Update (2/20/26): This story has been updated to include a statement from Brianna Hoge, Public Relations Manager for UAB.

UAB’s summer commencement cancellation caused frustration among many UAB students following an announcement earlier this semester.

In a UAB marketing email sent to students in early January, students were informed that the university would not be holding summer commencement in August as in previous years.

“There will NOT be a university-wide commencement ceremony for summer 2026 due to construction at Bartow Arena,” the email read.

Summer graduates will instead have the option to participate in either the spring or fall commencement ceremonies, according to the email.

Kaleidoscope reached out to the UAB Office of Marketing and Communications for comment regarding alternate venue locations and received a statement from Brianna Hoge, public relations manager.

“Due to large-scale renovations of Bartow Arena that will begin immediately following UAB’s spring semester commencement, Bartow Arena will not be available for a summer commencement ceremony. Students planning to complete their studies at the end of the summer semester have the option to choose to participate in either the spring or fall graduation ceremonies. Students have until April 1 to register to participate in the spring 2026 commencement ceremony, and registration for fall commencement will open on May 15. Commencement is an important celebration for our graduates and their families, and we will work diligently to make sure their chosen ceremony is a special experience. Bartow Arena has been home to UAB commencement ceremonies since 1988; it holds particular significance to the UAB community and is part of what makes our commencement ceremonies special for Blazers. We explored other possible venues and were unable to identify an available, suitable alternate that fully met our needs.”

The announcement has drawn criticism from students who say the change diminishes a milestone they have worked years to achieve, particularly those graduating during the summer term.

Students graduating in the summer term say the cancellation forces them into an unfair choice.

“I’ve worked really hard for the opportunity to graduate a year early this summer rather than next spring,” said Lily Fridge, a senior majoring in psychology with double minors in anthropology and neuroscience. “Having to walk a semester early or a semester late diminishes the accomplishment.”

Taleedra Smith, a nursing student set to graduate in the spring, said the changes feel unfair to summer graduates. Smith stated that summer graduates  “deserve their own ceremony,” and that “as UAB students, we expect the opportunity to walk across the stage and celebrate with our family and friends.”

Smith also said the lack of alternative venues was frustrating, noting that many students and families plan months in advance to attend commencement.

“With increased campus-related fees and costs over time, it’s frustrating to hear that securing another venue is not possible,” Smith said. “This moment is significant and once-in-a-lifetime.”

Nursing students have raised additional concerns following the announcement of a nursing-only commencement ceremony scheduled for Friday, May 1, at 9:30 a.m. in Bartow Arena.

Historically, nursing students graduate among other disciplines during the Saturday ceremony.

Some nursing students say the revised plans have created confusion and logistical challenges for families.

Avery Fishbach, a BSN student graduating in the spring, said she learned of the change only after visiting the graduation registration website, not through an official email notification.

“I already had family members who bought flights and hotel rooms because graduation was set for May 2,” Fishbach said. “Now we have to make different arrangements, and that’s been really disappointing.”

Nursing student Isabella Bradley said the decision is inequitable, particularly for first-generation college students and those entering public service professions.

“Graduation is not a ceremonial luxury,” Bradley wrote. “It is a defining moment that recognizes perseverance, academic rigor and personal sacrifice.”