2008 Commencement

Undergraduate Commencement Instructions

Ivy Cutting

Friday, June 6, 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 6, 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 7, 12:30–4 p.m., Qwest Field
Register online for Commencement by following the directions below. Once you have logged in, choose "Student Menu" and then "Commencement Signup."

Please arrive at Qwest Field at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 7. The time is needed to arrange processionals. Check in with your school to pick up the card you will fill out with your name. That card is for you to hand to the reading marshal as you cross the stage. Your name will be read from this card.

The field doors will open at 11:15 a.m., allowing family and friends entrance to the seating area.

Registering online. Online registration will be available for Commencement Exercises beginning February 15. Registration will be through Banner, and if you don’t register by Friday, May 23, we will assume you are not participating in Commencement.

 

On Commencement Day, a card will be given to you when you check in with your school. You will hand that card to the reading marshal as you cross the stage. Your name will be read from it.

Tickets. Tickets are required for admission into Qwest Field, both for guests 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 4.

 

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 Qwest 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 European Quarter, 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, please 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 11.

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 16 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 (on campus, 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.

Arriving, Lining Up, and Marching. Graduates, please enter Qwest Field by 11:30 a.m. through the North Stadium entrance and proceed to the marked area to the left of the main stairs. Remember: You'll need a ticket to gain entrance.

 

Arrive by 11:30 a.m. sharp. Proceed immediately to the area assigned to your school and pick up a card with your name before lining up in marching order. Do not rearrange your order of march.

 

Faculty marshals will assist everyone in lining up for the processional onto the field. 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.

 

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.

 

Summer 2008 Graduates. If you will be a 2008 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 9. 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 by mid-December. Diplomas will be released when all financial obligations to the University — fines, etc. — are met.

Photographing/Videotaping. The Picture Man is the official photographer 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 see a proof at their website. You can contact the company at 1-800-261-2576 (toll free), emailing cusserv@gradtrak.com, or visiting www.gradphoto.com. No other photographers are allowed on the field or in any aisle in the stands.

 

Meeting Parents/Guests. After the Commencement ceremony, parents and guests should plan to meet their graduates outside the stadium on the North Plaza area. Graduates and parents will not be allowed on the stadium field.

 

More Information. Visit these web pages regularly for additional information and updates as they become available.

 

Commencement FAQ. 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!