NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s May commencement will be held in four separate ceremonies as a result of the expansion of Johnson Coliseum, which began last summer.

Degree candidates will participate at either 4 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 8, or 9:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9.

Seating at the coliseum, which typically has capacity for 7,200 guests, is temporarily reduced due to construction.

“While we are incredibly excited about the improvement and expansion of the coliseum, the construction has temporarily caused a significant number of guest seats to be inaccessible,” said Dr. Scott Gordon, SFA president. “Because of this, and in the interest of safety for our faculty, staff, graduates and their guests, we have decided to hold the ceremonies over a two-day period.”

On Friday, May 8, the 4 p.m. ceremony will recognize candidates from the College of Fine Arts and the James I. Perkins College of Education’s Department of Elementary Education and Department of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership.

The 7:30 p.m. ceremony also will recognize candidates from the Perkins College of Education. Candidates participating are students of the Department of Human Services, the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, and the School of Human Sciences.

At the 9:30 a.m. ceremony Saturday, May 9, candidates from both the Nelson Rusche College of Business and College of Sciences and Mathematics will be honored. Candidates from the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture and the College of Liberal and Applied Arts will participate in a 2 p.m. ceremony.

All ceremonies will be streamed on the SFA Facebook page, facebook.com/sfasu. For more information about the events, visit sfasu.edu/registrar/455.asp.