For thousands of students, their time at UA will draw to a close Saturday, as they graduate in the university's 128th Commencement Exercises.

University President Pete Likins will confer degrees to almost 5,000 students, including 3,558 undergraduates, 822 masters, 221 doctoral, 10 specialist, 91 medical, 50 pharmacy, and 136 juris doctoral students. Two honorary degrees will also be awarded.

I hope we will have a commencement that is celebratory · and respectful - UA President Pete Likins

In addition, the ceremonies will feature what Likins called two "very, very high profile" commencement speakers.

Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano will speak at the 9 a.m. ceremony, and Republican Senator John Kyl will speak at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony.

For the past two years, UA has not hosted commencement speakers at the spring ceremony, and Likins said that organizers thought carefully about the decision they made this year.

One factor that they considered was tortilla throwing during the ceremony, Likins said, adding that guests often do not understand or appreciate why students throw food around during the ceremonies.

"I hope we will have a commencement that is celebratory and that is respectful of our guests," Likins said.

Both ceremonies will take place in McKale Center, 1721 E. Enke Drive.

The morning ceremony is for the colleges of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, Education, Engineering and Mines, Humanities, the Eller College of Business and Public Administration and the James E. Rogers College of Law.

The afternoon ceremony will be for students in the Arizona International College, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fine Arts, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences and the School of Health Professions.

While Likins stated in his invitation to graduates that McKale will be able to house all guests, there are other options for those who cannot attend commencement in person.

According to the commencement Web site, it will be broadcast from 9 a.m. to noon on Cox Communications channel 76, People's Choice TV channel 48, or online at www.kuatmultimedia.org.