TO: Participants in Candlelight and Commencement, June 2018

TO: Participants in Candlelight and Commencement, June 2018 FROM: Dean Michael Halperin, Commencement Chair DATE: October 31, 2017 1. Commencement The Spring 2018 Commencement will be on campus, weather permitting. We will make the final decision, based on weather reports, about 48 hours in advance of the program in order to properly set up our rain location, which is the Hockey Arena at the Murray Athletic Center. Attire for Commencement is important. Remember that, on the platform, you will be viewed by a large number of persons and that many photographs will be taken for future memorabilia. Men should wear dark pants, shirts, ties, dark socks and formal shoes with their regalia. Women should wear plainer attire in darker shades. Elaborate collars that show outside the robe should be avoided. Master's candidates (because of the slit sleeves on master s regalia) should be especially careful to avoid larger patterns on clothing. Please avoid jewelry which shows outside the robe. Honor items such as keys, emblems, or cords may be worn. Caps should be worn well forward on the head, with the point halfway down on the forehead. Tassels on caps are worn on the right side of the cap, centered. You will be directed to move your tassel to the left side later in the ceremony. We ask that you please not decorate your caps or robes. Men should remove and replace caps whenever the President does. This normally takes place during the invocation and final prayer. Women keep their caps on during the ceremony. There should be nothing in your hands; programs will be placed on the seats of all participants. Purses, cell phones, etc. should be left with family or friends as thee will be no storage location available during eh ceremony. There is no smoking or carrying of lighted tobacco during the entire proceedings. 2. Commencement Participation Undergraduate students who are more than nine credit hours away from completing their degree requirements and graduate students who are more than six credit hours from completing their degree requirements at the time of Commencement must receive permission from the Educational Standards Committee in order to participate in Commencement. If you are not sure how many credits you may be missing at the time of Commencement, please speak with your academic advisor. 3. Regalia, Graduation Honors and the Diploma Academic regalia will be distributed through the McGraw Bookstore in March of 2018. Please remove wrinkles from your robe by hanging it up well in advance. Do not leave it in the

package until the ceremony. All graduates keep their academic regalia after Commencement. If there are any problems with your regalia, contact the Office of the Registrar at (607) 735-1895. Graduate students, please check to see that you have the correct color hood for your degree: M.S. has brown trim and M.S. in Education has light blue trim. Latin Honors and additional regalia will be made available in the spring for baccalaureate students only, who achieve the cumulative grade point average indicated below. Depending on the Bulletin Year requirements under which the student is graduating, transfer credits may or may not be used when calculating the final level of Latin Honors. Latin Honors are calculated as of April 30, 2018 and are only awarded for those students who first achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.400 or above at Elmira College and have completed all degree requirements at the time of Commencement. Students who will complete their degree requirements after Commencement will have Latin honors noted on their transcripts and diplomas when their degrees are conferred. A. Summa cum laude: >3.800 B. Magna cum laude: 3.600 to 3.799 C. Cum laude: 3.400 to 3.599 The Valedictorian of the Elmira College graduating class will have entered as a first-time, full-time freshman and, upon graduation, shall have transferred to Elmira College no more than 15 credits after beginning college. In the event of a tie, the valedictorian will be determined by the total number of earned credit hours. Elmira College uses American conventions in the formatting of diplomas. Quoting from The Registrar's Guide: Evolving Best Practices in Records and Registration AACRAO (2006): "most [American] institutions do not include the student's major, much less a minor, on the diploma... The diploma should remain uncluttered and elegant, with the transcript presenting the more detailed record." The reason the major is not listed is because there are many requirements to fulfill a degree, including completion of general education requirements, accumulation of total credits, reaching a particular grade point average, completion of at least one major leading to that degree, etc. Major is one aspect of the degree. The details of the degree, including major information, are on the transcript. 4. Commencement Rehearsal One general rehearsal will be held for the Commencement Exercises at 10:30 a.m., on the Cowles Hall Lawn, or, in case of rain, at the Murray Center on. All graduating students should attend this rehearsal. A formal rehearsal for the Candlelight Ceremony is not planned; the program and processional will be described at Commencement rehearsal. 5. Candlelight Ceremony

The Candlelight Ceremony will begin at 9:00 p.m., June 1, adjacent to The Puddle. All persons participating should be present by 8:30 p.m. Programs for this event may be secured in front of Gillett Hall. In case of rain, the program will be held in the Speidel Gymnasium in Emerson Hall. Assuming we are outdoors for Candlelight, the line of march will form in front of Gillett Hall near the East Wing of Cowles Hall. Students will form two parallel lines. Precise order by name or by degree to be received is not necessary for the Candlelight Ceremony. If you wish to sit with particular people, you must be in the same line, not side by side. Faculty and administrators will form in two parallel lines immediately preceding the students' formation. At the signal to begin the procession, faculty and administrators will move down the steps in front of Alumni Hall and proceed along the sidewalk to the south side of The Puddle where a section of chairs will be reserved. Following the ushers' directions, faculty and administrators will proceed without candles, down the center aisle, filling seats from the front to rear until all are seated. Next the Patron Saints and ushers will light the candles, which will be distributed for the ceremony. At a third signal, the student procession in two columns will move down the steps in front of Alumni Hall and proceed under the guidance of the Marshals around The Puddle to an area on the hill below Cowles Hall. Seating for graduates will be on the lawn. There will be no recessional following the ceremony. Instead, graduates will be asked to circle around the Puddle to join in the singing of the Alma Mater. Afterwards, students, faculty and staff may immediately join families and guests in the audience and proceed to the reception. The Candlelight Ceremony has been planned as an alternative intellectual and spiritual service to the more traditional Baccalaureate Service. While the focus of the program is on the traditional full-time undergraduate students, all commencement participants are welcome to attend. The processional will be of a formal nature and the program of serious content. Faculty and administrators will be in business attire. Students will be sitting on the ground and should dress appropriately. 6. Commencement There are no tickets necessary for Commencement. Commencement will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 2. All those participating should assemble by 10:30 a.m. on the Carnegie Lawn. You should assemble already wearing your cap, gown, and hood. In case of rain, Commencement will take place at 11:00 a.m. at the Murray Athletic Center, in the Hockey Arena. The decision to move the Commencement to the Murray Athletic Center will be announced by campus-wide e-mail and through other means, about 48 hours in advance of the event. Should the program be moved to the Murray Athletic Center,

please leave campus early. Several thousand people will be traveling on a two-lane highway, all going to the same location. Precise order is essential in forming the lines of march for Commencement. A printed list will be provided at the Commencement rehearsal, Friday, June 1 at 10:30 a.m. Check to see that you are next to the person listed before and after your name on the printed Line of March. The two columns begin the march at 11:00 a.m. The two columns of graduates will move at an approximately equal pace. Maintain a measured, slow pace. Should there unexpectedly be gaps in the line, DO NOT RUSH FORWARD. Continue walking at a slow pace. You will proceed to seats reserved for graduates, under direction of the Patron Saints. Remain standing until entire procession is in place. The President will provide the signal for being seated. Each candidate will be presented individually by name. Candidates will stand as a group by degree, as they are presented, in the following order: A. Associate in Science and Associate in Arts B. Bachelor of Science C. Bachelor of Arts D. Master of Science (Management) E. Master of Science in Education The Marshals will assist in keeping the march to the platform moving smoothly. Each degree candidates will ascend the platform on the right side, as your name is called, meet President Lindsay in the center of the stage to receive your diploma, and then exit down the left side and return to your original seat. Diplomas will be presented during Commencement Ceremonies to those who have completed all degree requirements and are in good financial standing. 7. Photographers Professional photographers from GradImages will be photographing each graduate when they receive the diploma from President Lindsay and when they have descended from the platform, in front of the Class Banner. A proof, which is a gift from GradImages, will be sent to each graduate approximately one week after Commencement, and photographs may be ordered directly from GradImages. Their address is www.gradimages.com. 8. Handicapped Access For Candlelight the best accessible parking will be in the parking lot on 6 th Street, behind Harris and Watson Halls. For Commencement, Security will be able to move the barrier on College Avenue, allowing someone to park near the Mark Twain Study to be able to gain entry to the Commencement area.

If we utilize the Murray Athletic Center due to weather, there is an easy drop-off place near the front entrance. There is also elevator access to the ice level of the arena which can be accessed by driving to the back of the hockey dome. Parking staff will be able to instruct you as you come to the Murray Center. Please feel free to contact one of the program ushers on the day of the ceremony if you need assistance. They can be identified by their purple and gold sashes. 9. Commencement Reception All are invited to a reception immediately following Commencement in which will be set up near the Commencement area. Punch and pastries will be served. 10. Campus Housing All Residence Halls, including the College Cottages, will close on Saturday, June 2nd at 5:00 PM for students participating in Commencement exercises. All students should utilize the express check-out option or go to the Tifft Lounge to have a RLC do a formal walk-through checkout of your room. 11. Social Guidelines All College policies and social guidelines apply as long as students remain on campus. 12. Graduation Announcements and Diploma Frames Announcements and diploma frames are available through the McGraw Bookstore. 13. Flowers Flowers will be available for purchase on campus the day of Commencement. 14. Change of Address Resident students should notify the Post Office of changes of address, noting specifically whether it is a temporary or permanent change. The Post Office will be open on Friday, June 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please check your campus mailbox for mail. 15. Bookstore Hours 16. Business Office Hours 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 17. Gannett Tripp Library and College Switchboard 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. 18. Starbucks Closed beginning Tuesday, May 29, 2018

19. MacKenzie's Wednesday, May 30, 2018 Thursday, May 31, 2018 20. Campus Center Dining Hall Wednesday, May 30, 2018 Thursday, May 31, 2018 21. Campus Center Wednesday, May 30, 2018 Thursday, May 31, 2018 9:00 a.m. 11:30 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 11:30 p.m. CLOSED CLOSED 7:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m. 7:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. 7:45 a.m. 12:00 a.m. 7:45 a.m. 12:00 a.m. 7:45 a.m. 12:00 a.m. 7:45 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Schedule for 2018 Commencement Weekend Friday 1, 2018 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. McGraw Bookstore will be open 10:30 a.m. Commencement Rehearsal, South Lawn of Cowles Hall Rain location is the Murray Athletic Center 2:00 p.m. Nursing Pinning Ceremony, Speidel Gymnasium 8:30 p.m. Assemble for Candlelight Ceremony, adjacent to Gillett Hall. Rain location is the Speidel Gymnasium in Emerson Hall 9:00 p.m. Candlelight Ceremony, Cowles Hall Lawn Following Candlelight Campus Center Reception Saturday June 2, 2018 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. McGraw Bookstore will be open 10:30 a.m. Assemble for Commencement on the Carnegie Lawn or the Murray Athletic Center in the event of the rain plan 11:00 a.m. Commencement Ceremony, Cowles Hall Reception Following Commencement Immediately following Commencement McGraw Bookstore opens 5:00 p.m. All College residences close for the 2017-2018 academic year 1-30-18