2009 Commencement

Undergraduate Commencement Instructions

Ivy Cutting

Friday, June 12, 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 12, 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

Sunday, June 14, 2–5 p.m., Safeco Field, 1250 First Avenue South, Seattle
You must register online for Commencement by following the directions below. On the day of Commencement, the ballpark doors will open at 12:45 p.m., allowing family and friends entrance to the seating area.

Please arrive at Safeco Field by 1 p.m. sharp on Sunday, June 14. 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 Safeco Field by 1 p.m. through the Main Concourse entrance. Remember: You'll need a ticket to gain entrance.

 

Faculty marshals will assist everyone in lining up for the processional onto the field. The processional will begin at 2 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.

 

The 2009 Commencement speaker is Dr. John Perkins.

 

Instructions on Awarding Degrees. After remarks by the chairman of the SPU Board of Trustees, President Philip Eaton and Vice President Les Steele 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 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 stadium floor.

 

Important Details to Do Before Commencement

Registering online. Online registration will be available for Commencement Exercises beginning February 16. Registration will be through Banner, and once you have logged in, choose "Student Menu" and then "Commencement Signup."

 

If you don’t register by Friday, May 22, we will assume you are not participating in Commencement.

Tickets. Tickets are required for admission into Safeco Field, 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 6.

 

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 Safeco Field 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.

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

Caps and gowns must be ordered online at Herff-Jones.com beginning in Winter Quarter. The deadline for ordering caps and gowns online is midnight on April 10.

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 May 15 at the Bookstore. It's best to pick up your cap and gown as early as possible.

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 2009 Graduates. If you will be a 2009 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 8. 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 of you receiving your 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 field or in any aisle in the stands.

 

After Commencement

Meeting Parents/Guests. After the Commencement ceremony, parents and guests should plan to meet their graduates on the Main Concourse or outside the ballpark. Graduates and parents will not be allowed on Safeco field.

 

After Party. Safeco Field can host family gatherings immediately following the Commencement Exercises, and a 10 percent discount would apply to the room rental fee. Food and beverage service is extra. Direct all inquiries to Safeco Field Events at 206-346-4228 or events@mariners.com.

 

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, and we'll see you there!