Commencement Mass
For a complete list of Mass instructions, click here.
Friday, May 17
3:45 p.m. - Graduates assemble in the Mooney Fieldhouse (inside Angela Athletic & Wellness Facility)
4:00 p.m. - Procession begins
Attire
This is an academic and liturgical ceremony, so academic regalia is required to participate. This means cap, gown and hood. Approved academic cords, medals and stoles may also be worn.
Order of Procession
For Commencement Mass, the order in which graduates line up is not critical as long as there are two lines of equal length. Form a double line in the hallway of equal numbers. Unlike Commencement, the line you are in and the order you are in do not matter. Nor does it matter if undergraduates and graduate students are mixed together. HOWEVER, THE CORRECT LINEUP FOR COMMENCEMENT IS VITAL.
Commencement Ceremony
For a complete list of ceremony instructions, click here.
Saturday, May 18
10:45 a.m. - Graduates line up at Angela in the Fieldhouse
11:35 a.m. - Procession begins
12 p.m. - Ceremony begins
Attire
The cap (flat on top of the head, tassel on left front), gown, and hood (velvet band by your neck facing outwards, back opened out to show College colors); shoes sensible for the event (remember you will be using stairs and walking in the grass, so pointy heels are not a good choice), preferably in black or blue. Clothing under the gown should be appropriate for the weather (it could be hot, or it could be cold). In recognition of the formality of the occasion, items of apparel such as flashy jewelry and corsages should not be worn; and the caps and gowns should not be further decorated or embellished.
All of the following may be worn: honor cords (for honor societies), pins given at Convocation in August, the medals given to Presidential Scholars, and a single graduation stole recognizing membership and achievement in College organizations. The latter must, however, be approved by the Office of Student Affairs. If you have more than one, you will need to choose ONE to wear. Click here for the list of approved stoles.
Order of Procession
Lists that assign each graduate a procession number (L1, L2, L3…R1, R2, R3…and so on) will be posted in Angela by noon on Friday. It will also be emailed to graduates a few days before the ceremony. These lists designate a graduate’s place in either the left-hand or right-hand line. Names of the graduates who will start a new row of seats will be designated with a star. Those graduates should identify themselves to the Marshal as they come down the aisle.
Receiving the Degree
A Marshal will instruct you when it is time to leave your seats. Wait at the top of the stairs for your name to be called. Once it is read, take the diploma in your left hand and shake the hand of the President with your right. Then cross the stage and go down the other stairs. Return to your seat via the center aisle. In the unlikely event that you receive the wrong diploma, the Registrar’s Office will be open following the ceremony to exchange your diploma.
Order of Recession
The faculty leads the recession, followed by the graduates starting at the front. The procession will disband in front of the Student Center.
IMPORTANT: Either outside or inside, please do not break ranks until a signal is given. If the front of the row stops, your classmates will be trapped in their seats.