Commencement at Albright College

Baccalaureate, May 17, 2019, 4 p.m.
Speaker: Rev. Robert L. Johnson ’ 91

Commencement, May 18, 2019, 10 a.m.
Speaker: Jane Golden, Founder and Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia

Receiving honorary degree: Jane Golden (Commencement Speaker)

Honoris Causa (trans. “for the sake of honor”)
An honorary degree is conferred in recognition of exemplary scholarship, outstanding creative achievement, or distinguished public service. The credentials of candidates are reviewed by a special committee whose recommendations are approved by the faculty and trustees of the College.

Honorary degrees have been awarded by American institutions of higher learning since Harvard conferred the doctor of sacred theology on its president, Increase Mather, in 1692. Most honorary degrees take the form of doctorates, for example, doctor of laws, humane letters, divinity, science, literature, letters or music.

Albright College has conferred honorary degrees upon notable individuals including Nobel Prize winner Phillip Sharp; novelist and Reading native John Updike; pianist André Watts; children’s activist Marian Wright Edelman; African writer and prisoner of conscience Ngugi wa Thiong’o; author and conservationist Jane Goodall; poet and author Maya Angelou; Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell and the First Lady of Pennsylvania, the Honorable Marjorie O. Rendell; Oscar Arias, Nobel Peace laureate and former president of Costa Rica; author Kathleen Norris; and human rights activist John Prendergast. We are proud to welcome today’s honorees into this society of outstanding individuals.

From the Student Accounts Office:

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! It is important to be aware that in addition to the academic requirements, the student should verify their student account is in good standing with the College by reviewing their account via LionPay or checking with the Student Accounts Office located in the Student Services Center across from Sylvan Pond.

Additional information can be found here.

Order your cap and gown, personalized commencement announcements, and diploma frames here.

A step-by-step guide to ordering your regalia is here.

Friday, May 17

Mandatory Practice Line-up for all Graduates: (McMillan Student Center Main Lounge)

All graduates are required to attend this practice line-up so that your name is correctly pronounced as you walk across the stage and so that we can rehearse the ceremony.  If you are absolutely not able to attend the event, please email Dr. Karen Campbell (kcampbell@albright.edu). 

• Bachelor of Arts and Graduate Students arrive at 1:30 p.m. Candidates for Master’s Degree should also arrive at 1:30 p.m.
• Bachelor of Science arrive at 2:45 p.m.

2:30 p.m. Doors open to Memorial Chapel — begin seating guests
3:15 p.m. Faculty Robing for Baccalaureate
4 p.m. Baccalaureate Service (Memorial Chapel)

• Baccalaureate Speaker: Rev. Robert L. Johnson ’ 91

Saturday, May 18
8:30 a.m. Santander Arena doors open to guests
8:30 a.m. Robing for Commencement
9:40 a.m. Processional begins (Guests please be seated before the processional begins)
10 a.m. Commencement Ceremony (Santander Arena)
Traditional undergraduate, SPS and graduate students

• Commencement Speaker: Jane Golden, Founder and Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia
• Receiving honorary degree: Jane Golden, Commencement Speaker

Commencement Day Meet and Greet approx. 12:30 p.m. (Santander Arena)
Meet and greet for ALL graduates and their families, follows the Commencement Ceremony. Graduates and their families will gather in the concourse areas according to academic discipline, SPS, or graduate program. All faculty, administrators, trustees, and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend to say farewell and celebrate the Class of 2019. Food is available for purchase on the main concourse.

Baccalaureate is an inter-faith religious service that begins the commencement weekend activities for our graduates and their families. Although optional, this event is attended by many graduates, their families, and friends. The ceremony takes less than one hour in total.

Baccalaureate takes place on Friday afternoon of Commencement weekend at 4 p.m. in Memorial Chapel. Students do not wear caps and gowns at Baccalaureate. The Faculty wear academic regalia and will process into the Chapel. Other College staff may choose to sit with the families and friends of graduates. Seating is limited. Plan to arrive early as seats fill quickly.

TICKETS ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR BACCALAUREATE. We ask that all students, families and friends be in their seats no later than 3:45 p.m. and the service will begin promptly at 4 p.m. Doors to Memorial Chapel will open at 2:30 p.m.

Please note a few key items:

• COMMENCEMENT DAY SEATING:
  • TICKETS ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR COMMENCEMENT
  • Doors open in Santander Arena beginning at 8:30 a.m. Guests will be allowed to enter the seating area on Saturday, May 18 beginning at 8:30 a.m. We ask that you PLEASE DO NOT RESERVE SEATS. Seating is first-come, first-served.
  • Santander Arena does not allow strollers or helium balloons in the arena.  No bullhorns, please.

• FLOWERS: For our guests’ convenience, family and friends may purchase flowers for graduates on Commencement day in the lobby of the Santander Arena. Bouquet prices will range from $20-$30; cash, check, and major credit cards will be accepted. The on-site sale will continue while supplies last. Guests who would like to place advance orders for flowers (which would be pre-purchased and available for pick up on Commencement day) may visit www.commencementflowers.com/index.php/albright.

Graduates,

Graduation ceremonies are fast-approaching! The College views this as the most important day of the year and we all look forward to celebrating your accomplishments on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at 10 a.m. Below you will find information to help make Commencement a cherished and memorable experience for you, your family members and guests.

Congratulations!

Kathy Cafoncelli ‘99
Director of Commencement

General Information

Tickets —Tickets are not required for the Baccalaureate ceremony or the Commencement ceremony.

Caps and Gowns — traditional day students and graduate program: Academic regalia (cap, gown, hood, and tassel) must be ordered online from Herff Jones NO LATER than Monday, April 1. Please order at http://colleges.herffjones.com/college/_albright/

Caps and Gowns — SPS students: Caps and gowns will be available for pick-up at the Albright College Bookstore during the Cohort Completion Dinner. Should you be unable to pick-up your cap and gown that evening, please contact the Bookstore as soon as possible to make other arrangements. Please visit this page for more information.

Social Media: Share Commencement photos, videos, memories and congratulations using #Albright2019. Join the conversation on Albright’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Snapchat (@AlbrightCollege). And watch for a special Snapchat filter, available for Baccalaureate and Commencement.

Accessibility Needs
If a member of a graduate’s family is in a wheelchair, has a hearing impairment, or requires impairment related accommodations on Commencement Day, please complete this form or contact the Office of Disability Services at 610-921-7503 to make arrangements.

Legacy Alumni Greetings
If someone in your immediate family and/or direct lineage (parent, grandparent, sibling, spouse, children and grandchildren) is an Albright alumnus/alumna and would like to greet you after you receive your diploma, please contact Alumni & Donor Engagement at 610-921-7510 or alumni@albright.edu by Friday, May 3, 2019.

Bookstore
For your convenience, family and friends may purchase a few bookstore items at the Commencement ceremony.  The campus bookstore will be closed on Commencement Day.

Attire
Commencement is a formal event. Dark slacks and dark shoes are recommended as the most appropriate with the academic costume for men. Women should wear dark shoes.

Flowers and decorative jewelry should not be attached to the academic gown. Please wear the cap properly, with the tassel on the right side of the cap until your degree has been conferred during Commencement.

Only authorized cords and stoles may be worn on the academic gown. Recognized student organizations may apply for authorization to wear a cord by contacting Karen Shuker in the Provost’s Office via email at kshuker@albright.edu. Requests must be made no later than April 12, 2019.

Mandatory Practice Line-up for all Graduates: (McMillan Student Center Main Lounge)
Friday, May 17

All graduates are required to attend this practice line-up so that your name is correctly pronounced as you walk across the stage and so that we can rehearse the ceremony.  If you are absolutely not able to attend the event, please email Dr. Karen Campbell (kcampbell@albright.edu). 

• Bachelor of Arts and Graduate Students arrive at 1:30 p.m.
• Bachelor of Science arrive at 2:45 p.m.

Processional
8:30 a.m. Saturday morning — Graduates report, with cap, gown and hood. Please enter the Santander Arena at the Press Entrance on Penn Street, where you will be checked in and guided where to line up. The Marshals will direct the formation of the line for the processional. The order of march will be faculty, administrators, trustees, and platform party, who will form a double line through which the graduates will pass in M.A. alphabetical, M.S. alphabetical, B.A. alphabetical, and 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. Fetrow for your diploma.

Graduates rise as complete rows at signal from one of the faculty marshals. Each graduate places their hood over their right arm.

9:40 a.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:

MASTER’S DEGREE

1. Candidates for the M.A. and M.S. degrees will rise as a group when prompted: “President Fetrow, it is my pleasure to present to you the members of the Class of 2019 who are candidates for the master’s degree. Having satisfied all of the requirements of our curriculum, these candidates are recommended to you by the faculty for the degree of master of arts and master of science.”
2. As soon as the President has conferred your degree upon you as a group, you will be instructed by the Marshals to proceed to the right side of the stage (as you face it) to be hooded and receive your diploma.
3. When you reach the stage, pause for a moment while your name is being announced to the audience. You will then proceed to have your hood placed over your shoulders. Then proceed to the President. The President will hand you your diploma, which you will take in your left hand as you shake hands with your right.
4. You will then continue across the stage and return to your seat following the Marshals’ directions. You may be seated immediately.

BACHELOR OF ARTS

1. Candidates for the B.A. 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.
2. As soon as President Fetrow 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.
3. 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 to a faculty member on the platform to have your hood put on. Then proceed 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.
4. You will then continue across the platform and return to your seat following the Marshals’ directions. You may be seated immediately.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

1. Candidates for the B.S. degree will rise as a group when the Provost says: “Will the candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science please rise?” Your group will remain standing at your seats while the Provost recommends you to the President for your degree.
2. As soon as President Fetrow 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.
3. 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 to a faculty member on the platform to have your hood put on. Then proceed 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.
4. You will then continue across the platform and return to your seat following the Marshals’ directions. You may be seated immediately.

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.

Commencement Day Meet and Greet approx. 12:30 p.m. (Santander Arena)
Meet and Greet for ALL graduates and their families, follows the Commencement Ceremony. Graduates and their families will gather in the concourse areas according to academic discipline, SPS, or graduate program. All faculty, administrators, trustees, and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend to say farewell and celebrate the Class of 2019. Food is available for purchase on the main concourse.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• • Baccalaureate Service will be held in Memorial Chapel on Friday, May 17, 2019 at 4 p.m.
  • Faculty and administrators who plan on processing should report to the basement of Memorial Chapel for robing by 3:15 p.m.
  • The processional will begin at 3:50 p.m.
  • Commencement Ceremony for traditional day, School of Professional Studies, and graduate students will be held, on Saturday, May 18, 2018 at 10 a.m. in the Santander Arena.
  • Faculty and administrators should report to the Santander Arena for robing by 8:30 a.m. Please enter the Santander Arena at the the loading dock area, before the railroad tracks on Penn Street, where you will be checked in and guided where to line up.
  • The order of lineup for the processional will be faculty, administrators, trustees, and the platform party, who will form a double line through which the seniors will pass in M.A., M.S., B.A., and B.S., alphabetical order.
  • The processional will begin promptly at 9:40 a.m.

• If you are planning on processing and need a robe, please contact the Bookstore as soon as possible, but no later than Monday, April 1, 2019.
• Celebrate the grads on social media! Share Commencement posts using #Albright2019 and join the conversation on Albright’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Snapchat (@AlbrightCollege). Watch for a special Snapchat filter, available for Baccalaureate and Commencement.

PARKING FOR COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

The Santander Arena has arranged with the Reading Parking Authority the following parking lot and garage costs:

• $5.00 – State Lot: 644 South 7th Street
• $5.00 – DoubleTree Garage: 600 Court Street
• $2.00 – South Penn: 635 Franklin Street
• $2.00 – Reed and Court: 666 Court Street

Handicap Parking available in several parking garages.  See information available at https://readingparking.com/handicap-parking/

Commencement Day Meet and Greet approx. 12:30 p.m. (Santander Arena)
Meet and Greet for ALL graduates and their families, follows the Commencement Ceremony. Graduates and their families will gather in the concourse areas according to academic discipline, SPS, or graduate program. All faculty, administrators, trustees, and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend to say farewell and celebrate the Class of 2019. Food is available for purchase on the main concourse.

Should you have any questions or need clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact me or anyone in the president’s office. Thank you for helping to make Commencement weekend special and memorable for all of our graduating students.

Dear Class of 2019 Parent, Spouse, Family Member or Friend:

Commencement is the most important day in a student’s academic career, and all of us at Albright College want to make it a wonderful and memorable day.

The Baccalaureate Service will be held on Friday, May 17, 2019 in Memorial Chapel at 4 p.m.
Our Baccalaureate Speaker: Rev. Robert L. Johnson ’ 91

The Commencement Ceremony will be held the following morning, Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 10 a.m. in the Santander Arena.
Our Commencement Speaker: Jane Golden, Founder and Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia

The following are several important pieces of information for you to consider:

• Legacy Alumni Greetings: If you are a graduate of the College and related to the 2019 graduate by immediate family or via direct lineage (parent, grandparent, child, brother, sister, spouse/partner), please contact Alumni & Donor Engagement at 610-921-7510 or alumni@albright.edu by Friday, May 3, 2019, if you would like the opportunity to greet your graduate as they walk off the stage on Commencement Day.
• The Commencement ceremony takes place in the Santander Arena.
• Doors open in Santander Arena beginning at 8:30 a.m. Guests will be allowed to enter the seating area on Saturday, May 18 beginning at 8:30 a.m. We ask that you PLEASE DO NOT RESERVE SEATS. Seating is first-come, first-served.
• Santander Arena does not allow strollers or helium balloons in the arena.  No bullhorns, please.
• Tickets are not required for the Baccalaureate ceremony or the Commencement ceremony.
• Celebrate the grads on social media! Share Commencement posts using #Albright2019 and join the conversation on Albright’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Snapchat (@AlbrightCollege). Watch for a special Snapchat filter, available for Baccalaureate and Commencement.
• Commencement Day Meet and Greet approx. 12:30 p.m. (Santander Arena)
  Meet and Greet for ALL graduates and their families, follows the Commencement Ceremony. Graduates and their families will gather in the concourse areas according to academic discipline, SPS, or graduate program. All faculty, administrators, trustees, and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend to say farewell and celebrate the Class of 2019. Food is available for purchase on the main concourse.

If you have questions, please contact the Commencement Office at commencement@albright.edu or via phone at 610-921-7575.

Thank you for helping to make our Commencement a safe and memorable day for our graduates, families and friends. I look forward to celebrating our students’ accomplishments with you on May 18.

Sincerely,

Kathy L. Cafoncelli ’99
Director of Commencement

Santander Arena
700 Penn Street
Reading, PA 19602

http://www.santander-arena.com/

Directions to Santander Arena

One of the two eastbound lanes is restricted (heading into the city) on the bridge.

Detour Information:

US 422 West Ramp to Penn Street is closed and detoured. The posted detour utilizes the Business 222/Lancaster Avenue exit to Bingaman Street and Fifth Street. Motorists who miss the Lancaster Avenue exit can also use the North Wyomissing Boulevard exit to North Wyomissing Boulevard and then Park Road to access Penn Street.

PARKING

The Santander Arena has arranged with the Reading Parking Authority the following parking lot and garage costs:

• $5.00 – State Lot: 644 South 7th Street
• $5.00 – DoubleTree Garage: 600 Court Street
• $2.00 – South Penn: 635 Franklin Street
• $2.00 – Reed and Court: 666 Court Street

Handicap Parking available in several parking garages.  See information available at https://readingparking.com/handicap-parking/

If a member of a graduate’s family is in a wheelchair, has a hearing impairment, or requires impairment related accommodations on Commencement Day, please complete this form or contact the Office of Disability Services at disabilityservices@albright.edu or 610-929-6639 to make arrangements.If a guest is assigned seating in the Accessible Seating Section, the guest’s name and his or her companion (one companion per guest) will be on the Accessible Seating list with the Ushers. The guest will be shown to the Accessible Seating section. Pets are not permitted, but service animals are allowed in accordance with ADA requirements.

The following hotels work closely with Albright College. When you make your reservation, and again when you check in, please mention that you are in town for an Albright event, and you will receive preferred customer rates. We encourage your patronage of these hotels. Thank you.

Photography

A national collegiate photography house will take photographs on Commencement day of all graduates during the diploma presentation on the stage and as the graduate steps off the stage holding his or her diploma.

Shortly after graduation, the photography studio will send you several color proofs for your review and instructions for ordering prints. These will come directly from the studio, not from Albright.

After Commencement, the College will post a gallery of professional photographs to the Commencement website.

Videography

Albright College contracts with a videographer during Commencement weekend. The College will post clips, speaker footage, and the Commenecment ceremony on the Commencement website shortly after the event.

Family and Friends Photography

We encourage parents, families and friends to take photos during Baccalaureate and Commencement. During Baccalaureate, we ask that you be sensitive to the fact that this is a religious service and be discreet in your taking of photos.

Shop at the Lion Bookstore — Diploma frames, alumni t-shirts, mugs and more…

Order Commencement Flowers for Your Graduate

Honor Your Graduate with an Adirondack Chair

A gift for your graduate that will live on the Albright Campus forever

Parents, grandparents, family members and friends can purchase a signature red Adirondack chair for their graduate for only $200. 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, faculty, staff and visitors. We hold classes, seminars and small group meetings outside using these chairs, but most importantly, 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:

In honor of Michelle Johnson, Class of 2019
Given by her Parents

Congratulations!
Michelle Johnson ’19
We are so proud of you. Mom and Dad

Michelle Johnson’s Chair
Class of 2019

If you would like to purchase an Adirondack chair for your graduate, click here to download the order form , then print it, fill it out and send it to:

Lana Haufler
Albright College
President’s Office
13th and Bern Streets
P.O. Box 15234
Reading, PA 19612-5234

If you have any questions, please call the President’s Office at 610-921-7600.

Spring 2018

Spring 2017

Spring 2016

Spring 2015