COMMENCEMENT SPRING 2012 M AY 11-13 141st Year of the University
GRADUATE SCHOOL CEREMONY Friday, May 11, 2012, at 8:30 a.m., Cassell Coliseum Master s degrees, certificates, education specialist, and doctoral degrees will be conferred at the Graduate School ceremony. The ceremony is expected to last approximately two hours. The ceremony will be broadcast locally, and a DVD may be purchased from the University Bookstore. Diplomas Doctoral diplomas are presented during the Graduate School ceremony. Master s and education specialist degree diplomas and certificates are mailed to the address that candidates are asked to provide the Graduate School through Hokie Spa. All graduate degree candidates must confirm their plans to attend Commencement by April 13, 2012. Questions pertaining to eligibility to participate should be directed to the Graduate School at 540-231-8636. For complete details, visit the Graduate School s website at www.graduateschool.vt.edu/commencement. Doctoral candidates who will have met all requirements for graduation by May 4, 2012, are eligible to participate in Commencement. Doctoral candidates should report to the Spring Road side of Cassell Coliseum. From there, follow the signage to the lower level and check-in area. Check-in will begin at 7:00 a.m. and end at 8:00 a.m. Major professors participating in the hooding ceremony should report to the Spring Road side of Cassell Coliseum. From there, follow the signage to the lower level and check-in area. Please check in upon arrival so that your name may be read. Check-in will begin at 7:00 a.m. and end at 8:00 a.m. Master s, education specialist, and certificate candidates who are eligible to participate in Commencement should report to Cassell Coliseum no later than 7:30 a.m. and follow the signage to the check-in location in Gym 213. Faculty participation is encouraged. Please report to the Spring Road side of Cassell Coliseum. From there, follow the signage to the lower level and check-in area. Guest Seating and Parking All university parking lots will be open to the public. However, parking in the immediate vicinity of Cassell Coliseum is limited. Families and guests are urged to arrive in time to be seated by 8:00 a.m. The procession will begin promptly at 8:15 a.m. so that all degree candidates will be seated for the start of the program at 8:30 a.m. UNIVERSITY CEREMONY Friday, May 11, 2012, at 12 noon, Lane Stadium Associate and bachelor s degrees will be conferred at the university ceremony. The ceremony is expected to last approximately one hour. Diplomas Undergraduate diplomas will be awarded on Saturday to candidates present at college and departmental ceremonies. Degree candidates wishing to be excused from Commencement must indicate their intention by going to the Hokie Spa website under Application for Degree and clicking on I will not be attending Commencement. Be sure to update your mailing address. Undergraduate diplomas for candidates attending Friday departmental ceremonies may be picked up on Saturday during the time and location set by the department. If you prefer, you may request that your diploma be mailed by linking to Hokie Spa, selecting Add/Change Diploma Address, and choosing to mail your diploma. Note: This process will not alter your participation in the Friday departmental ceremony. Diplomas for undergraduates will be mailed to the address that students provide to the Office of the University Registrar through Hokie Spa. If you have questions about your diploma, please call the office at 540-231-5187, or visit the office s website at www.registrar.vt.edu/graduation. If you plan to complete degree requirements in the summer and wish to participate in the spring ceremony, you may do so with the consent of your department. Associate and bachelor s degrees candidates planning to participate in the procession must arrive at the staging area outside the stadium gates behind the south end zone no later than 11:00 a.m. Signs designating the location for lineup of each college s candidates will be posted. REVISED Faculty and recipients of graduate degrees conferred earlier in the day are encouraged to participate in the processional and should report to the south end zone of Lane Stadium no later than 11:15 a.m. Signs outside the stadium gates will direct you to the staging area. Refer to www.vt.edu for continual updates. Guest Seating and Parking All university parking lots will be open to the public. However, parking in the immediate vicinity of Lane Stadium is limited. Families and guests are urged to arrive in time to be seated by 11:30 a.m. The procession will begin promptly at 11:40 a.m. so that all degree candidates will be seated for the start of the program at noon.
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION CEREMONY Sunday, May 13, 2012, at 1:30 p.m., Center for the Arts, Fairfax, Va. All candidates must confirm their plans to attend Commencement by April 13, 2012. Please confirm your attendance through Hokie Spa. Refer to the following website for information: www.ncr.vt.edu/ commencement. You may also contact the Graduate Student Services Office at 703-538-8327 or email your inquiry to gsso@ nvc.vt.edu. Check-in for all participants begins at noon. Graduate candidates should report to their department tables where they will be directed to robing rooms. Personal belongings cannot be stored in the robing rooms, so be prepared to make arrangements in advance to secure personal items. All graduate candidates will march by degree, college, and department. Lineup will begin at 1:00 p.m. Late arrivals will march at the end of the line. Guest Seating Guests are urged to arrive in time to be seated in advance of the procession, which will begin promptly at 1:30 p.m. GENERAL INFORMATION Commencement Phone Line: 540-231-3208 Commencement Website: www.vt.edu/commencement Programs Undergraduate candidates will be provided one complete Commencement program with a full listing of student names. Each college or department that holds a separate ceremony on Saturday will receive programs for distribution to its respective students. Full programs will be distributed at the Graduate School and National Capital Region Commencement ceremonies. The final program, complete with student names, will be available online for anyone wishing to print additional copies. Graduate and University Ceremonies Broadcast Live Virginia Tech will offer live streaming video of the Graduate and University Commencement ceremonies to be held Friday, May 11. Links to the streams of both events will be accessible from www. vt.edu approximately one hour before each ceremony begins. At the conclusion of each ceremony, the video will be archived and accessible from the commencement website at www.vt.edu/ commencement. Graduation Degree Requirements In order to receive a degree, a student must have satisfied all academic requirements, must have fulfilled all financial obligations to the university, and must not have any pending charges, active suspensions, or dismissals issued by the Honor or Student Judicial systems. Academic Apparel Academic apparel is required for all graduation ceremonies. Caps, gowns, hoods, and tassels may be purchased from the bookstore at www.bookstore.vt.edu. For academic regalia colors by college, see www.vt.edu/commencement/tassel-colors.html. Announcements All graduates may order personalized announcements in advance through the University Bookstore. For more information and deadlines, contact the University Bookstore at 540-231-5991, extension 147. Announcements may also be ordered at http://products.balfour. com/college/collegehome.aspx?collegeid=va110277. Visit the Alumni Association website at www.alumni.vt.edu/graduation or call 540-231-6285 for more information on announcements, class rings, and diploma frames. Disability Access Accessible seating for persons with impaired mobility is available at both Lane Stadium and Cassell Coliseum, as is accessible parking. A sign language interpreter will be provided for the university and Graduate School ceremonies. Interpreters for individual college ceremonies are arranged by request, with a two-week notice, through the office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). For additional information concerning accessibility and disability accommodations, visit SSD online at www.ssd.vt.edu or call 540-231-0858 or TTY 540-231-0853. Two weeks prior to the Commencement ceremony, Special Needs (impaired mobility) parking passes which are not required if you have a DMV handicap tag are available for pickup in the SSD office located in downtown Blacksburg at the Kent Square building, 250 S. Main St., Suite 300. For the National Capital Region ceremony, accessible seating for persons with impaired mobility is available. A sign language interpreter will be provided during the ceremony. Lodging and Dining on the Blacksburg Campus The Division of Student Affairs' Conference and Guest Services offers an alternative to hotel lodging. In an effort to provide convenient, low-cost accommodations, Conference and Guest Services is pleased to provide residence hall space for families and guests of graduates. Many of our Commencement guests find that staying in our residence halls during this weekend minimizes parking and dining difficulties and provides what is often a nostalgic experience. On-campus dining will be available at D2 as noted on the calendar of events on the following page. Advance reservations for lodging are required, and full payment is due at the time that reservations are made. Online reservations and payment may be made at www.housing.vt.edu/commencement. For details and reservation information, contact Conference and Guest Services at 540-231-5721. You may also send an email inquiry to conferences@vt.edu. Inclement Weather Instructions In the event of inclement weather, the University Ceremony (Lane Stadium) may be delayed or possibly canceled. Once the decision has been made, details will be posted on the Virginia
Tech homepage (www.vt.edu) and the VT News page (www.vtnews. vt.edu). Information will be recorded on the University Weather Line (540-231-6668) and broadcast on WVTF-FM 89.1. Notice will also be made using broadcast email and VT Alerts. If heavy rain or dangerous conditions prevail, the university may cancel the ceremony. Official Photographer GradImages will be the official photographer for Spring 2012 Commencement ceremonies on the Virginia Tech campus. Photographers will be present for the Graduate School ceremony, as well as for all major college ceremonies. The photographers will be the only persons with clear access to the stages. On Thursday, May 10, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., GradImages will offer free portrait sittings in the Holtzman Alumni Center. All graduating students, both undergraduate and graduate, should wear their own cap and gown. As many accoutrements as desired, such as stoles, honors cords, and sashes, may be worn for the portrait sitting. No appointment is necessary. Although students are not obligated to make a purchase, by registering an email address online prior to graduation, graduating students are eligible for a $5 discount on any photo order of more than $25. GradImages will send proofs by mail--and by email if an address is provided--approximately one week after the ceremony. If you have any questions about your order, please contact GradImages by phone at 800-261-2576 or online at www. gradimages.com. Please avoid bringing wrapped packages or unnecessary items with you to Commencement ceremonies. Safety precautions may necessitate random searches. Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Anyone having questions concerning discrimination or accessibility should contact the Office for Equity and Access.
Friday, May 11, 2012 CALENDAR OF EVENTS *Commencement Breakfast D2, Dietrick Dining Center, Upper Level 7:00-11:00 a.m. Deet's Place (gourmet coffee, ice cream, and pastry) Dietrick Dining Center, Lower Level 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Squires Food Court - Au Bon Pain Squires Student Center 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY Cassell Coliseum 8:30 a.m. UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY Lane Stadium/Worsham Field 12:00 p.m. DEPARTMENTAL CEREMONIES Communication Cassell Coliseum 4:00 p.m. Human Development Squires Student Center, Commonwealth Ballroom 4:00 p.m. Psychology Burruss Hall, Auditorium 4:00 p.m. *Commencement Dinner D2, Dietrick Dining Center, Upper Level 4:00-7:00 p.m. VA-MD REGIONAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE CEREMONY Squires Student Center, Commonwealth Ballroom 7:00 p.m. CORPS OF CADETS COMMENCEMENT & ROTC COMMISSIONING CEREMONY Burrus Hall, Auditorium 7:00 p.m. Saturday, May 12, 2012 Deet's Place (gourmet coffee, ice cream, and pastry) Dietrick Dining Center, Lower Level 6:00-10:30 a.m. Squires Food Court - Au Bon Pain Squires Student Center 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. *Commencement Breakfast D2, Dietrick Dining Center, Upper Level 7:00-11:00 a.m. Squires Food Court - Sbarro Squires Student Center 7:00-9:30 a.m. COLLEGE/DEPARTMENTAL CEREMONIES Agriculture and Life Sciences Cassell Coliseum 11:00 a.m. Architecture and Urban Studies Burruss Hall, Auditorium 8:30 a.m. Pamplin College of Business Cassell Coliseum 8:30 a.m. Engineering Cassell Coliseum 2:00 p.m. Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Apparel, Housing and Resource Management Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown, Auditorium 11:30 a.m. English Squires Student Center, Commonwealth Ballroom 11:30 a.m. Foreign Languages and Literatures Squires Student Center, Colonial Hall 1:30 p.m. History Squires Student Center, Commonwealth Ballroom 8:30 a.m. Music Squires Student Center, Recital Salon 9:30 a.m. Philosophy Torgersen Hall, Room 2150 11:00 a.m. Political Science and International Studies Burruss Hall, Auditorium 11:00 a.m. Religion and Culture Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown, Auditorium 9:00 a.m. Science & Technology in Society Hahn Horticulture Garden, Washington Street 12:30 p.m. Sociology Squires Student Center, Colonial Hall 8:30 a.m. Theatre and Cinema Squires Student Center, Studio Theatre 9:00 a.m. Natural Resources and Environment Squires Student Center, Commonwealth Ballroom 2:30 p.m. Science Biological Sciences Burruss Hall, Auditorium 1:30 p.m. Chemistry Lyric Theatre, College Avenue 9:00 a.m. Economics McBryde Hall, Room 100 11:00 a.m. Geosciences Hancock Hall, Room 100 10:00 a.m. Mathematics McBryde Hall, Room 100 8:30 a.m. Physics Hahn Hall-North Wing, Room 130 11:00 a.m. Statistics Hillcrest Hall 11:00 a.m. Sunday, May 13, 2012 NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION CEREMONY Center for the Arts, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va. 1:30 p.m. * Meal tickets may be purchased. For details, call 540-231-5721.