University of Michigan spring commencement time changed due to extra security for President Barack Obama's visit
President Barack Obama's May 1 commencement visit to the University of Michigan means the ceremony will start an hour later, the university announced today.
And graduates and their families should plan for extra time to get through security.
President Barack Obama will deliver the spring commencement address. Photo by the Associated Press
The move to an 11 a.m. start time will allow time for participants to make their way through extra security that will be in place at Michigan Stadium.
"We want students and their guests to have plenty of time to comfortably make it to campus and through security at the stadium, so that they can enjoy this historic event honoring the achievements of our 2010 graduates," U-M President Mary Sue Coleman said in a written statement.
Obama will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree and deliver the commencement address, which the university announced in February. The bump in event time was done after talks occurred between campus event planners and the White House.
More details have come to light about the visit:
Stadium gates will open at 6 a.m., and graduates, their families and friends are encouraged to get there early to allow enough time to park, shuttle or walk to the stadium.
University officials said in a press release today that more information is forthcoming regarding where to park and enter the stadium, as well as what items are permissible. University leaders are working with the president's staff to finalize those details, which will be posted on the commencement Web site: www.umich.edu/~gradinfo.
Further details about commencement will be posted in early April.
Juliana Keeping covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
djm12652
Mon, Apr 5, 2010 : 2:21 p.m.
Al Gore..."I invented the Internet"...President Obama..."I created 650,000 jobs"...oh wait by the time all of the agencies needed to implement all of the new legislation are created, there will be jobs...and the guvmint will be the nation's largest employer producing no viable product...way to fill the coffers...
annarbor28
Thu, Mar 11, 2010 : 8:51 a.m.
He and his cronies in Congress (hopefully many of them won't return) spent $700 billion for a jobs program that has not created jobs (maybe temporary highway jobs but not to fix the Stadium Bridge as it's not visible enough). No jobs programs this summer for youth in the cities, that was nixed this week. Bailouts for banks and million dollar bonuses for CEOs, but no COLA increase for seniors who paid into Social Security their whole life. Massive cuts in Medicare for seniors who paid into the system for years, and instead a health care bill that enables health insurance companies to make billions more each year from taxpayer dollars. He has turned out to be the most elitist president yet. No messiah, just another bought-out politician who fooled people with words during an election. I hope he is paying for his own security, because next time a firefighter or police officer is fired, do we send this loser a bill for his visit?
cinnabar7071
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 3:01 p.m.
It would be nice to say Obama should stay in DC and save us all some money, but that would be true.
LizzieGal
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 1:31 p.m.
It would be ironic if you could bring a bag/purse into the Big House on graduation day, but not for football games....
jj
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 12:33 p.m.
The real challenge will be how the messiah will tell the graduates that they have no future in the automotive or financial industries.
GoblueBeatOSU
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 12:30 p.m.
well...here is the solution to AA's budget problems. Can you imagine the number of parking tickets, jay walking tickets, no turn on red tickets, rail road track tickets, oh the list just goes on and on...not to mention the new GPS law could be in place...all those parents with GPS devices...think of the ticket revenue!!!....AA will have lots of money for the budget.
tdw
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 11:22 a.m.
It will be a true gift to have the world's messiah come to town
David Briegel
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 11:09 a.m.
Get over it! It is a great honor and the students and faculty will remember this day for the rest of their lives. President Obama is a great man, worthy of this honor and will certainly make the day memorable! It's Spring! Walk, ride your bike. Go around the event.
grye
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 : 10:49 a.m.
Just great. Traffic will get all screwed up while the President is in town.