Albright College - Commencement



Albright College Baccalaureate & Commencement Sunday, May 24, 2009 Commencement will be held in Gene Shirk Stadium Rain or Shine
Instructions to Seniors General Information Schedule Tickets and Seating Parking and Additional Assistance Family Greeting Photography & Videos Commencement Flowers Adirondack Chairs for Your Graduate Severe Weather Plan College Dining Services Caps and Gowns Directions to Albright College Lodging in the area Restaurants in the area If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Albright College at 610-921-7654 or smiller@alb.edu. SCHEDULE Graduation ceremonies will be held on Sunday, May 24, 2009, in Gene Shirk Stadium. Schedule: 10:00 a.m. Baccalaureate Service 11:30 a.m. Lunch on Kelchner Field 2:30 p.m. Commencement Ceremony top TICKETS and SEATING Students will be given four reserved seat tickets (on the field of the stadium) for Commencement. No tickets are needed for the Baccalaureate service. For both ceremonies, there is ample seating in the stands of the stadium. Additional seating is available on the visitor’s side of the field. NO SPIKED HEELS ARE ALLOWED ON THE TURF. In addition, six tickets will be provided in case of severe weather requiring that the ceremony be moved indoors. Tickets can be picked up during Senior Night on May 12, 2009, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Campus Center. Tickets also will be available at the Campus Center desk after May 12, 2009, and on Commencement Day. Students must show identification and sign for the tickets at the time of pick-up. Students must pick up their own tickets. The main gate of Gene Shirk Stadium at the corner of 12th and Exeter opens at 9 a.m. for Baccalaureate and reopens at 1 p.m. for Commencement. Guests are asked to be in their seats prior to 9:45 a.m. for Baccalaureate and 2:15 p.m. for Commencement. All seating is on a “first come” basis. In addition to the outside seating, indoor seating is available in Memorial Chapel, an air-conditioned location equipped with a closed-circuit TV connection to the Commencement service. The ceremonies will be held “rain or shine” and all attendees should dress accordingly. In the event of severe weather, please see the section describing our severe weather plan for more information. top PARKING AND ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE Adequate parking for parents and guests of graduates is available on the streets surrounding the campus. The Bollman Center and 13th & Union Elementary School parking lots will be open. If a member of a graduate’s family is in a wheelchair, has a hearing impairment or has other special needs, please contact Susan Miller at 610-921-7654 or smiller@alb.edu to make arrangements by May 20, 2009. After 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 22, please call 610-921-2381 with any emergencies. top FAMILY GREETING If someone in the student’s immediate family (father, mother, brother, sister) is an Albright alumnus/alumna and would like to greet the student after he or she receives a diploma, please contact the Albright Alumni Relations Office at alumni@alb.edu or 610-921-7510 for further instructions. top PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOS A national collegiate photographic house will take photographs of graduates during the diploma presentation portion of the Commencement ceremony. Following graduation weekend, you will receive, directly from the studio, a color proof for your review and instructions for ordering prints. There will be a designated area on the field for reserved seating guests to take pictures. top COMMENCEMENT FLOWERS If you would like to present your graduate with flowers, fresh flowers will be available for purchase at the Albright College Commencement Ceremony or are available for pre-order by clicking the following link: http://www.commencementflowers.com/index.php?id=ALBR1. If you pre-order the flowers, they can be picked up prior to the ceremony just inside the entrance. top ADIRONDACK CHAIRS FOR YOUR GRADUATE Parents, grandparents, family members, and friends can purchase a Red Adirondack Chair for your graduate for only $150.00. Your purchase is a tax-deductible donation to Albright College. We will have a plate engraved that will be permanently affixed to the back of the chair—these chairs are scattered across our campus for the benefit of our students. We hold classes, seminars, and small group meetings outside using these chairs, but most important, they are a great place for members of our community to come together for conversation or relaxation. The wording on the plaque is highly flexible, examples follow. Example #1: In honor of Michelle Johnson, Class of 2009 Given by her Parents Example #2: Congratulations! Michelle Johnson, ‘09 We are so proud of you…Mom & Dad Example #3: Michelle Johnson’s Chair Class of 2009 Please see attached form for additional information. Please mail your order forms to: Albright College Office of the President Thirteenth & Bern Streets P.O. Box 15234 Reading, PA 19612-5234 jbraddock@alb.edu Order forms should be submitted no later than – Friday, May 15, 2009, for your graduate to appreciate the Adirondack chair as a Commencement gift. top SEVERE WEATHER PLAN In the event of severe foul weather, the ceremonies will be held in Bollman Gym. In case of being indoors, Peg's Cafe will close 15 minutes prior to either procession and the vending machines will be shut down for both programs. If Commencement is relocated to Bollman Gym, attendance will be restricted to only those guests holding tickets. The College will announce location changes by 7 a.m. for Baccalaureate and by 11 a.m. for Commencement. Guests with special needs or physical limitations may be dropped off at the ramp entrance to the Schumo Center on 13th street or the rear of the gym on Richmond and Birch. All other guests may enter under the Life Sports Center on Birch Street. To communicate decisions about weather issues, a special broadcast message will be posted on the College Voice Mail System, the Albright Hotline (x7800 or 610-921-7800), and on the web. Faculty, staff and students should check College voice mail messages from campus or home. From your campus phone, call Albright voice mail at x7898 to check for messages. From off-campus, dial the Albright voice mail system at 610-921-7898. Press * (star) and enter your ID (your extension number) followed by # and your password and listen to the broadcast message. Families and off-campus friends should call the Albright Hotline at 610-921-7800. You may not be able to connect to the Hotline because of the volume of calls; please be patient if you cannot get through immediately. top COLLEGE DINING SERVICES Breakfast Breakfast will be served in the Campus Center Dining Hall from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. at a cost of $5 per ticket for guests and graduates. Children under 5 are free. Guest tickets can be purchased, and free tickets for seniors can be picked up at the Cashier’s window in the Administration Building until May 20th. (No tickets will be sold on the day of graduation.) Lunch Lunch will be held on Kelchner Field and served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will be hosted by the Albright faculty. Tickets will be available from the cashier’s window in the Administration Building from May 1st through May 20, 2009. Graduates will receive a free ticket. The cost for guests is $8. Children under 5 are free. (No tickets will be sold on the day of graduation.) A van and golf cart will be available to transport handicapped guests to Kelchner field. top CAPS AND GOWNS Beginning May 13, caps and gowns can be secured in the Bookstore between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or at Senior Night on Monday, May 12 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. top If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Albright College at 610-921-7654 or smiller@alb.edu.