2012 Commencement

Undergraduate Commencement Instructions

 

Ivy Cutting

 

Friday, June 8, 9:30–10:30 a.m., Tiffany Loop
Seniors, please arrive promptly at 9:15 a.m. to line up. Meet at the Marston Hall entrance on the Fifth Avenue streetscape (on the west side of Marston-Watson Hall). Wear cap and gown and any special cords you’ve been awarded. We will begin marching into Tiffany Loop at 9:25 a.m. Tickets are not required.

Baccalaureate

Friday, June 8, 7:30–8:30 p.m., Royal Brougham Pavilion
Graduates, do not wear caps and gowns for the service. Tickets are not required.

Commencement Exercises

Saturday, June 9, 12:30–3:30 p.m., Key Arena, 305 Harrison Street
You must register online for Commencement by following the directions below. On the day of Commencement, the arena doors will open at 11:15 a.m., allowing family and friends entrance to the seating area.

Please arrive at Key Arena by 11:30 a.m. sharp on Saturday, June 9. The time is needed to arrange processionals. Proceed immediately to the area assigned to your school, and pick up a card with your name before lining up in marching order. That card is for you to hand to the reading marshal as you cross the stage. Your name will be read from this card. Do not rearrange your order of march.

 

Arriving, Lining Up, and Marching. Graduates, please enter Key Arena by 11:30 a.m. through Gate 4A accessible via Thomas Street on the south side of the building (your guests will enter the building separately through the main west or east entrances). Remember: You'll need a ticket to gain entrance.

 

Faculty marshals will assist everyone in lining up for the processional onto the floor. The processional will begin at 12:30 p.m. The platform party and faculty march first, doctoral degree candidates are next, followed by master’s degree candidates, and then by baccalaureate degree candidates.

 

Keep your place in line, and be sure to sit in your assigned row. This is imperative, as you will come to the platform in alphabetical order.

 

2012 Commencement Speaker: Dr. Philip W. Eaton, President of Seattle Pacific University

 

Instructions on Awarding Degrees. After remarks by the chairman of the SPU Board of Trustees, President Philip Eaton and Interim Vice President Bruce Condon will confer doctoral degrees, master’s degrees, and baccalaureate degrees.

 

On instruction from the faculty marshal, those seated left and right of the center aisle, starting with the first row, will march single file up the left and right ramps to the stage, present their name cards to the reading marshal, proceed to the center of the stage, receive their diploma covers from the president or interim vice president, and shake his hand. At this point, graduates’ pictures will be taken by the official Commencement photographer. After that, return down the center steps and aisle to your seat. Remain standing until your row is complete.

 

After all degrees have been conferred, the undergraduates’ tassels will be turned upon instruction from the president, and all students — graduates and undergraduates — rise for the singing of the “Alma Mater.” Graduating students will not recess, but should remain standing, until the platform party and faculty have exited the arena floor.

 

Important Details to Do Before Commencement

Registering online. Online registration will be available for Commencement Exercises beginning March 5. Registration will be through Banner, and once you have logged in, choose "Student Menu" and then "Commencement Signup."

 

If you don’t register by Monday, May 28, we will assume you are not participating in Commencement.

Tickets. Tickets are required for admission into Key Arena, both for guests (age 3 and up) and graduates. Once you have registered online, you may pick up your tickets at Student Academic Services (SAS) on the first floor of Demaray Hall. They will be available beginning April 9.

 

Students will be given 10 tickets, however, if you need more, please request them when you register online. You are responsible for distributing your tickets to your guests before Commencement. No one will be allowed into Key Arena without a ticket. Note: If you are away from campus and unable to pick up your tickets (e.g., you graduated Winter Quarter, are on a study abroad, etc.), email sasinfo@spu.edu and your tickets will be mailed to you.

 

Suites. If your family members and guests would like to rent a private suite at Key Arena, from which to view Commencement, with seating for 16 people and a private bathroom, as well as the option of ordering catering, the cost is $200. Suites will be available when the Key Arena doors open at 11:15 a.m. and will remain open until one hour after Commencement is over. Cost includes four parking passes to the 1st Avenue North Garage. Suite entry is near the parking garage.

 

If you would like more information on renting a suite, please call 206-281-2125 or email graduationinfo@spu.edu. All suites must be reserved and paid for by May 1.

Caps, Gowns, Rings, and Announcements. Rings and announcements may be purchased from Balfour at the SPU Bookstore. In early March, expect an informational brochure from Balfour in your mailbox. If you do not receive a brochure, stop by the Bookstore for one.

Caps and gowns can be ordered online. The deadline for ordering caps and gowns online is midnight on April 20.

If you do not order your cap and gown online, beginning in mid-May, you must order them in-person at the Bookstore — on a first-come, first-serve basis. To avoid missing out, order early and order online.

Once ordered, you may pick up your cap and gown beginning mid-May at the Bookstore. It's best to pick up your cap and gown as early as possible.

 

If you forgot to pick up your cap and/or gown, the Bookstore will have a table at Key Arena, selling caps and gowns before the Commencement ceremony begins.

If you have questions about caps, gowns, rings, and announcements, please stop by the Bookstore, or call them at 206-281-2137 (from a campus phone, dial x2137).

Note: For undergraduate students, tassels on the mortar boards should be worn on the right side. Men will remove their caps for the invocation and leave them off until the conclusion of the Commencement address. Replace them prior to moving to the platform and remove them again for the benediction, replacing them for the recessional.

Summer 2012 Graduates. If you will be a 2012 Summer graduate, have already applied for graduation, and wish to have your name in the Commencement program and participate in Commencement Exercises, you must register for Summer Session for all needed requirements no later than Friday, May 4. Summer Session graduates are not recognized for honors at Commencement.

 

Diplomas. Diplomas are not distributed during Commencement. Instead, they are sent to you once all requirements are completed and your grades have been posted for your degree. During the ceremony, you’ll receive a diploma cover. Spring Quarter graduates should receive diplomas by mid-September; Summer Quarter graduates should receive diplomas by mid-December. Diplomas will be released when all financial obligations to the University — fines, etc. — are met.

Photographing/Videotaping. GradTrak is the official photography company for Commencement. They will take a photograph of each graduate receiving their diploma, and you will get a proof in the mail shortly after the ceremony. You can contact the company at 1-800-261-2576 (toll free), emailing cusserv@bobknightphoto.com, or visiting www.gradtrak.com.

 

No other photographers are allowed on the arena floor or in any aisle in the stands.

 

Videotaping. Commencement DVDs will be available for purchase for $13 each. To order a DVD, send a check, payable to SPU, to the Office of Academic Affairs, 3307 Third Ave. W., Suite 102, Seattle, WA 98119. Be sure to include your name, address, and the number of DVDs you wish to purchase. DVDs will be mailed out in July. For more information, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 206-281-2125 or graduationinfo@spu.edu.

 

No other videographers are allowed on the arena floor or in any aisle in the stands.

 

After Commencement

Meeting Parents/Guests. After the Commencement ceremony, family members and guests should plan to meet their graduates on the Main Concourse or outside of the arena through the east or west doors. Family members and guests will not be allowed on the arena floor.

 

Suites. If your family members and guests have rented a private suite at Key Arena, you will have one hour following the end of commencement to enjoy the suite.

 

More Information

Visit these web pages regularly for additional information and updates as they become available. If you have additional questions, please check the Commencement FAQ. If you don't find your answer there, call 206-281-2125 or email graduationinfo@spu.edu.

 

Thank you!  We'll see you there!