Virtual Commencement Rehearsal An Online Resource for Students that Provides Important Information about Participating in the University s Commencement Ceremony
Virtual Commencement Rehearsal Introduction Graduating Aggies, congratulations on your upcoming graduation from North Carolina A&T State University! Commencement is a special day of recognition and celebration of your many accomplishments. The entire N.C. A&T community takes great pride in your achievements, and it is our sincere hope that you will plan to participate in the Commencement Ceremony so we can recognize your hard work and success. 2
Virtual Commencement Rehearsal About the Virtual Rehearsal This Virtual Rehearsal has been created as a resource to ensure students have all pertinent information about the Commencement Ceremony to make their graduation day a success, including the following: When to arrive Where to go What to do What to expect from the ceremony 3
Applying to Graduate Applying to Graduate: Requirements 1. Apply to graduate. Even if you do not plan to attend the commencement ceremony, you must still apply to graduate. The application is available in your Aggie Access Online student record. Application for graduation deadlines are as follows: May Graduation posted in the spring semester calendar Summer Graduation by the end of the second week of class in the summer sessions (1 & 2) December Graduation posted in the fall semester calendar Students who do not submit an application for graduation will not have their degree awarded and will not receive a diploma. 4
Applying to Graduate Undergraduates General Requirements for Graduation Choose a specific curriculum leading to a degree in one of the schools/colleges and complete the requirements of this curriculum. Complete a minimum of 120 semester hours excluding deficiency courses and remedial work for the bachelor s degree. Complete all of the university s general education requirements for the bachelor s degree (see General Education Requirements of the University for a complete listing of the general education requirements). Earn an average of two grade points (2.0 GPA) for every semester hour undertaken including hours passed or failed and not repeated. After completing the number of credit hours required for graduation, if the student is deficient in grade points, he/she must take additional courses that have been approved by his/her academic dean to secure these points. The student must also obtain an average of 2.0 or more in his/her major field. 5
Undergraduates General Requirements for Graduation, cont. Complete a minimum of three semesters as a full-time student in residence at the university. This requirement includes the two semesters prior to the period when the student completes his/her requirements for graduation. At least one-half of the credits in the student s major field must be earned at the university. Exception to either of these provisions may be made upon the recommendation of the chairperson of the student s major department with the approval of the college s dean. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 25 percent of the required degree coursework at N.C. A&T to graduate from N.C. A&T with that degree. Clear all academic conditions by the end of the semester preceding graduation. Pay all university bills and fees. Submit an application for graduation to the Office of the Registrar prior to the established deadline, as published in the Academic Calendar. If you have a Federal Direct Loan and you have NOT completed your exit interview, stop by the Financial Aid Office IMMEDIATELY. Applying to Graduate 6
Applying to Graduate 2. The University Processes Your Application. Once you have applied to graduate, your department will review your transcript and your degree plan and share that assessment with the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will verify the assessment. Undergraduate students will receive email notification from the Office of the Registrar if you fail to meet requirements as we process all applications. 7
Applying to Graduate Important Notes Important Notes It is important to keep in mind that walking in the Commencement Ceremony is not synonymous with graduating. While the ceremony is an important representation of the completion of your academic career, the actual process of clearing a student to graduate and awarding their degree is separate. Students who complete degree requirements during the summer session(s) are eligible to participate in the December commencement activities. If you are not cleared to graduate, you will need to reapply to graduate for the future term in which you anticipate completing all remaining requirements. Your degree will not be awarded until you have been cleared by the university as meeting the requirements for graduation and have an active graduation application for the term in which you are cleared. 8
Grad Fair Once you have applied to graduate, make plans to attend the Grad Fair, which is held at the University Bookstore each fall and spring semester. At the Grad Fair Order your cap and gown Order invitations Order a class ring Grad Fair is February 26-27, 2018 in the bookstore. Cap and Gown costs: $94.98 undergraduate, $101.98 masters, $353.98 basic doctoral, and $853 for custom doctoral). Custom doctoral orders must be in by April 6, 2018 in order to have time for production. 9
Commencement Regalia Commencement Regalia: Important Notes Only traditional academic regalia, consisting of a cap, gown, and hood (if applicable) can be worn at Commencement. Your regalia should be ordered and picked up from the University Bookstore prior to the ceremony. Please contact the University Bookstore (336-334-7593) for hours of operation and pick-up deadlines. 10
Cap and Gown Demo Cap and Gown Demo Baccalaureate Candidate Masters Candidate Doctoral Candidate 11
Honor Cords, Name Cards, Lanyards Honor Cords, Name Cards and Lanyards Latin honor cords will be available for pick-up approximately two weeks prior to commencement and on the day of the ceremony. An email will be sent to those who are eligible with information and instructions on where and how to pick up their cords. Latin honor cords are worn by those candidates who have earned a designation of cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude, based on both their cumulative GPA and number of institutional hours. For details on the university s Latin Honors Policy, see the Undergraduate Bulletin online at www.ncat.edu/divisions/academic-affairs/bulletin/2016-2017/academic-info-and-regs/graduating-with-honors.html. Name cards and lanyards are available during normal business hours in the Office of the Registrar the week leading up to commencement. Please bring your photo ID. 12
Commencement Ceremony Logistics - GUESTS Ceremony Logistics: Guests On the day of the Commencement Ceremony, guests of candidates should: Plan to be parked approximately 45 minutes prior to the ceremony start time to allow enough time to get from the parking lot to the Coliseum arena and find seating. Parking for the disabled will be available in the lot nearest the Special Event Center. Doors open one hour prior to the start of each ceremony. Enter on the Concourse Level of the arena. The concourse can be accessed by the main ramp to the coliseum by the parking lot. Commencement ceremonies have open seating. Parent and guest seating is on the upper concourse level. In most cases, there is no limit to the number of guests allowed and tickets are not required. 13
Commencement Ceremony Logistics - CANDIDATES Ceremony Logistics: Candidates On the day of the ceremony, candidates should: Arrive at West Wing A ONE HOUR prior to the start of the ceremony. Enter West Wing A through the Special Events Center of the Coliseum and proceed to the Office of the Registrar s check-in table. The Registrar s Office will confirm candidates have their pre-printed name card at the check-in tables. If not, an appropriate name card will be given to the student. All students should ensure they bring their originally printed name card the morning of commencement. Just before walking across the stage, the candidate will hand the card to the ceremony name announcer. Candidates entering West Wing A will find their college pole and faculty marshals. 14
Lining Up Lining Up After checking in, candidates should proceed to their assigned hallway for the line-up. Commencement staff will direct candidates to the appropriate area based on your college. Candidates will remain in their assigned area until it is time to process into the arena. Restrooms and drinking fountains are available throughout West Wing A. 15
Personal Belongings Personal Belongings You will not be allowed to bring purses, coats and umbrellas into the arena. At the conclusion of the ceremony, you will exit to the arena and will not return to West Wing A where you were staged prior to the ceremony. Please make arrangements with your guests to hold personal items and valuables during the ceremony. Any items left in West Wing A are subject to being collected by coliseum personnel. 16
Order of the Processional Order of the Processional When the ceremony begins, the order of the processional will be as follows: The University Mace The Faculty The Degree Candidates The Platform Party 17
Seating Seating Candidates will be seated in the order in which they process. If you want to sit with someone, please make sure you line up in front of or behind the individual(s), rather than across from each other. For the safety of everyone, the aisles must remain clear and candidates should remain in their seats until called to the stage for name recognition. 18
Safety and Security Safety and Security For the safety and enjoyment of all candidates and guests, we ask that you please keep in mind the following: Remain seated throughout the ceremony, except when instructed to stand by the marshals. Cellular and other mobile devices should be set to silent mode until the conclusion of the ceremony. Air horns, noisemakers and other props are prohibited during the ceremony. Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, weapons and contraband of any type are prohibited in the Coliseum. Prohibited items will be confiscated. 19
The Ceremony The Ceremony The ceremony is a celebration of our graduates and their many accomplishments at N.C. A&T. A variety of invited speakers will address graduates and guests, followed by the conferral of degrees. Individual ceremonies may vary slightly but, in general, the order will be as follows: Processional Welcome and Introductions Greetings from the Board of Governors and Board of Trustees Commencement Address Recognition of Honor Graduates Presentation of Undergraduate Candidates Conferring of Degrees and Tassel Shift Singing of the Alma Mater Recessional 20
The Ceremony, cont. At the Event: Commencement Ceremony Expectations Commencement is a ceremonious and solemn event. The university expects full cooperation from all participants, including graduates and their invited guests. Graduates are required to stay for the entire commencement ceremony. Disorderly or disruptive conduct will not be tolerated and the university reserves the right to remove disruptive individuals from the Commencement Ceremony. Full academic regalia are required to participate in the ceremony. Students without proper academic regalia will not be allowed to participate. Women should wear dark dresses, dark shoes, no high collars or bows at neck and no corsages or jewelry on the robe. Men should wear white shirts, dark tie, dark trousers, socks and dress shoes. 21
Commencement Programs Commencement Programs A printed program will be provided for each Commencement ceremony. Programs will be placed in each candidate chair on the floor of the arena as well as provided on the concourse level of the arena for families and guests. To ensure that there are enough programs for each family, please limit the number that you take to one per person prior to the start of the ceremony. Only those students who have applied to graduate by the specified deadline will have their names printed in the program. The Office of the Registrar widely communicates the deadline by which students need to apply to have their names printed in the program multiple times throughout the semester. This communication is done via the students NCAT email account and on the website. Please note: The listing of names of degree candidates in the commencement program should not be considered official evidence that all degree requirements have been satisfied. Undergraduate students receive a letter from the Office of the Registrar certifying that they have met all requirements. Graduate students will have on their Aggie Access transcript Applied for Graduation under Curriculum Information which confirms the graduation application is active. 22
Hooding Hooding Undergraduate and Master s degree candidates will wear their hoods to the ceremony and will not be hooded during the ceremony. Doctoral candidates will be hooded during the Commencement Ceremony by their major professor. Thus, please bring your hood to the ceremony but do not wear it. You should carry it until you are on the stage for the hooding ceremony. The Graduate College Ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. in the Coliseum for masters and doctoral candidates. 23
Crossing the Stage Crossing the Stage When the candidates are presented for name recognition: Candidates will be asked to rise The dean will present the candidates to the chancellor The candidates will then be escorted to the stage for the individual name announcement 24
Walking Across the Stage Walking Across the Stage Candidates will be called to the stage by college, pronounce their name to the name announcer, have their names read, then cross the stage. Ushers and marshals will direct candidates to the stage. Please stay alert and follow the directions being given when it is your turn to walk across the stage. Remember to bring your name card with you and present it to the announcer when you reach the stage steps. You will then walk across the stage and shake hands with the chancellor, provost, dean and other platform guests. A photographer will be positioned off the stage to take your official graduation photo with the chancellor as you shake his hand. As you exit the stage, you will be given a diploma cover to take a second photo, then follow the directions being provided by the marshals to return to your seat, after returning the diploma cover. 25
Tassel Turn Tassel Turn At the end of the ceremony, undergraduate candidates will be directed to turn their tassel from the right to the left to symbolize the conferral of their degree pending the completion of their degree requirements. 26
The Recessional The Recessional At the conclusion of the ceremony, the recessional will begin. The order of the recessional is as follows: Platform party exits first. Followed by the students and faculty. Students are to remain in their row until after the platform party and faculty have all recessed out of the arena. Students will exit to the arena floor as directed by the ushers at the appropriate time to receive your diploma cover. Please make arrangements with your guests to meet on the concourse level following the ceremony. 27
Photographs Photographs GradImages will be the official photographer during Commencement. Your proofs will be available after the ceremony. To view your proofs online, visit www.gradimages.com. Pictures may be ordered online, by phone or by mail. If you have questions please contact Customer Service at 800-261-2576, or via email at giservice@gradimages.net. Pre-register with GradImages by visiting www.gradimages.com and clicking on the Pre-Event Registration at the bottom of the page. This provides GradImages with the most current contact information and ensures the delivery of your graduation proofs in a timely manner. You may register your email and up to six emails of loved ones who would like to share in your accomplishment by viewing and ordering photos. 28
Diplomas Diplomas When applying to graduate, the online graduation application requires you to indicate a diploma mailing address. This is the address to which your official diploma will be mailed following the ceremony. Diplomas are mailed approximately 6-8 weeks after graduation. Therefore, it is important that you provide a mailing address that reflects where you will be living two months AFTER graduation rather than where you are currently living. Fees and fines, including the $60 or $80 (late) non-refundable graduation application processing fee, must be paid, and library books must be returned to the library. Any delinquent accounts in the Treasurer's Office will cause the diploma to be withheld until the account is cleared. Diplomas show the degree and the major, not the concentration. Your transcript shows your full academic credentials. 29
Thank you! Congratulations and Thank You From the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University campus, congratulations on your graduation and thank you for being a part of this wonderful community! We wish you well in your future professional and personal endeavors and hope you will remember your time here fondly. Whenever possible, please come back and visit. As a new graduate of N.C. A&T, you automatically become a member of the alumni association. Learn more about staying connected and involved with the Aggie family at www.ncatsualumni.org. 30
Questions Questions If you have additional questions, please contact gradrehearsal@ncat.edu. 31