May 2013 Commencement Instructions
CAP & GOWNS: When picking up your cap, gown, and hood, you will also receive a card with your name, the degree you are earning, your school, and a number on it must be brought to the Commencement Ceremony. It will be used for student lineup and when your name is announced on stage.
TASSELS: Undergraduate students should wear tassels on the right side of their caps when processing to the seating area. Tassels should be moved to the left side when the President confers your degree (see Item 6). Graduate students have already received a college degree and should wear tassels on the left side of their caps throughout the ceremony.
DRESS: Please note that the PNC Arts Center is an open-air venue that provides protection from the rain but not the temperature. Graduates and guests are advised to dress accordingly taking into account this is a dignified ceremony.
ASSEMBLY AREA: Report to the student assembly area at the PNC Bank Arts Center by 12:30 p.m. on Commencement Day. Look for signs indicating where your school is assembling. University personnel will assist you in lining up. This area is not protected from the weather. If there is inclement weather, graduates will be pre-seated.
PROCESSIONAL: Weather permitting, you will be instructed to line up in numerical order according to the card you received at cap and gown pickup. Staff will be there to assist you. SAVE YOUR CARD. You will hand it to the announcer during the ceremony and your name will be read. When taking your seat, be sure to sit directly next to the person preceding you.
The line of march will be as follows: Faculty Marshals, Faculty, Student Marshals, and Graduates.
CONFERRAL OF DEGREES: Degrees will be awarded by school. The Dean of each school will ask candidates to come forward and be recognized (e.g., Bachelor of Arts, etc.). The President will then say, "…I confer upon you the degree you have earned, with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto." AT THAT TIME:
- Students receiving a bachelor’s degree will move their tassels from the right side of their caps to the left side.
- Candidates will come to the podium. Each graduate will hand the announcer his/her card with name-side up. Tell the announcer your full name to ensure correct pronunciation.
- As the announcer reads your name, move to the Dean of your school, shake his/her hand, move to Provost Pearson to receive your commemorative scroll, then to President Gaffney to shake his hand.
- Walk down the stairs opposite the ramp you walked up and return to your seat. Staff will direct you. Please note that you may not be returning to the same seat. You will, however, return to the same row.
- Be sure to sit in the seat directly next to the person preceding you.
STUDENTS ARE REMINDED THAT THEY MUST RETURN TO THE SEATING AREA AFTER LEAVING THE STAGE. OUT OF RESPECT FOR ALL STUDENTS BEING RECOGNIZED, PARTICIPANTS ARE REQUIRED TO REMAIN UNTIL THE FACULTY AND PLATFORM PARTY HAVE RECESSED FROM THE AMPHITHEATER.
GUESTS: Guests are requested to take their seats by 1 p.m. and to remain seated until the faculty have left the area at the conclusion of the ceremony. Each student will receive five (5) guest tickets for seating in the amphitheater. No one will be admitted to the seating area without a ticket. The gates to the Arts Center will open at 11 a.m. on Commencement Day.
Weather permitting, additional seating will be available on the lawn. Tickets are not required for this area.
SPECIAL NEEDS: An area has been reserved for guests requiring special accommodations and space for one person to assist them. The Office of Student and Community Services has requested the names of anyone requiring special seating by Thursday, May 10. Please note that guests in this area must have tickets.
PARKING: Parking is ample at the PNC Bank Arts Center, but you may be required to park in one of the remote areas. If you do park in one of the lots on the perimeter of the Arts Center, shuttle buses will be available for you and your guests. Please follow the directions of the parking attendants. Also, please note that traffic will be heavy on Commencement Day and additional time should be allotted for travel to and from the Arts Center.
DIPLOMAS: Diplomas will be mailed to your preferred mailing address by the Office of Registration and Records and should arrive within two weeks. You will receive a commemorative scroll on stage.
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: A professional photographer will be on hand to photograph each graduate as they receive their commemorative scroll. GradImages will mail the proof to your home address.
REMINDERS:
