Spring commencement 2026 | UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media

About the event

The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media held its departmental spring commencement ceremony at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Carmichael Arena.

No tickets are required, and there is no limit for attendees. Graduates are welcome to invite as many family members and friends as they wish.

Bryan Tucker ’93, senior writer for “Saturday Night Live,” will present the commencement address to the school’s graduating students. Tucker has built a distinguished career that includes 19 Emmy nominations, a 2025 Emmy win for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, three Writers Guild awards and two Peabody Awards. He remains closely connected to Carolina through teaching, mentoring and the scholarship program he and his wife established to support students. Celebrated for bridging the classroom with the industry, Tucker exemplifies the versatility of strong writing skills and the lasting impact of a UNC Hussman education.

The University’s commencement ceremony will be held in Kenan Stadium at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2026. More information on the University ceremony is available at commencement.unc.edu.

RECORDING

Information for Graduating Students

Graduates will not be permitted to check in prior to 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 9. Please plan to arrive at Woollen Gymnasium, located at 300 South Road (adjacent to Carmichael Arena), between 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Enter Woollen from South Road and go downstairs from the lobby to the basketball courts to check in and line up for the processional. UNC Hussman faculty and staff will be there to direct you.

When you check in at Woollen Gymnasium, UNC Hussman staff will give you a name card. If there is any potential that your name could be mispronounced, please write your name phonetically on the name card and talk with Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Jules Dixon-Green at the check-in table.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU KEEP YOUR NAME CARD WITH YOU UNTIL YOU CROSS THE STAGE.

At 3 p.m., the processional will begin. Graduates will walk indoors from Woollen Gymnasium into Carmichael Arena and down through the seating area to the floor. Faculty marshals will guide the processional and direct you to your seats.

Once you are seated, it is strongly recommended that you text your family what row you are seated in on the floor at Carmichael Arena. Graduates will not be seated in alphabetical order, so letting your family know which row you are in will help make sure they don’t miss your moment crossing the stage.

Faculty marshals will prompt you when your row is to move toward the stage for your name to be called.

As you step onto the stage, you will hand your name card to Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Curriculum Jules Dixon-Green, Associate Professor Meredith D. Clark or Associate Professor Gary Kayye (undergraduates); or Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Lucinda Austin (graduate students) and walk to center stage where you will be greeted by Dean Raul Reis. (If you misplace your card, you will be stopped before going on stage, and you will need to fill out a new card before crossing the stage.)

You will return to your seat for the remainder of the ceremony after walking across stage.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates will process out of the arena as directed by the faculty marshals.

After the ceremony, please instruct your guests to meet you outside of Carmichael Arena. Lingering in the lobby causes significant congestion and can be a hazard, particularly for guests with disabilities.

Graduates, families and friends are invited to join the school community for a reception with refreshments at Curtis Media Center following the ceremony.

Parking, Seating and other information

Pre-ceremony and crowd control: There is another ceremony immediately before ours. Families and friends attending the UNC Hussman ceremony will wait outside of Carmichael Arena until the doors are opened prior to our ceremony. When the other ceremony is over, those attendees will be exiting as our attendees are entering. This can cause traffic flow issues, so families and friends should be prepared to contend with large crowds converging.

Parking information: Guest parking, disability parking and staff parking information for departmental commencement ceremonies and the University’s ceremony is available on the UNC Transportation and Parking site.

Wheelchair and disability entrance: Guests in wheelchairs and those with limited mobility should try to arrive at Carmichael Arena before the ceremony and look for signage marking the wheelchair and disability entrance. UNC Hussman staff will be present to direct you into the arena.

Disability seating: Carmichael Arena has accessible seating along the walkway between the lower and upper seating areas of the arena. (View a seating chart for Carmichael Arena.) UNC Hussman staff will be present to direct guests to disability seating. We ask that companions defer to guests in wheelchairs for space in the disability seating areas until the start of the ceremony. Space permitting, only one companion may join in that area. Seating for additional family members and friends will be reserved on the seating rows immediately below the accessible seating areas.

General seating: No tickets are required for the ceremony, and guests will select their seats on first come, first served basis. (View a seating chart for Carmichael Arena.)

Duration of ceremony: The ceremony generally lasts about two hours. Concession stands will not be open in Carmichael Arena, so water bottles are highly recommended for both guests and graduates.

Post-ceremony and exiting the arena: Graduates will process out of the arena at the conclusion of the ceremony. Please exit Carmichael Arena promptly following our ceremony.

Clear Bag Policy

A clear bag policy for all Commencement ceremonies will be enforced in all venues. The clear bag policy will apply to the main ceremony at Kenan Stadium and all school, departmental and small group ceremonies.

Guests are encouraged to leave all bags at home, but the following items will be allowed into all Commencement venues, including Kenan Stadium, Carmichael Arena and all other ceremony locations:

Any clear plastic or vinyl bag no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″, including gallon freezer bags.
Small clutch purses no larger than 4.5″ x 6.5″.
Necessary medical items following inspection at entry gates.
Up to two unopened 20 ounce or smaller bottles of water per person and empty drink containers that can be filled up at drinking fountains.

Security will look through every bag that is brought in, whether they are clear bags or not.

For more information, see the Kenan Stadium Policy, which will apply at all ceremony venues.

PHOTOGRAPY

York Wilson Photography covered the commencement ceremony and related activities. Photos are available for review and purchase at yorkwilsonphoto.com/Hussman-2026.