Ray Bailey

UNC Asheville will hold its Winter Commencement Ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday in UNCA’s Justice Center.
Some 220 students are candidates for bachelor’s and Master of Liberal Arts degrees.

A reception for graduates and their families will be held in the UNCA Health & Fitness Center immediately following the ceremony. Tickets are required for seats in the Justice Center; no tickets are required to watch the ceremony via remote broadcast in the Health & Fitness Center.

The commencement address will be given by K. Ray Bailey, president emeritus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and long-time champion of higher education in Western North Carolina.

UNCA Chancellor Anne Ponder will present the Chancellor’s Medallion, the University’s highest non-academic distinction, to Bailey during the ceremony. The medallion is given at the discretion of the chancellor to honor individuals who demonstrate the highest commitment to community service, public leadership or enhancement to the university.

Bailey, who served as president of A-B Tech for 16 years, was known for creating effective partnerships with business and industry, other community colleges, schools and four-year colleges to enhance the region’s economic development.

He has served as a board member and chair of more than 30 civic organizations and was named one of the most influential people in Buncombe County in a survey of community leaders conducted by the Asheville Citizen-Times.

In case of severe winter weather, the ceremony will be postponed to 1 p.m. Sunday. Information will be posted on UNCA’s homepage at www.unca.edu and on the university’s Snowline at 259-3050.