Weird graduation things your school does?

[GreenePony]

I've never received a diploma at any graduation, always a fake diploma and then the real one in the mail several weeks later. It's because usually graduation happens so soon after the semester ends that final grades aren't in yet, so they don't know if you actually passed all the requirements for the degree or not. And how do they keep track of the graduates and make sure they receive their corresponding diploma with the right name on it? That sounds like a mess. We just handed a piece of paper with our name on it to the person saying the names as we crossed, so there was no lining up and trying to organize people before hand. 

The undergrad university had 3-4 days between grades were due (there doesn't seem to be an official due date for grades here, I got spring grades in August last year) and the first commencement ceremony. There was a person standing at the bottom of the stage steps to make sure the name they called was your name, even though you should be in the order they put you in before processing in. We have to marshal 30 minutes beforehand anyway, doesn't take that much time to get people in correct order. Maybe I'm just bitter because organization and administration are apparently not among the grad university's strong-suits in general.

 

[TakeruK]

To anyone who actually attended graduation, how does it work? Do they announce each name individually, their field, their GPA, etc? I just don't want them calling me out when I'm not there. 

 

We did the name card passing to the reader too, so if you are not there, the reader has no idea what your name was even. There was always three people on the stage at the same time. One standing next to the reader, one shaking the hand with some guy (the Dean?) and another taking a picture with another guy (the Chancellor?). You stand next to the reader and they call your name, people clap. You walk to meet the first guy and shake his hand. Once you do that, they call the next person while you go ahead and shake the other guy's hand/get photo.  This made 200 people go by mercifully fast and the entire shebang was finished in about 90 minutes, thankfully.

 

They announce your degree name at first and then call up everyone's name in that program, so you don't get the major/degree name with your name unless you are the first or only person graduating. GPA is not announced at all, nor is any honours etc.

 

However, the program booklet had everyone's name, attending or not.

 

Our ceremony was over a month after our last exam so they know whether you graduate or not. In fact, you get your actual degree/diploma about an hour before the ceremony, when you are lining up to go into the hall. It was a really hot day so it was very useful as a fan (they put it in a hard folder that you take on stage with you for photos). 

Edited April 25, 2014 by TakeruK

[efs001]

My alma mater has a residential college system where undergrads get sorted into a college before you matriculate and you live at and associate with that college.  At graduation, you sit with your college, wear regalia associated with them and graduate with them.  The college master (who is a professor who live on campus in a house near the college and serves as an adviser for students) reads each student's name as they walk across the stage.  The colleges graduate in founding order.

 

Another fun thing is that we have a superstition that if you walk through the Sallyport of the administration building on campus, you won't graduate.  You walk into it when you matriculate with your college.  After the commencement ceremony is over, all the undergrads walk through the Sallyport and are cheered on by alumni and other students.  It's pretty neat.

[pears]

At my alma mater, graduates in the Archaeology, Classics, Ancient Greek, & Latin programs — at most, 20 students combined — received a laurel crown in lieu of a traditional cap. Turns out laurels are really sticky & having plant matter on your head will really make you stick out in a crowd. The university also allows students to customize their caps, so people got really creative! Some examples from my friends: one got a burnt out light bulb & made it stick straight up in the center of his cap, another adhered a portable solar panel/charger & charged his phone during all-student ceremonies (held outside), another created a scene with plastic toy trees & dinosaurs… in general, it's really nice that they encourage such creativity & inclusion of meaningful self-expression. I've heard of other schools berating students for things like that, e.g., Native students adding an eagle feather to their cap or wearing beaded medallions in addition to stoles. Meanwhile, I plodded around with a bunch of sticky leaves & a sparkly skull & crossbones.

[personalityresearcher]

To anyone who actually attended graduation, how does it work? Do they announce each name individually, their field, their GPA, etc? I just don't want them calling me out when I'm not there.

At mine they say your name then you walk onto the stage and shake (the dean's?) hand as they hand you a fake diploma - nothing about field, GPA, etc. Those were on the program brochures - an asterisk next to your name indicating high distinction, etc. If I remember correctly we RSVPed for our graduation to prevent them from calling names of people who were no shows?

[kyjin]

To anyone who actually attended graduation, how does it work? Do they announce each name individually, their field, their GPA, etc? I just don't want them calling me out when I'm not there. 

Depends on the school. My undergrad organized by major, then name, and they added summa cum laude to the top ten. Those who weren't attending were included in the program but weren't called. I didn't attend my MA graduation, so they didn't include me in any of the material, and I just got my degree in the mail about a month later.

[1WheeledGeo]

To anyone who actually attended graduation, how does it work? Do they announce each name individually, their field, their GPA, etc? I just don't want them calling me out when I'm not there. 

We were called individually across the outdoor stage. BAs first- name, major, latin honors, departmental honors. Then the same for BS. Hoods were awarded to top GPA for BA and BS.

 

The majority of seniors decorated their mortarboards. People devoted a significant amount of time to this during senior week when all underclassmen were gone. Ornaments varied from a loaf of homemade bread to a paper rmache bust of a dinosaur.

[juilletmercredi]

My high school graduating class (332) actually wasn't that much smaller than my college graduating class (567).

 

My undergrad alma mater loves tradition, so we have weird rules to follow for graduation.  We wear our caps and gown and graduation dress on four occasions - the Founders Day in early April of our senior year (the celebration of the founding of our college), Class Day (which is run by the seniors, in which members of our class give speeches and read poetry and we hold hands and sing and we all cry), baccalaureate ( didn't go to this, but I think it's a religious service) and commencement.  I think Class Day is my favorite - it's held in our chapel.  On campus we have this arch called the Alumnae Arch, and you're not supposed to walk under it until you graduate.  Lore has it that you won't graduate if you do.  On Class Day the alumnae lead the graduating seniors under the arch, starting with the earliest graduating class present and going backwards.  Everybody cries!  Also no one cheers when your name is called during the graduation ceremony because it's supposed to be solemn.

 

We have a specific graduation dress uniform - a white dress (longer than the knee, other restrictions apply), flesh-toned stockings, and black closed-toe shoes.  We're not allowed to wear any jewelry although everyone breaks that rule.  (See here for explanation.  There are also some really gorgeous pictures of all the Spelman students in white dresses going way back - it's been a tradition at our college for over a hundred years). It sounds ugly but it's actually pretty emotional, especially since it's the same outfit you wear during your induction ceremony first year and at Founders Day every other year, and all the alumnae who return for Reunion and to lead you through the arch on Class Day also wear it with us.  But yes, it does mean that you need to get like 3 or 4 different white dresses, lol.

I'm definitely, definitely walking in my PhD commencement.  As a matter of fact, I am graduating in October and I will be returning next May to walk in the three ceremonies I am eligible for (school of public health, graduate school, and university commencement).  I worked my butt off for 6 years and I am definitely donning those ridiculous robes and that silly hat.

[maelia8]

At my undergraduate institution (graduating class of about 500), everybody who chose to walk was called out in alphabetical order (that's how we were listed in the program), regardless of major or other distinctions. Distinctions such as honors were not read out at graduation, but rather at another special event the day before where everyone who had achieved academic honors (summa or magna cum laude, or written an honors thesis, or received a special university distinction award) was honored, about 100 out of 500 students. At regular graduation we also got special cords and ribbons to wear if we received academic honors, were involved in student government, or had been on a foreign exchange program.

[Nautiloid]

the only weird part of my commencement was the cost apparently. Pretty much everybody walks because it's only like 40 bucks (cap and gown included). If you already had your own cap and gown, it was $10. I've heard graduation fees being in excess of $100. What does that money even go for? The speaker? The diplomas themselves? 

We also didn't get our diplomas as we walked. We were just given an empty holder to have our pictures taken with. We did get to keep the holder for when our diploma arrived in the mail though. I'm pretty sure if you didn't walk but wanted the holder you had to go pick one up yourself from the book store. 

[Kleene]

Maybe it's weird, but we don't have graduation fees at all.

 

the only weird part of my commencement was the cost apparently. Pretty much everybody walks because it's only like 40 bucks (cap and gown included). If you already had your own cap and gown, it was $10. I've heard graduation fees being in excess of $100. What does that money even go for? The speaker? The diplomas themselves? 

We also didn't get our diplomas as we walked. We were just given an empty holder to have our pictures taken with. We did get to keep the holder for when our diploma arrived in the mail though. I'm pretty sure if you didn't walk but wanted the holder you had to go pick one up yourself from the book store. 

Edited May 3, 2014 by Kleene

[DerpTastic]

Maybe it's weird, but we don't have graduation fees at all.

 

Our school's fees were probably 25 for the cap, gown, and tassel, along with 4 tickets for guests. Although our school in general is super cheap. I think tuition for one semester is 3,250 if you're in state, for 12-18 credits. (We only charge per credit up to 12 credits, or if you take above 18). With extra random fees per semester, I pay a little less than 4,500 a semester.

[Kleene]

Our school's fees were probably 25 for the cap, gown, and tassel, along with 4 tickets for guests. Although our school in general is super cheap. I think tuition for one semester is 3,250 if you're in state, for 12-18 credits. (We only charge per credit up to 12 credits, or if you take above 18). With extra random fees per semester, I pay a little less than 4,500 a semester.

Ok, I am cheating a bit. Since I live in Europe, we pay 2500 dollars for a year's tuition regardless of the number of credits you take. Unless you are from outside the EU or studying for a second degree, then we can charge you up to 10 times as much.

We don't even have caps and gowns. We just dress fancily.

 

Just wondering, what's the norm of who to bring to the graduation ceremony? Parents, siblings, more people? I understand you got/get to bring 4 people.

[DerpTastic]

Ok, I am cheating a bit. Since I live in Europe, we pay 2500 dollars for a year's tuition regardless of the number of credits you take. Unless you are from outside the EU or studying for a second degree, then we can charge you up to 10 times as much.

We don't even have caps and gowns. We just dress fancily.

 

Just wondering, what's the norm of who to bring to the graduation ceremony? Parents, siblings, more people? I understand you got/get to bring 4 people.

Most other schools would let more than 4 go, but due to the smallish size of where we're graduating, we've been limited to four. 

For me, my sister is living across the country, so my mom, dad, and two grandmothers will be going. Both of my grandfathers have passed away. So I really only needed 4 anyway.

 

I would assume most bring immediate family + grandparents. Other close family members or family friends could go as well. 

[TakeruK]

I was able to bring 4 people--our school guarantees 4 tickets for every graduate and then the remaining seats are allocated to anyone who wants more by lottery. You can have more than 4 people be on campus with you for the day of the event though, and they can take pictures with you outside in your gown and attend the reception outside etc. 

 

My four people were my immediate family (3) and my SO.

[bloome]

We have a giant bell that gets rung that is supposedly a tradition except no one ever knows it exists until graduation day when you hear loud gong sounds every 5 minutes

[woodhouse 1]

On 12/20/2018 at 5:32 PM, bloome said:

We have a giant bell that gets rung that is supposedly a tradition except no one ever knows it exists until graduation day when you hear loud gong sounds every 5 minutes

We do that too! Except at my school everyone is aware of it because its on the middle of campus. Students ring it after they finish their senior thesis so at the end of April through mid May its ringing pretty constantly.

As someone who didn't care much for their high school's ceremonies, this one felt really special

[bibliophile222]

On 12/27/2018 at 12:43 PM, woodhouse 1 said:

We do that too! Except at my school everyone is aware of it because its on the middle of campus. Students ring it after they finish their senior thesis so at the end of April through mid May its ringing pretty constantly.

As someone who didn't care much for their high school's ceremonies, this one felt really special

Did either of you attend Hampshire College, by any chance? I didn't graduate from there but attended my first year, and they also had a bell that the Div 3 students (Hampshire's term for seniors) would ring when they completed their final project. Tradition said if you rang the bell before then you would never graduate. The students also didn't wear caps and gowns when graduating, I think they could wear whatever they wanted.

At my current program, we don't need tickets for graduation, we can invite whoever we want. The space they hold it in is enormous so there's plenty of room.

[woodhouse 1]

22 hours ago, bibliophile222 said:

Did either of you attend Hampshire College, by any chance? I didn't graduate from there but attended my first year, and they also had a bell that the Div 3 students (Hampshire's term for seniors) would ring when they completed their final project. Tradition said if you rang the bell before then you would never graduate. The students also didn't wear caps and gowns when graduating, I think they could wear whatever they wanted.

At my current program, we don't need tickets for graduation, we can invite whoever we want. The space they hold it in is enormous so there's plenty of room.

Ha yea I did! Caps and gowns weren't required but I still wore a cap for fun.

[TheHoff]

Here in Brazil, one graduation ceremony is held for each major in different days, so it is usually a shorter event and it is a big deal.

Sometimes, especially in Engineering, they put more than one major per ceremony due to the lack of people. When I graduated in 2016, there were only 5 people graduating in Computer Engineering, for example.

During the ceremony, they call your name, then a piece of music you chose plays and you get up and go shake hands with the dean and the course coordinator, grab your diploma and take some pictures.

Also, if you have a parent with a similar degree (also an engineer for example) they can come up the stage and hand you the diploma instead of the course coordinator.

After the ceremony, people usually have dinner with their guests and throw/go to a party afterward.

[hardatwork]

I'm at an undergrad institution that actually still hoods us. If you have a family member who's an alum they can hood you, other wise it's a faculty member/administrator. We're small (~450/class) so we do the entire class, alphabetically, and they read your name, major, honors status (for theses), and and laudes you may have earned. I'm a W so I'll be bringing up the rear in May!