Spring Commencement Instructions

Attendance at commencement is optional. There is no rehearsal, so please refer to this information and share it with your guests.

Please, be on time. Candidates should arrive promptly at the time specified for assembly and be wearing their caps and gowns. Men should wear dark trousers and dark shoes. Women should wear dark clothing and dark shoes. Coats and jackets are not recommended. Please do not carry such items as purses, backpacks or helmets; there is no place to store them. Candidates who arrive late must march at the end of the procession. Once the procession has begun, there is no opportunity to join your group.

Seating: General admission seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. No guests are permitted in the degree candidates' seating area. Commencement protocol does not permit seating of guests during the processional; late arrivals must wait to be seated until the processional ends.

Assembly Times

Refer to the commencement schedule for college ceremony information, including assembly time.

Assembly and Processional

• Undergraduate candidates enter the O'Connell Center through the northwest doors at Gates 2 and 3 and will assemble on the basketball court or in the dance studio. Look for the sign identifying your college and line up according to your degree. The marshal will signal when it is time to move to the seating area. Please have your name card in hand to provide to the marshal who will read your name aloud when you walk across the stage.
• Advanced degree candidates (doctoral, specialist, engineer, master's degrees) also enter through the northwest doors at Gates 2 and 3 and will assemble by degree. A marshal will be present to help you line up according to the degree you will receive.

The processional begins when the marshals lead candidates onto the main floor of the O'Connell Center. Sit down when you get to your seat and remain seated until the marshal asks you to stand, then face the center aisle. Remain standing until the president's party passes your row, then turn and face the stage.

Protocols for Conferring Degrees

Degrees will be conferred in this order, as applicable by college: Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Audiology, Doctor of Plant Medicine, specialist, engineer, master's and bachelor's degrees.

• Doctoral degree candidates with escorts (Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Education): A faculty escort must accompany each Ph.D. and Ed.D. candidate to the stage and back to their seat. You will be asked to come to the stage to receive your hoods. Give your name card to the presiding official when you reach the top of the steps, and your name will be read aloud.

• Doctoral degree candidates without escorts (Doctor of Audiology, Doctor of Plant Medicine and Doctor of Physical Therapy): You will be asked to come to the stage to receive your hoods. Give your name card to the presiding official when you reach the top of the steps, and your name will be read aloud.
• Specialist, engineer and master’s degree candidates: The presiding official will recognize these degree candidates as a group. All candidates will be invited to the stage to be recognized individually. Marshals will lead these groups to the stage. At the top of the steps, give your name card to the marshal.
• Bachelor’s degree candidates: All candidates for bachelor’s degrees will be presented as a group. When instructed, please move your tassel from right to left. Watch for the marshal’s signal to indicate when your row is to stand and proceed single file to the stage. Give your name card to the marshal when you reach the top of the steps so you can be recognized individually.

Announcing Each Candidate’s Name: All degree candidates are recognized individually. Your name is read aloud as you cross the stage. Please print or type your name with a phonetic spelling (to ensure correct pronunciation) on the lower portion of your regalia order card. Your college and degree must be correct. When you pick up your regalia, you will receive a second card that you must complete and bring with you to the ceremony.

Photographs: All commencement guests should remain in their seats while taking photographs or video. No guests are permitted onto the graduates' seating area. Photographs of the graduates as they cross the stage are available through companies that have contracts with the university. These companies will contact you about purchasing professional photographs. If you desire other pictures taken in your academic regalia, please do so before the ceremony, as regalia must be returned immediately following the ceremony, unless you have purchased the apparel.

Conduct Appropriate to the Ceremony

Thank you for helping us make commencement a memorable event for all involved.

• Please remain seated during the ceremony.
• Cell phones and pagers should be turned off.
• All graduates and their guests are asked to remain for the entire ceremony as a sign of respect for all university graduates.
• There is no recessional, so when the alma mater is complete, all graduates can join their guests!

Academic Regalia

All participants in the ceremony wear a university-approved cap and gown, which can be reserved from the University Bookstore. The deadline to order regalia is Friday, March 7.

All caps and gowns are black, and candidates for advanced degrees also wear hoods. All candidates pick up their caps and gowns at the bookstore and wear them to the ceremony.

Students receiving specialist, engineer and master’s degrees will receive their hoods when they pick up their regalia and should wear their hoods to the ceremony. Doctoral degree candidates (Ph.D., Ed.D., Au.D., D.P.M., D.P.T.) will not receive their hoods when they pick up their regalia. These hoods are delivered by the bookstore to the commencement location so that doctoral candidates can be hooded during the ceremony when they cross the stage.

You must provide your height, weight and gender when you place your order. The rental fee is due when the order is placed, and it is refundable until Wednesday, April 30.

Picking up Regalia

Regalia ordered by March 7 is available for pick up beginning April 21. Regalia ordered after March 7 will be available beginning April 25. (Your Gator1 ID card is required). Someone else can collect your regalia if they provide your Gator1 card.

All regalia should be picked up by Wednesday, April 30. Regalia will not be available for pick up prior to the morning ceremonies.

Returning Regalia

Return academic regalia (cap and tassel are complimentary and do not have to be returned) after the ceremony to the University Bookstore. Regalia not returned by 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, will be subject to a late fee of $5 per day, with a maximum penalty of $25. Undergraduate students from the Warrington College of Business Administration, the Fisher School of Accounting and the College of Journalism and Communications should return their regalia by 5:00 p.m., May 5.

Tassels

Tassel colors are specific to your college. A complimentary tassel is provided with your cap and gown.

Candidates for a baccalaureate degree place the tassel on the right side of the mortarboard until the degree is conferred; tassels are moved to the left side when the degree is conferred.

All other degree candidates place the tassel on the left side of the mortarboard, where it will remain.

Graduating with Honors

Undergraduate degree candidates may purchase honors cords to recognize their graduation with honors. Three honors distinctions are available: cum laude (with honors – $13.81), magna cum laude (with high honors – $27.63) or summa cum laude (with highest honors – $41.44).

The cords, which are optional, can also be purchased at the University Bookstore. You can purchase cords only for the level of honors recommended by your college in March and provided to the bookstore. If your honors status changes to a higher level at final degree certification, you can return to the bookstore May 7 to purchase additional cords.

Please note: The honors designations listed in the commencement program are unofficial. Your official honors designation will be indicated on your diploma and transcript.

Academic Caps

The academic mortarboard must be worn during the processional and when standing; you may remove it while you are seated. Men should remove their caps during the university’s alma mater.

Diplomas

Diplomas will be mailed in late July to your permanent home mailing address. Please verify your permanent mailing address through the my.ufl portal.