At their March meeting, the faculty vote to include your name on the tentative graduation list of students permitted to participate in the Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 16, 2010. Graduation Day, which seemed to be some long-distant goal, is just months away! We wish you the best as you complete your degree requirements and pursue your dreams.
Many events and activities are included in Senior Week (May 12 - 14) and Commencement Weekend (May 14 - 16) in this 195th year of the College. Please read all information you will be receiving carefully. We hope you will take maximum advantage of everything offered and be sure to communicate and coordinate all plans and reservations with your family. All information regarding Commencement can be found on this website.
All May graduates are expected to participate in the Commencement ceremony. President Mullen presents diplomas to graduates as each graduate's name is announced to the audience. We want each graduate to receive the correct diploma so we must know who is present. In the event that you cannot attend the ceremony, you must come in to Bentley Hall, Room 114 in the spring of 2010 to make arrangements for the mailing of your diploma.
All participants in Commencement (and Baccalaureate) must appear in cap and gown. Caps and gowns may be purchased from the College Bookstore. The cost of the cap and gown (including tassel) will be announced and payment must be made to the Allegheny College Bookstore when the cap and gown are picked up. PLEASE NOTE: There is no need to stop by the bookstore to be measured for your cap and gown. The caps are one size fits all, and the gowns are bulk ordered by height.
Personalized College Announcements are available at Balfour. There are several different graduation announcement packages available to students and their families.
The details of Senior Week are being finalized by your Senior Class Officers with the assistance of their committee. The week begins Wednesday evening, after your LAST round of finals at Allegheny. Bus transportation will be provided for all events. In fact, only those who show proof that they have taken the bus will be admitted to the Senior Week events listed in this mailing. This policy will be in force all week. Updates regarding Senior Week activities will be sent to you from the Senior Week committee.
All prospective May graduates are asked to keep their Allegheny College ID card (Insta-Gator card) through May 16, as this card will be re-coded for meals during Senior Week. It will entitle you to eat most meals in McKinley's Food Court (but it cannot be used for the Commencement Dinner or any Senior Week events). This meal card becomes effective at dinner Wednesday, May 12 through lunch on Saturday, May 15 and it must be presented to the Allegheny Food Service staff to obtain meals.
All meals except the Saturday dinner are scheduled in McKinley's Food Court. The Commencement Dinner on Saturday is by reservation only - see the Family Reservation Form to make your reservations. From Wednesday's dinner through Saturday's lunch, Allegheny College Dining Services will offer various specials and combo meals at McKinley's; the atrium window will be open for breakfast.
Sunday, May 16, begins early with Commencement rehearsal in Wise Center Performance Arena (rain or shine) at 7:15 a.m. sharp! Light refreshments will be available before rehearsal. Do NOT bring purses or cell phones as they cannot be carried during the procession and there is no place to store them. NO paraphernalia of any kind is permitted on caps or gowns.
Directly after rehearsal, the Commencement ceremony begins with a formal academic procession of graduates (you), faculty, and the "platform party," which includes the honorary degree recipients and faculty presenters. Commencement exercises will be on Bentley Lawn, weather permitting, or in the Wise Center Sports Forum. We do everything possible to have the ceremony outdoors so dress according to the weather. Tickets are required for the ceremony only if the weather forces us indoors to the Wise Center Sports Forum. If the ceremony is indoors, please note that Shafer Auditorium will be set up for closed circuit viewing of the ceremony to accommodate guests not holding tickets. Even if the ceremony is held on Bentley Lawn, a closed circuit broadcast will be available in nearby Schultz Dining Hall for those who prefer to sit inside.
Immediately following the ceremony, plan to attend the All-College Departmental Reception and introduce your family and friends to your favorite faculty and staff. If we are outdoors, the Reception will be on Brooks Walk. If we are indoors, the Reception will be in the Campus Center. Please plan to meet your family at the Reception NOT at the ceremony site.
Commencement tickets will be given to seniors who have been approved by the faculty to participate in Commencement and must be picked up May 13 - 8, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. in the Office of Conference and Event Services, Bentley Hall 114. Each student is permitted four (4) tickets and you MUST have your ID card with you to get your tickets. Please remember to give your tickets to your family before rehearsal!
Your ID card (Insta-Gator card) entitles you to eat most meals at McKinley's Food Court. A Senior Week ticket must be presented for admittance to Senior Week events, and a dinner reservation is required for admittance to the Commencement dinner on Saturday night.
Your family will receive a postcard to notify them of Commencement events and how to access this information on line. After reading the schedule for Commencement events and activities, be sure to call home and coordinate plans with your family so that the correct number of reservations are made. Your family is asked to include you in the number of tickets for the Commencement dinner reservations on Saturday evening. If you would like your family to be seated with a friend's family, please make sure your family notes your friend's name on the form. When you pick up your Commencement ceremony tickets, the meal tickets ordered by your family will also be available for pick-up.
A professional photographer will take pictures of all graduates receiving their diploma at Commencement (unless you have specified in advance that you do not want your picture taken). The photography firm will send proofs to your family within two weeks following Commencement Day. To ensure that you receive the proofs in a timely manner, please pre-register online with GradTrak Images. In addition, Graduation Nation will videotape all graduates during the ceremony. Forms for ordering DVDs are included in the mailing being sent to your family and will also be available at the Brooks Hall reception desk on Commencement Weekend.
Flowers for Commencement can be pre-ordered from CommencementFlowers.com. Some flowers will be available for purchase on May 16, but pre-ordering is recommended.
We hope that this information is helpful to you as you make plans for your graduation. You can expect to hear from your Senior Class Officers soon with more details of Senior Week.
Finally, if you have any questions or want to help with preparations, contact one of your Senior Class Officers or me directly at 332-GRAD. Good luck to you as you complete your senior year!
Sincerely,
Patricia R. Henry
Conference and Event Services
