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December 2008 Ceremonies - Saturday, December 13 - 9:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.

	Participation Process
	Ticketing
	Graduation Fair
	Commencement Ceremony
	Academic Regalia
	Registrar's Office Graduation Procedures
	Distance Learning Student Information
	FAQ

	Directions & Parking
	Lodging & Dining
	FAQ

Commencement Ceremony

Student Ticket

A student ticket is required for entrance to student registration on the day of the ceremony. Student tickets are included in the student's ticket envelope he/she picks up during Reserved Ticket Distribution, provided he/she has completed the necessary steps (see Ticketing for details and policies).

Reporting Place and Time

There is no rehearsal for the ceremony, so it is important that you report to student registration by the required time. Your reporting time will be clearly indicated on your student ticket.

Prior to your arrival, please review the Commencement Instructions PDF. This will tell you what exactly will happen during the ceremony.

Please bring only the following items with you to registration/robing area:

student ticket
regalia (cap, gown, hood and tassel)

Student registration takes place in South Cafeteria of Webb University Center. When you arrive, go to the table that corresponds to the first letter of your last name. Give your student ticket to the worker and he/she will give you your pre-printed reader card. Do not lose this card... you will give this to the reader right before you cross the stage so that he/she can announce your name properly. Please check your card for accuracy. It may have your home (permanent) address pre-printed at the bottom. Please ensure this address is correct, as it will be used by the photographer to send your proof.

After getting your reader card, move immediately into Center and North Cafeterias for robing. Volunteers will be on-hand to assist you in putting on your robe and hood if you require assistance. You will then line up according to college and await the start of the processional.

In the event that inclement weather is imminent for the day of the ceremony, an inclement weather announcement will be made. This announcement will be made no later than noon on the day before the ceremony and will be posted on the ODU Home Page, on the main page of this site, and will be available through the campus information number (683.3000). If the announcement is made, please follow the Inclement Weather Plan.

General Protocol

The commencement exercise is a formal academic ceremony. You and your fellow graduates have worked hard for this day and the commencement staff have worked hard to make the day a memorable one for you, your family and your guests. We ask that you respect the ceremony, your fellow graduates, and guests by dressing and behaving in the dignified manner that the occassion merits. Cap and gown regalia is required dress for all graduates. No food or beverage is permitted in the line of march or on the arena floor.

Processional

Your ceremony will begin with a march from Webb University Center, across the seal on Kaufman Mall, to the Ted Constant Convocation Center. The processional is led by (weather permitting) bagpipers and the marshall, then the platform party, and then faculty. The student lines will follow the faculty. Please remain in your lines as you process.

Ceremony

The actual ceremony will last from ninety minutes to two hours. During the ceremony, you will be asked to stand with your college as degrees are conferred. After the confirmation of degrees, you will be asked to come to the stage, have your photo taken (see below), have your name announced, receive your personal congratulation, and receive your alumni certificate. After the ceremony, the platform party will recess and then you will be dismissed to meet your family and friends.

We ask that you arrange to meet your family and friends outside the Ted Constant Convocation Center, as we must clear the building as quickly as possible. The plaza in front of the convocation center has wonderful photo opportunities as well as various photogenic locations around campus.

Photographs

A professional photographer will take pictures of each graduate. There is no obligation to purchase these photos, but proofs will be sent to you shortly after graduation using the information on your reader card. Guests are also welcome to photograph or videotape the ceremony. Please ask your guests not to disrupt the ceremony by taking photographs at inappropriate times and locations. Restraint should be exercised, particularly during the processional.

Chappell Graduation Images (www.gradimages.com) is the authorized vendor for ceremony photos. They will also produce a DVD of the ceremony. You should receive information concerning proofs and the DVD within a month of the ceremony, typically via email. If you do not receive this information or have questions or concerns about the photography, contact Chappell Graduation Images directly via their website or by calling 800.424.3686.

Items Not Permitted

Alcoholic beverages are expressly forbidden in the registration/robing areas, the processional, and the arena. Police will be present at all locations to enforce this regulation.

Cell phones must be left in your vehicle or with family. Please advise family to power off all cellular devices once the processional begins.

Children and other family members are not permitted in the robing area or in the processional. They should be seated with other guests in guest seating at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

Personal belongings. Purses, coats, etc should not be brought into the registration and robing areas. These areas are cleared out as soon as the processional leaves the building. All bags and hangers are disposed of and valuables (such as purses and coats) are turned into lost and found at the information desk.