Student Instructions

Tickets | Students with Disabilities | Rehearsal | Ticket Policy |
Parking and Bus Service | Cap and Gown | Checklist

APPLY FOR YOUR DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE if you have not already done so. The awarding of a degree or certificate and eligibility for participation in Commencement can only occur if you take this step. Application for Degree forms are available in the Office of the Registrar and must be completed and on file by Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. August and December 2012 graduates who have already applied and did not participate in Commencement need do nothing more at this time.

If you expect to complete all graduation requirements in December 2013 but desire to participate in one of the May 2013 ceremonies, you should, first, apply for your degree, and then pick up an Appeal form at the Registrar's office and return it by Friday, April 5.

It is important that you report any change in address to the Office of the Registrar. There is a form which must be completed and signed for change in permanent address, and a change in your local address can be reported through Your Connection.

Tickets

• A special ticket distribution session for student teachers/clinicians and others unable to travel to campus during weekdays is set for Sunday, April 21, from 1 until 3 p.m. at the Williams Center.
• Tickets will continue to be available on Monday, April 22 through Friday, May 10 (Mondays through Fridays only) from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., at the Williams Center.
• Photo identification is required to obtain tickets, which are free to graduates.

It is anticipated that graduates will be able to receive at least four tickets to the Steele Hall Arena. At the time students pick up tickets at the Williams Center, there will also be a sign-up sheet to request additional tickets to the arena. The deadline to request extra tickets is Friday, May 10. Students will be contacted after that date by Commencement Chair Michael Lemieux if extra tickets are available, with instructions for picking them up at the Williams Center by Friday, May 17. The number of tickets available will be based on the legal and safe seating capacity for the arena, and the university reserves the right to limit the number of tickets distributed for each ceremony.

• Two extra tickets, for viewing live video of the ceremony in the Steele Hall ice rink, may be requested at the same time on a first-come, first-served basis, until seating capacity has been reached.
• If you are unable to pick up your tickets, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Campus Life Office, Williams Center, SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, NY 14063, which must be received by us  before Tuesday, May 7, and the tickets will be mailed to you. Please include a note indicating which ceremony you'll be participating in (see the list on this website), your Fredonia number, your email address, and the number of any additional tickets for the ceremony you would like to request. We are not able to send tickets internationally.
• If you pick up tickets, but do not participate in Commencement, you are not eligible to receive tickets or participate in a future ceremony unless you are obtaining an additional degree.

Departmental Honor Societies. If you have been nominated or are a member of a departmental or other honor society, please note the deadlines stated in any material you receive regarding payment of required fees or other required actions. Inclusion the Commencement program under a particular society is dependent upon students following instructions and meeting deadlines as stated by the department/adviser. Examples of such societies (not inclusive) include Golden Key International Honour Society, Psi Chi, Alpha Kappa Delta, Delta Mu Delta, Kappa Delta Pi and Pi Mu Epsilon.

Deciding Not to Participate in Commencement. If you decide not to participate in a Commencement ceremony this year, you need not do anything further at this point. If you pick up tickets and decide at a later date not to participate, you must return the tickets to Commencement Chairperson Michael Lemieux in the Campus Life Office in order for you to be eligible to receive tickets to a future ceremony.

Students With Disabilities. Individuals with disabilities who may need accommodations are requested to contact the Commencement Committee as soon as possible in order that appropriate arrangements may be made. Please call Commencement Chairperson Michael Lemieux at (716) 673-3143 to arrange for assistance.

Communications from Senior Class President. The Commencement Committee and Senior Class President Meagan Allers will use a listserv to disseminate information throughout the semester to graduates about Commencement and other activities. Unless otherwise directed, the listserv will use your Fredonia email address. To use an email account other than the Fredonia email, contact Commencement Chairperson Michael Lemieux at michael.lemieux@fredonia.edu to add your preferred email address.

Regarding Mailings to Family. If you wish to have any Family mailing sent to a second address, please contact Commencement Chairperson Michael Lemieux in the Campus Life Office as soon as possible and the second address will be added to our database.

Photos and Video: A professional photographer from GradImages will take a photo of each graduate crossing the platform. A proof will be sent to your permanent address; of course, there is no obligation to purchase the photo. Professional DVDs including both ceremonies will be mailed to each participant following the ceremony as a gift from the Commencement Committee, the Fredonia Alumni Association and the Fredonia College Foundation.

Alcohol Policy: Commencement is an occasion for a delicate mix of joy and solemnity. The consumption of alcohol in the arena is neither acceptable nor condoned, and university policy on alcohol consumption will be strictly enforced.

Email Addresses: Email addresses for graduates will continue after Commencement.

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Commencement Rehearsal at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 17

Report to the Steele Hall Arena

Even though you are receiving instructions on this website, you must attend Commencement rehearsal.

Commencement Day Instructions for Degree/Certificate Candidates

• When you arrive at the Dods Hall gymnasium on Saturday, May 18, Commencement, no later than 9 a.m. for the morning ceremony and 2 p.m. for the afternoon ceremony, please pick up your name card at the appropriate table, according to the first initial of your last name. The card is used to announce your name, and you cannot cross the platform without it. If your name is difficult to pronounce, please write it phonetically on the card. A card will only be available to you for your assigned ceremony (see list on this website). Likewise, tickets for your guests will be color-coded to reflect your assigned ceremony.
• Master's candidates should carry their hoods over their right arms, they will be hooded during the ceremony. Advanced certificate candidates should wear their academic hoods. Only Undergraduates are eligible to wear gold honors cords.
• Processional Order
  Mace Bearer, Platform Party, Student Marshals, Master's/Advanced Certificate Candidates, Bachelor's Candidates, Faculty Marshals, Faculty/Staff.
• Lineup
  Follow the Student Marshals in a line two abreast. The two single lines will divide and go to separate rows of seats. Note: If you wish to sit next to someone, make sure they are directly ahead or behind you, not next to you, in the procession. Please follow the usher's instructions and fill in all seats in each row.
• Seating: When you reach your seat, please remain standing for the invocation and national anthem. Men remove caps. After the invocation and anthem, please be seated. Men put caps back on.
• Conferral of Degrees
  The Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost will tell respective candidates (first master's and advanced certificate, then bachelor's) when to stand. President Virginia Horvath confers the degrees. Ushers will instruct you when and how to proceed across the platform. Give your name card to the appropriate person, proceed across the platform, receive your scroll memento, shake hands with a College Council member and President Horvath and return to your seat by going down the middle ramp, up the center aisle, and then into your original row. Master's candidates will be hooded; the procedure will be explained during the May 17 rehearsal.
• Recessional
  The recessional follows the singing of the Alma Mater. Students will process out in the same order as they processed in (front to back), so back row students do not leave first. When the music begins, the recessional proceeds in this order: Mace Bearer, Platform Party, Faculty Marshals, Faculty/Staff, Student Marshals, Master's/Advanced Certificate Graduates, Bachelor's Graduates. To avoid a bottleneck, it is imperative that the recessional line keeps moving in an orderly manner.
• Reception
  President Horvath will host a reception honoring the graduates immediately following each ceremony in the Dods Hall grove. The rain location is the Williams Center.
• Diplomas
  Will be mailed in early July.

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Student Commencement Checklist

__ Completed Application for Degree and turned it into Registrar's Office

__ Made sure local and permanent address is up-to-date

__ Picked up tickets/made arrangements to get them to family before Commencement

__ Purchased/ordered cap and gown

Special Commencement Items ---- Commencement is certainly a time for joy and celebration, but unfortunately, in the past, the use of alcohol has contributed to situations where students and their families found their enjoyment of Commencement compromised. With this in mind, the Commencement Committee reminds you of the university alcohol policy specifically as it relates to Commencement. No alcoholic beverages are to be brought into Dods or Steele halls. Alcoholic beverage containers found in Dods, Steele, or during the processional will be confiscated and not returned. Students who arrive at the ceremony under the influence of alcohol may be removed from the line of march. Please remember the delicate combination of joy and solemnity appropriate to such an occasion and act accordingly. Family, friends and classmates will appreciate your efforts.

We would also like to remind you that Commencement begins and ends with a formal processional/recessional of which we want you to be a part. The last student to cross the platform is as deserving of your attention as the first. Please plan your day's activities so that you and your guests are able to remain in Steele Hall throughout the entire ceremony.

Commencement Ticket Policy

The members of the Commencement Committee and the University President have established the following policy on the distribution of tickets for Commencement.

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Parking and Bus Service for Commencement

We realize that the majority of our Commencement guests will be parking in areas requiring some walking to the arena. We will be providing bus service to assist guests from parking areas to Steele Hall. As indicated earlier on this website, the ceremonies will be held in the Steele Hall arena, and the video venue will be located in the ice rink in Steele Hall.

When arriving, guests will be directed to parking areas throughout campus and bused to the entrances of the Steele Hall facility. Arriving early on campus is strongly suggested; doors to all venues will open at 8:45 a.m. for the morning ceremony and at 2 p.m. for the afternoon ceremony. We encourage those living in the local area to arrive early as well.

With the exception of those holding permits for Special Needs (handicapped) parking, there will be limited parking available in the immediate Dods/Steele hall area.

Following each ceremony and after the President's reception in the Dods Hall grove, a bus will be available to transport guests back to parking areas.

Paramount in our planning is the knowledge that this is a very special day for graduates and their guests, and the entire SUNY Fredonia family is working to create a safe, enjoyable and memorable event.

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Cap and Gown Information

The Faculty Student Association Bookstore in University Commons will provide caps and gowns, which are required for Commencement. You may purchase the required academic apparel separately or at a special package price. Bookstore hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The special package includes cap, tassel, gown, diploma cover, and five announcements (Master's package includes hood). Merchandise will be available in the bookstore from Monday, March 18 until Saturday, May 18 (Commencement Day). Limited quantities and sizes will be available, so early purchase is recommended. The Bookstore will be open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Commencement Day.

For information on purchasing and prices, contact the Bookstore at (716) 673-6257 or click on this link to the Bookstore website.

Special Needs Seating for Your Family and Guests

SUNY Fredonia is pleased to provide special services for individuals with Special Needs/disabilities. However, this seating is first-come, first-served. Due to limited capacity, only one member of your party will be permitted to accompany the individual with Special Needs in the reserved seating section. Please also note that each entrant into the arena must have his/her own individual ticket. For example, if the disabled person requires an attendant, both persons must have a color-coded ticket for entry. There are no special tickets for special needs guests - tickets must come from the student's initial allotment. Let us help you to help them have a wonderful day.

Restaurant Guide

For information on area restaurants, see this guide.

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