2018 Media Information
HOUSTON, May 7, 2018 – It is tradition. It is pomp. It is pageantry. The University of Houston is celebrating the graduation of more than 9,000 students this week at University Commencement, Thursday, May 10-Saturday, May 12. Here are a few of the people and programs being celebrated during the spring 2018 University Commencement.
“Heroes of Hurricane Harvey” Awarded President’s Medallions
A 2018 President’s Medallion is being awarded to “Hurricane Harvey Heroes” of Harris County and the City of Houston. President Renu Khator will honor city and county employees who were faced with the challenge of keeping their own homes and families safe, while lending their strength and skills to ensuring the safety, wellbeing and recovery of their communities.
The first cohort of UHin4 is graduating. Started in 2014, UHin4 offers fixed-rate tuition to incoming freshmen. The plan outlines responsibilities of both students and the University in achieving timely college completion. Of students in the first UHin4 cohort, 67 percent completed 90 credit hours by the end of their third year, eight percentage points higher than the prior three-year average. Almost half of incoming freshman participated in 2014 and by last fall the rate rose to 71 percent.
UH Presents Honorary Degree to Steven Stagner
Steven Stagner, executive chairman and CEO of Mattress Firm, will receive an honorary degree. The Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute at the C.T. Bauer College of Business was established in 2016. UH will present him with the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.
Mayor Sylvester Turner Delivers Commencement Address to CLASS Grads
UH alumnus and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will deliver the keynote address to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Science at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 10 at NRG Stadium.
Star Jones Delivers Commencement Address to UH Law Grads
Star Jones, attorney, journalist, TV personality, author and businesswoman, is returning to her alma mater, the University of Houston Law Center, on May 11 to deliver the commencement address to the Class of 2018 at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 11, in NRG Stadium.
75-year-old Graduate Student Earns Master’s Degree
Stephen Doiron will receive a Master of Arts in English. At 75, he will also be the oldest person to graduate from UH this spring. Dioron has become an advocate for fellow senior citizens to pursue higher education.
UH University Commencement Numbers
The University will confer 9,440 degrees for the 2017-2018 academic year. (They include graduates from Fall ‘17, Spring ‘18 and Summer ‘18 projections)
- 305 doctoral degrees
- 432 professional degrees
- 1,804 master’s degrees
- 6,899 bachelor’s degrees
University Commencement will occur at various locations on the UH campus as well as venues off campus in the surrounding area. Click here to see the dates, times and location of each ceremony. The ceremonies will also be live streamed here.
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About the University of Houston
The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation’s fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 45,000 students.
