COMMENCEMENT - FAQ

FORTY-EIGHTH COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Citi Field, home of the New York Mets

Download complete commencement information (PDF)

How long is the ceremony?
The ceremony is expected to run approximately 3 hours. Candidates for degrees will receive additional information on the academic procession and the ceremony at the time of cap and gown distribution.

What if I or my guest has a disability?
If you, the candidate, require accommodations due to a disability, please make sure to fill out the disabilities section of the Commencement Student Order Form. If your guest(s) has a disability, please indicate that on the form so that we can arrange for suitable seating.

Will I get my diploma the same day?
Diplomas are not presented during the Commencement Exercise.  Each candidate for graduation should confirm that the Registrar’s office (151 East 25th Street, Room 850) has his/her correct address on file.  Upon receipt of notice of graduation (which accompanies the official transcript), candidates may then pick up their diploma at the Registrar’s Office.

What information should I give my guests?
Candidates should make sure that their guests are aware of the following:

Entrance: Guests will enter Citi Field through Gate 8 and park in Lots D or F and enter the Ballpark through the Jackie Robinson Rotunda (download directions). Citi Field is accessible to people with disabilities. Special instructions regarding seating areas for the disabled will be provided at the time of ticket distribution.

Doors open: Guests will be allowed into the Ballpark starting at 1:00 pm for the ceremony.

Seating: All guests must have a ticket to attend the ceremony. There is no reserved seating. Please make sure that all guests enter together as it is not possible to hold seats for latecomers. Ushers will seat guests in any unoccupied seats as needed.

Courtesy: Guests are requested not to block the line of march or to obstruct the view of others.

Children: Children under five years of age frequently become bored during the ceremony, therefore, we urge that children under five years of age do not attend the Commencement Exercises. Like all guests, children must have a ticket to attend the ceremony.

Photographs: To provide graduates and their guests with memorable photo opportunities a number of backdrop banners will be set up.  Additionally, since all participating graduates will own their caps and gowns, you are free to pose for family and friends whenever and wherever you choose.
During the processional but prior to entering the Ballpark, a professional photographer will photograph all graduates. A few weeks after the ceremony graduates will receive an email from the photo studio, GradImages, containing proofs and purchasing information. To facilitate this process, register your personal email address with the photo studio prior to Commencement via their website at www.gradimages.com. Please note that you cannot use your Baruch College email address due to file size restrictions and spam filters. Graduates are under no obligation to purchase photographs.

Citi Field: Citi Field management asked us to remind all graduates and their guests that smoking or the carrying of food and/or beverages of any kind into the Ballpark is strictly prohibited. Additionally, once guests have entered Citi Field should you choose to leave, you will not be permitted reentry.

DAY OF CEREMONY INFORMATION

The Academic Procession

Entrance:  All degree candidates should enter the Ballpark through the Left Field Gate, located through Gate 11, Parking Lot A (download directions).

Graduate Assembly Area:  The procession for degree candidates will form in the Concourse Section of the Ballpark. Upon entering the Ballpark through the Left Field Gate follow the signs for “All Graduates” to the graduate assembly area. This is the Concourse Section.

Line-up Corrals:  Upon entering the Concourse Section follow the directional signage or ask faculty/staff marshals to assist you in finding your correct school and degree line-up corral.

Photo Name Cards:  Degree candidates will be given name cards as you enter the Concourse Section. These cards need to be completed prior to the start of the procession. The cards will be used when you are photographed in the procession as you enter Citi Field and prepare to march into the Ballpark.

Graduates with Disabilities:  Degree candidates with physical disabilities, who have difficulty using stairs, should enter through the entrance.  Disabled degree candidates will process into Citi Field and be seated in specific sections to accommodate their disability.

Checking:  There are no checking facilities in the robing area of the Concourse Section, and you will not return to this area after the ceremony, therefore candidates should arrange to leave personal effects with their guests prior to entering the Ballpark.

Baby Strollers:  Baby strollers are discouraged in the procession as there is no room to store them in Citi Field.

The Graduation Ceremony

Sitting with a Friend:  While this is not a guarantee, if you wish to sit beside a friend, be sure to march directly behind or in front of that person.

Sitting & Standing:  As you reach your designated seat, you may be seated. Later, at the Chief Marshal’s request, you will stand for the singing of the National Anthem and at the end of the ceremony for the Baruch Alma Mater. Candidates will stand when being presented by the respective Dean of their school. At the conclusion of the presentation by each of the Deans, all candidates will be asked by the Chief Marshal to stand together for the conferral of degrees by the President.

Caps and Hoods:  Caps should be worn throughout the ceremonies, except that men should remove caps during the National Anthem and Alma Mater. Candidates must wear their hoods.

Cap Tassels:  Cap tassels are worn on the right until the degrees are conferred, then switched to the left upon conferral by the President.

The Recessional

Order of Departure:  Upon conclusion of the ceremony, the Presidential Party and faculty will leave the stage. As soon as they have left the Ballpark, the Chief Marshal will declare that the exercises are officially over. There will be no formal recessional for graduates.

Plan Ahead:  Because the area is large and there will be more than 10,000 guests and over 2,000 graduates, you are urged to make plans with parents and friends about where to meet at the end of the ceremony.

• Text Only
• Make this Website Talk