To participate in Commencement, master's/C.A.S. graduates must register for the 6 p.m. ceremony and provide tickets for your guests to attend (see Registration & Tickets). Immediately following your ceremony, meet your guests at the festive reception held in the Campbell Student Union. You will all enjoy live entertainment and refreshments together, and you can introduce your family to faculty and staff who attend. No tickets are required for the reception.
Arrive between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. Report to the Ice Arena located in the Sports Arena complex for lineup no later than 5:30 p.m. to be included. Be sure to have your lineup entrance ticket for the 6 PM ceremony.
Doors to the Sports Arena open for guests at 5:00 p.m. (guest tickets required). located at E5 on campus map.
The ceremony runs from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. (approximately)
Note Regarding Children and Tickets
All guests entering the Sports Arena for the ceremony must present a guest ticket. All children also require a guest ticket for admittance. Please be aware that small children likely will be unable to sit through the 1 1/2-hour ceremony. No tickets are required for the reception and all are welcome.
As you enter the lineup area in the Ice Arena, you will receive a name card. Write your name as it should be pronounced and keep the card with you. (During the ceremony, as you walk across the stage, you will hand that name card to a faculty member who will announce you.) Find your place in the lineup with your department as organized by school, or by multidisciplinary studies, or by C.A.S. If you wish to sit with a friend in your academic school, lineup directly behind or in front of that person. Signs will be posted and volunteer ushers will assist you.
Leave your personal belongings with your family and carry only your name card with you and, if you wish, a cell phone with the ringer set to silent and that you can tuck into a pocket under your robe. You may not carry anything in the academic processional or bring with you babies, children, guests, animals (except certified service animals), purse, camera, etc. A program will be on your chair in the Sports Arena.
Master's degree candidates: You will wear your cap and gown and drape your hood over your arm.
Wear the mortarboard square on your head, parallel to the ceiling. The tassel should be on the left front side, as you already have earned a bachelor's degree. You will march in carrying your hood over your right forearm. The velvet trim will be closest to your hand with the narrowest (triangular) section of the hood to the outside. This will ensure that when you extend your arm during hooding, the hooder will grasp the section of the hood that goes over your head. See hooding instructions.
C.A.S. candidates: You will wear your cap, gown, and appropriate master's hood and drape your stole over your arm.
Wear the mortarboard square on your head, parallel to the ceiling. The tassel should be on the left front side, as you have already earned your bachelor's degree. You will march in carrying your stole over your right forearm with the velvet trim closest to your hand. See vesting instructions.
Stay with your group so that you will hear the marching instructions when they are given. A faculty member representing your program will march and sit with your group during the ceremony. The procession will follow the marshals out of the Ice Arena and into the Sports Arena. A program booklet will be on your seat in the arena.
Especially in the arena, closely follow the directions of the marshals so that you have a seat. Do not skip seats or you may have to sit with another group. Once directed to your seat, remain standing for the singing of the national anthem. MALE CANDIDATES: Please remove your caps during the singing of the national anthem. The convener will direct everyone when to be seated.
The faculty member leading your group will later hood or vest you so be sure to stay with them during the procession and when your group is directed to the stage later during the ceremony.
Following the conferring of degrees by President Conway-Turner, the marshals will direct graduates to the stage to be individually hooded or vested and congratulated. Have your name card ready. You may not carry anything or bring anyone with you as you walk across the stage. If you brought a cell phone with you, tuck it into a pocket under your robe.
Just prior to stepping onto stage, a professional photographer will take a formal photo of you individually. Then hand the reader your name card. He or she will announce you as you are hooded. Hand your hood or stole to the faculty member assisting with the hooding and vesting.
Proceed to the area in front of the hooders and vesters to be hooded or vested and face the audience (the hooders and vesters will be on a low platform on stage). The faculty members will place the hood over your cap and head, or drape your stole around your shoulders. Once hooded or vested, proceed across stage to be congratulated by the President and dignitaries. Exit the stage and proceed back to your seat
At the close of the ceremony, you will remain standing at your seats until the Platform Party and faculty have recessed. At that point, follow the seating marshals to exit. You will meet your family outside the arena, where you may proceed to the reception in the Campbell Student Union, located at G6 on the campus map. No tickets are required for the reception.
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