College of Arts & Sciences
College of Arts & Sciences

Sun Ceremony Instructions

Assembly

The College of Arts & Sciences Commencement ceremony will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2025. The line-up and procession preceding the ceremony takes more than an hour. As a result, all graduates must report to their assigned classroom (alpha by last name) below no later than 7:45 a.m. because we will leave classrooms in order to join the procession shortly after 8:00 a.m.

Bachelor of Science

Room
Alpha Range
ICC 108
A – G
ICC 115
H – Z

Bachelor of Arts

Room
Alpha Range
ICC 103
A – BR
ICC 101
BU – C
ICC 105
D – F
ICC 107
G – H
WGR 201 A
I – MA
WGR 201 B
MC – O
WGR 211
P – Q
WGR 213
R
WGR 202
SA – SE
WGR 206
SH – SW
WGR 208
T – Z

When you report to your classroom (no later than 7:45 a.m.), you will receive full instructions and the name card from which your name will be read as you cross the stage; keep this card in your possession from the moment you get it until the moment you walk across the stage. Staff from the Dean’s Offices will lead students from the classrooms indicated above to Red Square and the WGR Esplanade to line up the procession, starting at around 8:00 a.m. Students will be directed to line up according to the following map.

The map shows the locations where graduates will line up before the procession for the Commencement Ceremony. In Red Square, BS Candidates A-Z and AB Candidates A-C will line up to the right of the tree. AB Candidates D-F and G-H will line up to the left of the tree. On the White-Gravenor Esplanade, AB Candidates I-O, P-R, and S-Z will line up.

Text alternative: The map shows the locations where graduates will line up before the procession for the Commencement Ceremony. In Red Square, BS Candidates A-Z and AB Candidates A-C will line up to the right of the tree. AB Candidates D-F and G-H will line up to the left of the tree. On the White-Gravenor Esplanade, AB Candidates I-O, P-R, and S-Z will line up.

Bring your cap, gown, and hood with you.

Procession

The procession begins precisely at 8:30 a.m. The Chief Marshal, followed by the Class Marshals (College Marshal, and Marshals for Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts candidates), will lead the procession. Graduates proceed in double-file lines, and ushers will direct students down the center aisle into the rows of seats so that alphabetical order by degree is maintained. Bachelor of Science candidates are seated at the front of the seating area, house right; Bachelor of Arts candidates fill in the remaining seats on house right and then the entire section, house left. Thus seats are not assigned in advance, but graduates are seated alphabetically by degree.

Conferral of Degrees

During the ceremony, following the presentation of the honorary degree and the commencement address, candidates for the degrees will be asked to stand according to their major, and then the whole class will stand to put on their hoods. Graduates will then be directed by the ushers to stand (one row at a time), approach the ramp on stage right, pass their name cards to the readers, and proceed across the stage as their names are read. The College Dean will present a congratulatory scroll and offer congratulations to each graduate. Graduates will continue across the stage, exit on the opposite side, and return to their seats. After all graduates have crossed the stage, Interim President Groves will ask all seniors to rise, confer the degrees en masse, and then direct graduates to be seated. The final benediction and closing of the ceremony will follow.

Recessional

The Faculty and Deans will exit the stage first. Then the students will exit down the center aisle from the left and right rows as directed by the ushers, followed by families and guests.