COMMENCEMENT ACTIVITIES
MAY 24, 2009
INSTRUCTIONS TO GRADUATES

Here are some instructions and details for you to follow and use for reference to help make Commencement and Baccalaureate cherished and memorable experiences for you, your family members and guests.

Congratulations!

Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

General Information

Service Locations
Both services, Baccalaureate and Commencement, are held in Shirk Stadium. 

Reserved Seating Tickets
The stadium seats are open to anyone on a first-come, first-served basis. Commencement tickets for reserved seating on the field can be picked up at the Campus Center Main desk after May 13th and will be available on graduation day.  Each graduate is eligible to receive 4 reserved seat tickets for relatives and friends on the stadium field.  On May 12th different departments will be represented in the Campus Center from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., where you can pick up your cap and gown, commencement tickets, etc.

Closed Circuit TV
Guests also may view the Commencement ceremony in Memorial Chapel, via closed circuit TV.

Breakfast and Lunch Tickets Available (free for graduates)
Breakfast:   Served 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the Dining Hall                 Price: $5.00
Lunch:                   Served 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Kelchner Field        Price: $8.00 (children under 5 are free)
Visitors, guests and graduating seniors are invited for breakfast and lunch on Commencement Day; tickets required.  Tickets can be purchased for guests (or in the case of graduates, free tickets secured), at the Cashier’s window in the Administration Building.  Tickets will be available until May 20th.  No tickets will be sold on the day of graduation.

The Albright faculty host the lunch and extend a special invitation to all graduates to attend.  Faculty will be seated by discipline so that you can easily find them.  This is an opportunity to visit with and say good-bye to your favorite faculty.  The faculty very much look forward to seeing you there.

Guests with Special Needs and Disabilities
In order to best meet the needs of family members or guests who have disabilities or require special attention, please call Susan Miller at 7654 or smiller@alb.edu by May 20th so that we can make appropriate arrangements.

Alumni Greetings
If someone in your immediate family (father, mother, brother, sister) is an Albright alumnus/alumna and would like to greet you after you receive your diploma, please contact the Albright Alumni Office at 610-921-7510 by May 20th or alumni@alb.edu.

Inclement Weather
In the event of severe inclement weather, please check the Albright website or call 610-921-7800 to hear an announcement with instructions.  You will be requested to report to the Life Sports Center on the 3rd floor of the gym.  Follow the signs and instructions of marshals when you arrive at the building.

Baccalaureate
Sunday, May 24, 2009   10:00 a.m.
Shirk Stadium

Since this venerable and traditional interfaith service gives graduates and their families a chance to gather together, worship, celebrate and reflect on the future, all graduates are expected to attend the Baccalaureate Service.  Please report to the Campus Center at 9:00 a.m.

If you have reservations about attending, please write a letter or email of explanation to the Provost, Dr. Andrea E. Chapdelaine, to request exclusion.  No tickets are required for guests. 

Attire
Baccalaureate and Commencement are formal events, therefore academic attire will be worn.  Dark slacks and dark shoes are recommended as the most appropriate with the academic costume for men.  Women should wear dark shoes.  Spiked heels are not allowed.  Flowers and decorative jewelry should not be attached to the academic gown.  Women should not pin their caps, as they will need to be removed during the ceremony. Please wear the cap properly, with the tassel on the right side of the cap until your degree has been confirmed at Commencement.

The Service
8:45 a.m. –      Students report, with cap and gown, to the Campus Center to meet
with Dr. Campbell and Dr. Mech for final instructions. 

9:45 a.m. –      The processional begins. Follow the directions from the marshals.
Once the service begins, men are requested to remove their mortarboards (caps) for
the entire service.

Remain standing for the invocation.  Follow the Order of Service carefully as indicated in your program.

Hooding and Recessional
Follow the directions of the marshals for the hooding ceremony and the recessional.  Caps
will not be worn during the hooding ceremony itself, leave on seat when called forward. 
Hooding instructions follow:

1. Students rise as complete rows at signal from one of the faculty marshals starting with first row on east side, and each student places hood over the right arm.
2. Each row moves to the outside aisle and front to riser in single file.
3. Each student stops in front of his or her respective hooder, hands hood to hooder, and
   turns to face the audience.  In unison, from the rear, the faculty members place the hoods
   over the students’ heads and adjust folds in back.
4. When all have received hoods, the faculty member at extreme west will tap the student in front of him/her on shoulder, and following this student, all will return to their seats, single file. The marshals will direct each group back to the proper row and all will be seated.
5. The only changes for the west rows are that each student places hood over the left arm when going forward; the first student in each row stops in front of faculty member at extreme east.  Following the hooding, this same student will lead the row back to their seats via the center aisle.

Commencement
Sunday, May 24    2:30 P.M.
Shirk Stadium
(In case of inclement weather, report to the Life Sports Center at 1:15 p.m.; see note above.)

Processional

1:15 p.m. –      Students report, with cap and gown, to the Campus Center. The marshals will direct the formation of the line for the processional.  The order of march will be faculty, administrators, trustees, platform party, who will form a double line through which the students will pass in A.B. - B.S. alphabetical order.

It is essential that you keep your place in line and remain in the order in which you are listed and announced to the president. This order is most important because your names will be called in alphabetical order when you are presented to Dr. McMillan for your diploma.

2:15 p.m. –      Processional begins. Follow the directions of marshals.  Remain standing for the “National Anthem” and “Invocation.”  Men remove their caps
for the National Anthem, invocation prayer, benediction and Alma Mater.

Conferring Degrees, Presentation of Diplomas
The method of conferring degrees and presentation of diplomas is as follows:

1. The class as a whole will remain seated.
2. Candidates for the A.B. degree will rise as a group when the Provost says:  “Will the candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts please rise?”  Your group will remain
   standing at your seats while the Provost recommends you to the President for your degree.
3. As soon as President McMillan has conferred your degree upon you as a group, all will be seated.  Each row in your group will rise and proceed in alphabetical order to the right side of the platform (as you face it).  Keep at least three feet behind the person in front of you.  There should only be three people on the ramp at any given time:  one at the base, one at the midpoint, and one at the top.
4. When you reach the platform, pause at the top of the ramp for a moment while your name is being announced to the audience.  You will then proceed across the platform
   to the President. The President will then give you your diploma, which you will take in your left hand as you shake hands with your right.
5. You will then continue across the platform and return to your seat following the marshals’’ directions.  You may be seated immediately.
6. The same procedure will then be followed by the B.S. group in order.
7. Once all degrees have been conferred, instructions will be delivered by the class officers to switch the tassel on the cap to the LEFT.

The Recessional
Follow the instructions of the marshals for the recessional.

Additional Notes: 
Bookstore hours for graduation weekend: Sunday, May 21 (9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.)