UNLV's incoming president, Carol Harter, will be the keynote speaker at the university-wide commencement ceremony May 12.

That event marks the beginning of two days of celebrations honoring approximately 2,861 graduates.

The Friday night university-wide event will be followed the next day by diploma-presentation ceremonies hosted by the individual colleges.

The May 12 ceremony will take place at the Thomas & Mack Center, beginning at 7 p.m. That ceremony is open to the public. No tickets are required.

At that ceremony, doctoral candidates will be the only students to receive individual recognition. Students receiving bachelor's and master's degrees will be recognized in groups, college by college.

Also at that ceremony, the 1995 recipients of honorary doctorates and of Distinguished Nevadan awards will be recognized. Receiving honorary doctorates this year will be Kitty Rodman, secretary/treasurer of Sierra Construction Corporation; businessman and land developer Richard Tam; and Melvin B. Wolzinger, president and chief executive officer of Alstate Enterprises.

Chosen to receive Distinguished Nevadan awards this year are Robert T. Bigelow, president of Bigelow Holding Co.; Jack Cason, president of Rebel Gasoline Distributors; and former Clark County Commissioner Thalia Dondero.

Additionally, brief remarks will be made by Gov. Bob Miller; James Eardley, chairman of the University and Community College System of Nevada Board of Regents; and outgoing student government president Stephanie Boixo.

On May 13, the individual colleges will host diploma- presentation ceremonies for their graduates. At those ceremonies, graduates receiving bachelor's and master's degrees will be recognized on an individual basis.

The schedule for the college ceremonies is as follows:

* 9 a.m., College of Health Sciences, Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall.
* 9 a.m., College of Education, Thomas & Mack Center.
* 10 a.m., College of Human Performance & Development, Judy Bayley Theatre.
* noon, College of Science & Mathematics, Ham Concert Hall.
* noon, College of Liberal Arts, Thomas & Mack Center.
* 1 p.m., College of Fine & Performing Arts, Bayley Theatre.
* 3 p.m., Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, Ham Concert Hall.
* 3 p.m., William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, Thomas & Mack Center.
* 3:30 p.m., College of Architecture, Construction Management & Planning, Alumni Amphitheater.
* 6 p.m., College of Business & Economics, Thomas & Mack Center.
* 7 p.m., Greenspun School of Communication, Ham Concert Hall.

Seating at some of the college ceremonies is limited. Members of the public wishing to attend should check with the individual college in advance.

This is the second year that UNLV has used the "commencement weekend" concept with its multiple ceremonies rather than relying on one long ceremony in which every participating graduate walked across the Thomas & Mack stage.

"The single ceremony had become too cumbersome and too long as the university grew," said foreign languages professor Don Schmiedel, who chairs UNLV's commencement committee. "The new format with its individual college ceremonies was well received last year. Graduates, their families, and the professors all seemed to like the smaller, more personalized college ceremonies."