Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University is urging this weekend’s campus visitors to plan ahead of the upcoming graduation ceremonies and baseball series.
Those preparing to be on campus for these events are encouraged to click here to review the map containing details about Friday’s parking and traffic flow. The map highlights available parking areas, plus handicap parking and handicap unloading/loading on Humphrey Coliseum's east side. Guests using handicap parking must have a valid handicap placard and/or license plate.
Also for Friday’s events, the Palmeiro Center and Seal Football Complex parking will be reserved for Bulldog Club parking only.
All are asked to be mindful of pedestrians and other motorists, and to follow law enforcement directions when entering and exiting campus.
Weekend events include:
Thursday
--Game 1 of baseball series vs. Missouri, 6 p.m., Polk-Dement Stadium, televised on SEC Network.
Friday
--Commencement, 7 p.m., Humphrey Coliseum, doors open at 5 p.m., Bagley College of Engineering and its Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, along with the colleges of Education, Forest Resources, Veterinary Medicine, and Agriculture and Life Sciences and its School of Human Sciences. Click here to watch livestream of the event.
--Game 2 of baseball series vs. Missouri, 7 p.m., Polk-Dement Stadium, televised on ESPNU.
Saturday
--Commencement, 10 a.m., Humphrey Coliseum, doors open at 8:30 a.m., College of Business and its Adkerson School of Accountancy, along with the colleges of Arts and Sciences, and Architecture, Art and Design and its School of Architecture. Click here to watch livestream of the event.
--Game 3 of baseball series vs. Missouri, 4 p.m., Polk-Dement Stadium, televised on SEC Network Plus.
Mississippi Higher Education Commissioner Glenn F. Boyce will deliver the commencement address for degree candidates at both the Friday and Saturday ceremonies. A Madison resident, Boyce was promoted in April 2015 to his current duties with the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning. He previously was associate commissioner for academic affairs and served for nearly a decade as president of Holmes Community College.
Also at the ceremonies, MSU alumnus J.F. “Bud” Thompson Jr. of Meridian will receive an honorary doctor of public service degree on Friday evening. The owner of Insurance Solutions of Mississippi and a partner at Thompson Limited Partnerships is a former alumni association and foundation board member, and is a former Bulldog Club president.
Rouse, MSU’s 2012 National Alumnus of the Year, will receive an honorary doctor of science on Saturday. An Illinois native reared in Germantown, Tennessee, he retired in 2004 after a 42-year career with ExxonMobil, including 18 years as its vice president. He is a former foundation board member and president and, last year, was named to the business college’s top 100 alumni.
Golf cart shuttles will be provided for those who have disabilities or have difficulty walking. Patrons are asked to use these services respectfully, and walk if possible to allow carts to accommodate guests who truly depend on these services.
Questions about Friday’s dual-event parking should be directed to the MSU Parking Assistance Center at 662-325-9114. Visitors also can check changing traffic conditions on Twitter at @HailStateOps.
MSU is Mississippi's leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.