Construction continues on the Kansas Turnpike in the Lawrence vicinity, but all three turnpike interchanges (Lecompton, West Lawrence, and East Lawrence) will be open at Commencement. Travelers should watch for construction personnel and obey all posted signs.
The potential for extreme heat during the ceremony, as well as the normal mobility challenges of a stadium should be anticipated. Sunblock is highly recommended. Safety regulations require that all aisles in the stadium must be kept clear of wheelchairs, strollers, and folding chairs. The ceremony will also be simulcast on a large screen in air-conditioned Woodruff Auditorium on the fifth floor of the Kansas Union.
Arrangements for guests or graduates in need of special services must be made 10 working days prior to Commencement. For information and to make arrangements, call Disability Resources, (785) 864-2620 (Voice/TDD). Special service requests during pre-Commencement events should be directed to the sponsoring school or unit.
To avoid steps between Jayhawk Boulevard and Memorial Stadium, use the elevator in Snow Hall to reach the campanile on Memorial Drive (Go from level 3 to level 1). From the campanile, as you face the stadium, the path on the left (west) is the most direct path without steps.
Accessible parking is available on the east and west sides of Memorial Stadium for those with state-issued disability parking permits and for those who need to drop off a passenger with limited mobility. Access the west lot from 11th and Maine streets and the east lot from 11th and Mississippi streets. Drop-off areas are available for drivers parking in the accessible or general parking areas.
Seating for those who must remain in their wheelchairs is available at the stadium in the stands in sections 1, 3, 9, 11, 17, 22, 24, and 26 (see map for location and closest stadium entrance gates). Elevators to wheelchair seating are on both east and west sides of the stadium. Field seating is available only on the EAST side.
Seating for those with limited mobility will be available. Lower stadium bench seating, track seating in folding chairs, and wheelchair seating (on the track) are reached through Gate D on the east side. A limited number of ushers with complimentary wheelchairs are available to transport guests with special needs to this seating area on the EAST side. Those requiring wheelchairs for the duration of a ceremony should plan on making their own accommodations before arriving on campus. Information on renting wheelchairs in Lawrence is in the FAQ section of this Web site.
Note: Once the ceremony procession begins there will be no access from the east to west sides of the stadium.
Sign language interpreters for the deaf and the hearing impaired, along with reserved seating for persons using interpreter services, will be available in the bowl of the stadium, sections 13 and 14, rows 29-33. A sign language interpreter will also be present on the platform during the Commencement ceremony.
For more information on special needs and ADA accessible parking, call the Parking and Transit Office at (785) 864-7275.
For more information on disability accommodations, call Disability Resources at (785) 864-2620 (Voice/TDD).
Free parking is available throughout campus Commencement weekend. Unless a lot or space is marked as reserved it is open and available for public parking at no charge. Free buses will run from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 17. The loop route will serve Memorial Stadium, Jayhawk Boulevard, Learned Hall, the Lied Center, Daisy Hill (at the intersection of Engel and Irving Hall Roads), the Burge Union, Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center, Murphy Hall and the Kansas Union. For wheelchair accessible service, notify any bus driver.
Gates will open at 12:30 p.m. (two hours prior to the procession). Seatback rental and limited concessions will be available at that time. Guests may sit on the east or west sides of Memorial Stadium or in the top half of the north bowl area. The procession of graduates and the ceremony will be shown on the large video board in the stadium’s south end. Restrooms are on the concourse level.
The consumption of all alcoholic and cereal malt beverages on campus is strictly prohibited during the Commencement ceremony.
KU would like to ensure that Commencement 2009 is a safe event for participants and guests. All persons attending the ceremony in Memorial Stadium are asked to observe certain public safety guidelines.
The possession of weapons and explosives of any kind, including concealed firearms and fireworks, is strictly prohibited on the KU campus.
Aisles and sidewalks leading to and inside the seating area in the stadium must be kept clear of obstacles. In addition to prohibitions on the possession of alcohol and weapons, the following items are not permitted inside the stadium:
Paramedics and an ambulance will be available at Memorial Stadium beginning at 1 p.m. The medical aid station is located in the southeast corner of the stadium in the inner concourse at section 23. There will be fire and medical staff units located in the stands on the east and west sides of the stadium and in the north bowl.
Lawrence Memorial Hospital is located about a mile north of Memorial Stadium at 325 Maine St. (785) 505-5000. In case of an emergency, dial 911.
On Commencement day, dining services are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Market food court on the third floor and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pulse coffee bar on the fourth floor. The KU Bookstore will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with caps and tassels and a wide selection of gift items, photo and computer needs, sunblock, hats, sunglasses, ponchos, umbrellas, and over-the-counter medications. The Kansas Union convenience store on the fourth floor will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Commencement ceremony broadcast is produced by Rock Chalk Video. The ceremony will be:
A DVD of the procession and ceremony may be purchased at www.kustore.com or at the KU Store at the Booth Family Hall of Athletics in Allen Fieldhouse four days after Commencement. Price: $20 plus shipping.
If it is raining the morning of Commencement, an announcement will be made at 1 p.m. about arrangements for a postponed ceremony.
The announcement will be posted at www.alert.ku.edu, on radio stations KJHK (FM 90.7), KANU (FM 91.5), KLZR (FM 105.9), WIBW (AM 580), KMBZ (AM 980), and KLWN (AM 1320), as well as on Sunflower Broadband (cable channel 6 in Lawrence). KU Info will also post the information at www.kuinfo.ku.edu or call (785) 864-3506.
Copyright © 2009 by the University of Kansas
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