Hooding and Recognition Ceremony Questions What is the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony? How is it different from University Commencement? The Hooding and Recognition Ceremony is exclusively for graduate students and celebrates their achievements as they receive a Ph.D. or final master's degree. It is an outdoor event that takes place on Cannon Green behind Nassau Hall. It lasts about 2 1/2 hours. Every advanced degree candidate walks on stage to be individually announced and recognized. Ph.D. candidates receive their academic hood from a faculty member (usually their adviser or the University’s chief marshal.) The Hooding and Recognition Ceremony does not replace University Commencement, when both undergraduate and graduate degrees are officially conferred. Commencement takes place the day after Hooding. Graduate students are encouraged to attend both the Hooding Ceremony and Commencement.SPIA students: Please note that the School of Public and International Affairs holds an additional advanced degree ceremony for SPIA students. Registration for the SPIA Hooding is a separate process and does not register you for the University’s Hooding and Recognition and Commencement. Please be sure to complete both registrations. What happens to the ceremony if it rains? In the event of inclement weather the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony will move to Jadwin Gymnasium. An email announcement will be sent by noon to graduate students registered for the ceremony and participating faculty and staff members. The update will also be posted on the Graduate School website. Are tickets required? Tickets are not required for the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony. Students are asked to bring no more than two guests to the luncheon. For the Commencement Ceremony, each registered graduate will receive eight guest tickets. Tickets may be picked up at Frist A Level Ticketing Office, from Monday, May 19 to Sunday, May 25 between noon - 3 pm; and on Monday, May 26 between 9 am and noon. Tickets can also be mailed to the graduate starting in mid-March; please allow 3-5 weeks for delivery. Can I take photos? Will the University take photos and video? Students and guests may take photos but must remain seated and not block the aisles. This ensures the ceremony is on schedule, safe and comfortable for all attendees. The Graduate School will have professional photographers on hand to capture the ceremony, and take photos of each graduate. Graduates will be notified by email when photos are available for free download. Please note that the event is being livestreamed, recorded for later public viewing, and photographed as part of the University’s event coverage, and may be used by the University for other noncommercial purposes. Parents: Children who participate in the ceremony will be included in these materials. Where can I find information about accessibility needs? There are a limited number of accessible seats at the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony. Accessible seating is also available at the indoor simulcast sites in Frist Campus Center: B Level Multipurpose Rooms, 100 Level TV Lounge, and Room 302 (3rd Floor). If you or another member of your family needs accommodation for a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 609-258-8840 as soon as possible and no later than May 1 with information about your particular needs. Where can I find more information, such as restroom locations, notifications and alerts? You can find this information on the TigerSafe app. Graduate Student Questions How do I register for the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony? Eligible graduate students on the September, November, and January degree lists, and those we anticipate receiving degrees in March and May, receive an email notification to register. This email includes a link and instructions on registering in the Hooding and Commencement registration system. Registration generally opens on January 31. When will I receive my tickets for Commencement? Commencement tickets will be mailed to graduates starting in mid-March. Please allow 3-5 weeks for delivery. Graduates may choose to pick up their tickets on campus at the Frist A Level Ticketing Office, from Monday May 10 to Sunday, May 25 between noon - 3 pm; and on Monday May 26 between 9 am and noon. For ticketing questions, please contact [email protected]. Can I participate in the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony or Commencement if I have not yet completed all degree requirements? What happens if I have registered but don’t defend in time? Only graduate students who have completed all degree requirements in time to appear on one of the five degree lists over the course of the academic year are eligible to participate in the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony and Commencement. If you miss this year’s deadline, you will be able to participate next year. Can my child sit with me and/or come on stage with me at the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony? Children are welcome to participate in the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony with their parents. Please note that the event is being livestreamed, recorded for later public viewing, and photographed as part of the University’s event coverage, and may be used by the University for other noncommercial purposes. Parents: Children who participate in the ceremony will be included in these materials. I need an invitation letter for my international guests to obtain a visa to travel. How can I request this letter? Please send your requests to [email protected]. When should students arrive for the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony and what should we do? Faculty and students participating in the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony should arrive between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. and assemble on Chapel Drive in front of Whig Hall. If you are a Ph.D. student who has registered a faculty member to hood you, please find your faculty member. You will need to stand together by the sign representing your academic division (for Ph.D. students) or your school and degree type (for master's candidates). If multiple people are being hooded by the same faculty member, we ask you all to sit together, with the faculty member taking the second position in the line. What time should my guests arrive, and where should they go? Guests can arrive at the same time as participants, and are asked to go directly to their seats. Guests are not permitted to be in the area where faculty and participating students are assembling. Please advise your family and friends to arrive promptly, as arriving after 4:30 p.m. will be disruptive to others at the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony. What should I bring with me? You should come to the ceremony dressed in your regalia. Master's students should wear their hood; Ph.D. students will need to bring their hood and carry it over their arm. Graduate School staff will be handing out name cards and pencils prior to the beginning of the ceremony. You will fill out the card clearly, and list your name and its phonetic spelling. If you are a doctoral candidate and a faculty member is hooding you, the card must also include the name and phonetic spelling of your faculty member. Please do not bring any other items with you to the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony: There is nowhere to store your belongings during the ceremony. What should I do when I walk across the stage if I am a master's student? You should be wearing your hood. You will be sent to the stage by row. When it is your turn to walk to the stage, the marshal will assist you. Please follow the instructions of your marshal closely. Once you are led to the stage, you will hand your card to the dean at the podium and walk across the stage. There will be an opportunity for individual photos before you return to your seat. Please then return to your seat, where you are asked to remain until the ceremony has ended. What should I do when I walk across the stage if I am a Ph.D. recipient? Please carry your hood over your arm. You will be sent to the stage by row to be hooded. Please make sure you have removed your hat before leaving your seat. When it is your turn to walk to the stage, the marshal will assist you. Please follow the instructions of your marshal closely. Once you are led to the stage, you will hand your card to the dean at the podium and walk to the center of the stage to receive your hood. There is a large X indicating where you should stand. Once you have been hooded you will walk off the stage. There will be an opportunity for individual photos before you return to your seat. Please then return to your seat, where you are asked to remain until the ceremony has ended. Will I receive my diploma on stage? Advanced degree recipients for the May degree period will receive their diploma by mail. Please be sure to provide an address that is valid for six months after graduation. Faculty Questions I have received an invitation to participate in the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony. Am I required to attend? While you are not required to attend, this is a celebration of our graduates and the work they have done to receive an advanced degree. We hope you will join us to celebrate their accomplishments. I am not able to attend the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony for my advisee, but would like them to participate. What can I do? While many Ph.D. students prefer to be hooded by their adviser, all faculty members are eligible to participate. Often if an adviser cannot participate themselves, a member of the graduate student’s committee is asked to hood the candidate. You may want to encourage a colleague to hood your advisee. Alternatively, the chief marshal will hood the student. If a student from my department is present at the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony without a faculty member to hood them, am I allowed to hood the student myself? Yes! We understand that not all faculty members are able to come to the ceremony, and we encourage you to hood any student who asks you and whom you feel comfortable hooding. Do I need my own regalia? All faculty members participating in the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony must wear academic regalia, which can be purchased or rented. Faculty members are expected to wear regalia from the institution from which they received their own advanced degree. What time do I need to arrive and what do I do once I get there? We ask that faculty and students participating in the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony arrive between 3:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Faculty are asked to arrive in their regalia and find their student(s) before assembling. We ask faculty members to sit with their candidates. If you are hooding multiple candidates, we ask that you all remain together and sit together during the ceremony. How do I hood a candidate? When it is time to hood the Ph.D. candidates, the student and faculty member will walk together up to the stage. Faculty members will ascend the stage first, walk across the platform, stop next to the chief marshal and face the audience. Once your student’s name has been called, the student will stand on an X in front of you. You will place the hood over their head from behind and straighten the tail of the hood. You can find step-by-step instructions in our How to Hood a Doctoral Candidate Guide. I co-advise a student, and both advisers would like to participate. Can this be done? While both advisers can attend the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony, students are only permitted to have one faculty member hood them. I have been asked to hood multiple students. What is the process for this? You will process on stage in front of your first student and remain on stage next to the chief marshal until you have hooded the last candidate.
