degrees click on the "Honorary Degrees" link in the navigation bar.

For more information contact:

Office of Ceremonies
(206) 543-2592
freshcon@u.washington.edu