Congratulations Spring Class of 2008!

Congratulations Spring Class of 2008! It is my privilege to manage the ceremony honoring graduating students from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering this fall. I hope you find the arrangements satisfactory. If you have any questions about the ceremony, please feel free to email me at candice@ncsu.edu

For Your Information

Ticket Information for Students and Guests

Tickets will not be needed this year.  Our venue is large enough to accommodate all family and friends.

About Guests

We ask that your guests arrive at Reynolds Coliseum no earlier than 2:00 pm. The doors to the seating area will not open until 2:00 pm. Marshals will be standing by to assist guests requiring accommodation for a disability or any assistive devices or services.

If you need assistance, please notify the nearest marshal. Marshals are distinguished by a name tag with a red ribbon and a red carnation. When the commencement hall opens, your guests should go directly in and take their seats. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has hired a professional photographer to capture the moment each student receives their diploma. A proof photo will be sent to the graduating student’s permanent address with information on how to purchase prints. We encourage our guests to take as many other pictures as they like but request that during the ceremony all pictures be taken without a flash and with as little disruption of the proceedings as possible. The Department requests that camcorders be arranged without blocking doors, aisles or the views of other guests. Children are welcome to attend this celebration of accomplishment. Parents with small children are asked to take aisle seats should they need to exit to the lobby with an unsettled or crying child.

 About the Ceremony

Graduating students should arrive at Reynolds Coliseum no later than 1:45 pm. You should go directly to the side door of Reynolds that is closest to the Talley Student Center.

The assembly area is the long hallway along the western side of the building interior. Staff from the student services office will be waiting there with a printed card with your name on it and a number. The card indicates your place in line and will be handed back to a staff member as you enter the commencement hall. Once you have handed your card back, do not change your place in line for any reason. Names will be called in the order the cards are stacked.

It takes a great deal of time to organize the lines and check names so please be prompt. The ceremony begins at 2:30 pm sharp. The processional enters the hall in the following order:

1. Faculty
2. PhD students
3. Chief Marshal
4. MSEE students
5. MSCpE students
6. MSCN students
7. BSEE students
8. BSCpE students
9. Marshal

The order will be alphabetical within each degree. PhD students should follow the faculty until the faculty mount the stage then proceed across the front of the stage area to the seating beside the stage. All other students will be seated on the floor level of the Coliseum in front of the stage. Once you are directed to your row and seat, please remain standing until the Chief Marshal indicates you should sit. It's very important throughout the entire ceremony that you watch for your cues to stand and sit from your graduation marshals.

The first part of the ceremony will be the hooding of the PhD students. After the hooding ceremony, the department will recognize the Master's and Bachelor's graduates. All graduates on a single row will rise together, as directed by the marshals, file out to their right, and line up at the foot of the stage. As Associate Department Head, Dr. Yannis Viniotis, calls each name, the graduate will mount the stage and cross to shake hands with the appropriate program director: Dr. Joel Trussell for Master's degrees and Ms. Cecilia Townsend for Bachelor's degrees.

After shaking hands with your program director, proceed to center stage to shake hands with the Department Head, Dr. Robert Trew. SMILE! The hired photographer will take your picture as Dr. Trew shakes your hand. After your picture is taken, proceed along the stage and down the stairs. You should move along the side of the central seating and proceed to your row.

Once you have returned to your row, take your seat so that audience members seated behind you can enjoy the remainder of the ceremony. When all graduates have been recognized, the faculty will be lead from the stage by Dr. Trew followed by the PhD graduates. Marshals will direct the Master's and Bachelor's students so that the recessional order is the same as was the processional. To accomplish this, graduates will exit their row to their right just as they did to mount the stage. Please stay in order as you recess from the hall and follow the marshal.

The Hooding Ceremony

The Hooding Ceremony is a special recognition ceremony for doctoral degree candidates during which a faculty advisor places the doctoral hood over the head of the graduate, signifying his or her success in completing the graduate program. PhD students should enter the commencement hall with their hood draped across their left forearm. The hood should be remain across the left arm and trailed across the lap during the commencement speech.

When your name is called, keep your hood on your left arm so that yyou can cross the stage and shake hands with Dr. Trussell. After shaking hands, proceed to where your advisor is waiting center stage. Extend your left arm with the hood to your advisor. Once your advisor has taken the hood from your arm, turn and face the audience.

Depending on the relative height of yourself and your advisor, you may need to crouch slightly so that your advisor can smoothly place the hood around your neck and adjust it to center. To prepare for the hooding ceremony, PhD students are strongly advised to practice this with their faculty advisor.

When your hood is in place, you should turn and shake hands with your advisor, then proceed further across the stage to receive your diploma cover and shake hands with Dr. Trew. Don't forget to SMILE! Your picture will be taken as you shake hands with Dr. Trew. Once you have completed this circuit, proceed off the stage and walk to the back of the hall, around the graduates seated on the Coliseum floor and down the opposite side to your original seat.

A reception with light refreshments immediately follows the ceremony in the lobby of Reynolds Coliseum. We hope that you and your guests will take the opportunity to join everyone else to celebrate with us before departing.

FAQs

1. How many tickets can I get for graduation?
   Tickets will not be needed.  All are welcome.
2. What happens if I'm late for line-up?
   The staff will make every effort to place you in the proper place for the processional. Students who arrive after their designated place has entered the hall will be placed either at the end of their degree grouping, the end of their class grouping, or the end of the processional, respectively. Students arriving after the entire processional has entered the hall will be seated after the graduation address. You will be seated at the end of the last row and be the final graduate to cross the stage. 
3. How do I find a Marshal at the ceremony?
   Marshals wear a red carnation and a badge with red ribbon.

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