Faculty Information for Commencement

Faculty during Graduation Processional in Mitchell Center.

Participation in Commencement

All full-time faculty members are requested to be present in academic regalia at the Spring 2024 commencement ceremonies which will be held on Saturday, May 4.   Faculty regalia orders may be placed with Graduate Supply House at https://gradsupply.com/usa-faculty/. The deadline for Spring 2024 faculty regalia orders is Monday, April 15, by 11:59 p.m. There will be two ceremonies and the faculty should attend the ceremony for their college or school.

Saturday, May 4, 9:30 a.m. Ceremony - General faculty for the following colleges and schools should arrive at the Mitchell Center, Room 1102, (via Entry 3) no later than 8:45 a.m. for robing and then go to Room 1101 for the lineup.

Baccalaureate Degrees

  • College of Engineering
  • College of Nursing
  • Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions
  • School of Computing

Masters Degrees

  • College of Engineering
  • College of Nursing
  • Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions
  • School of Computing

Doctoral Degrees

  • College of Engineering
  • College of Medicine
  • College of Nursing
  • Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions
  • School of Computing

 

Saturday, May 4, 2:00 p.m. Ceremony - General faculty for the following colleges should arrive at the Mitchell Center, Room 1102, (via Entry 3) no later than 1:15 p.m. for robing and then go to Room 1101 for the lineup.

Baccalaureate Degrees

  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • College of Education and Professional Studies
  • Mitchell College of Business

Masters Degrees

  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • College of Education and Professional Studies
  • Mitchell College of Business
  • The Graduate School

Doctoral Degrees

  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • College of Education and Professional Studies
  • Mitchell College of Business
  • The Graduate School

Parking

Parking for faculty is located in the lot near the former Engineering Building and the Gamma Residence Halls. You must have your faculty parking hang tag in order to park in this lot. 

Ceremony

Faculty will line up in double file in the Mitchell Center, Room 1101. Lead Faculty Marshals will oversee the faculty line up process.

After the students have processed into the arena the Faculty Marshals will lead the faculty into the arena in two rows down the center aisle to the front of the stage.  When approaching the stage, each row splits off (left and right) and walks toward the ropes.  Two Registrar staff members will assist in directing the faculty to the SE and SW stairwells to the concourse level. Faculty marshals will assist with seating in the designated faculty sections. Please remain standing for the Platform Party Processional, Presentation of Colors, the National Anthem, and Invocation.

As degrees are being conferred, you will be asked to stand when your college is introduced.

At the end of the ceremony, when the Platform Party exists the arena, the Faculty Marshals will direct the faculty out of the arena beginning with the last row in each section.  The faculty will exit through the South East hallway which is the Athletic Administration side of the arena.  Do not recess through the South West hallway as the platform party exits through this hallway.  Return to rooms 1101 and 1102 to turn in your rented academic regalia to the Bookstore representatives. 

Please note:  Valuables should not be brought to the Mitchell Center since the robing area is not secure.

▼   Faculty Marshal Information

Arrival Time: One hour before the ceremony. (Lead Faculty Marshals)
                     Forty-five minute before the ceremony. (Faculty Marshals)
Marshal Parking: Faculty Court South
Robing Area: Mitchell Center, Room 1102
Line-up Area: Mitchell Center, Room 1101

Instructions

Faculty process down the Arena center aisle, split left and right, proceed to the stairwells behind the stage, ascend the stairs and enter into appropriate Concourse-level Portals for seating.

An instructional sheet will be e-mailed to you prior to the commencement ceremony. Please read carefully and contact the Registrar’s Office, (251) 460-6251, Option 4, if you have any questions.

At the end of the ceremony, return your stoles to one of the lead marshals.

NOTE: If you cannot attend the ceremony, notify the Registrar’s Office, (251) 460-6251, Option 4, no later than noon on Monday, April 29.

There will be a Faculty Marshal meeting on Tuesday, April 30, at 3:00 p.m. in the Mitchell Center arena if you wish to practice.

▼   Chief Marshal Information

Arrival Time: Thirty minutes before the ceremony
Marshal Parking: Faculty Court South
Robing Area: Mitchell Center, Room 1615
Line-up Area: Mitchell Center, Room 1613

Instructions

NOTE: Registrar staff will be in the arena from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30, if you wish to practice.

 • Obtain mace thirty minutes before the ceremony from Mitchell Center, Room 1613.

• Meet students at northeast entrance of the Mitchell Center Arena ten minutes before the ceremony.

• Lead students into arena precisely at the start of the ceremony.

• Stand at bottom of Platform center steps (stage right) while the faculty split into separate rows and marches to the stairwells. Remain at the bottom of center steps until the platform party arrives.

• Follow platform party up center steps to stage. Go to Row 4 (at edge of stage) and place mace in stand, and be seated on Row 4.

• At the end of the ceremony, lead the platform party off the stage and down the center aisle exiting the arena out of the northwest portal.

• Return mace to Mitchell Center, Room 1613.

▼   Student Marshal Information

Arrival Time: One hour and fifteen minutes before the ceremony
Marshal Parking: Faculty Court South
Line-up Area: HKS Building, East Gym

Instructions

An instructional sheet will be e-mailed to you prior to the commencement ceremony. Please read carefully and contact the Registrar’s Office, (251) 460-6251, Option 4, if you have any questions.

NOTE: If you cannot attend the ceremony, notify the Registrar’s Office, (251) 460-6251, Option 4, no later than noon on Monday, April 29.

There will be a Student Marshal meeting on Tuesday, April 30, at 3:30 p.m. in the Mitchell Center arena if you wish to practice.

▼   Gonfalonier Information

Arrival Time: Thirty minutes before the ceremony
Parking: Faculty Court South
Line-up Area: Mitchell Center, Room 1106

Instructions

• Report to Mitchell Center, Room 1106 for distribution of gonfalons and line-up.

• Students will process to the Mitchell Center and arrive at the northeast door at approximately five minutes before the ceremony.

• As students process into the building, you merge into the lineup in front of your dean and the student carrying the sign for your college.

• NOTE: The order of entering the arena: Chief Marshal, the University Gonfalonier, College Gonfalonier, Dean, Students for their college..

• NOTE: Gonfaloniers will receive an instruction sheet the week before commencement detailing the order of the colleges on the arena floor.

• You will remain in place for the platform party processional, Presentation of Colors, the National Anthem, and Invocation.

• When President Waldrop directs everyone to be seated, you will be seated behind the student section on the arena floor.

• In the recessional, you will follow the platform party out of the arena and exit to the right, out of the same door you entered. Note, the platform party will be exiting to the left.

• You do not recess with the gonfalons.

NOTE: If you cannot attend the ceremony, notify the Registrar’s Office, (251) 460-6251, Option 4, no later than noon on Monday, April 29.

There will be a Gonfalonier meeting on Tuesday, April 30, at 2:30 p.m. in the Mitchell Center arena if you wish to practice.

▼   Dean Information

Arrival Time: Thirty minutes before the ceremony
Robing Area:  Mitchell Center, Rooms 1615 and 1616
Lineup Area:  John Counts hallway

Instructions Enter the arena at ten minutes prior to the ceremony through the faculty/platform entrance. At five minutes prior to the ceremony, as students process into the building, the gonfalonier will merge into the lineup in front of the first student for the college. When the gonfalonier for your college enters the arena, follow the gonfalonier and lead the students up the center aisle. You will go to the front of the arena and stand at your designated place facing the students. Please remain standing for the processional of the students, faculty and the platform party. As the last person in the platform party goes onto the stage, follow and go to the second row to be seated.

There will be a voluntary walk-through on Tuesday, April 30, at 2:00 p.m. in the Mitchell Center arena if you wish to practice.

▼   Reader Information

Arrival Time: One hour before the ceremony.
Parking: Faculty Court South
Location: HKS Building, West Gym

Instructions

A memo with instructions will be e-mailed to you prior to the commencement ceremony. Please read carefully and contact the Registrar’s Office, (251) 460-6251, Option 4, if you have any questions.

NOTE: If you cannot attend the ceremony, notify the Registrar’s Office, (251) 460-6251, Option 4, no later than noon on Monday, April 29.

Revised 02/05/2024