Commencement Information and Instructions - Fall 2008 - Undergraduate
Commencement Information and Instructions for Undergraduate Candidates:
Fall 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
9:30 am
Stegeman Coliseum
Students: Be sure to tell your families about this web site so they can obtain current information.
Assembly Locations:
Assembly for the academic procession will begin at 8:30 am. Please be prompt.
All candidates for graduation will assemble in the new Coliseum Training Facility (see campus map). Please enter through the door closest to the Carlton Parking Deck. Please refer to the assembly location map. All candidates will assemble in the basketball gyms on the second floor as follows:
| Agricultural & Environmental Sciences | Women’s Gym |
| Arts & Sciences | Men’s Gym |
| Business | Women’s Gym |
| Ecology | Women’s Gym |
| Education | Women’s Gym |
| Environment & Design | Women’s Gym |
| Family & Consumer Sciences | Men’s Gym |
| Forestry & Natural Sciences | Men’s Gym |
| Journalism & Mass Communication | Women’s Gym |
| Public Health | Women’s Gym |
| Public & International Affairs | Men’s Gym |
| Social Work | Women’s Gym |
Please note that no food or drinks will be permitted in the gyms. There is no provision at the ceremony for candidates to store personal items such as coats, purses, etc. You are encouraged to leave these with family members in attendance.
Invitations:
Invitations, diploma frames, and other commemorative items are available at the UGA Bookstore.
Academic Attire:
Appropriate academic regalia must be worn to participate in the Commencement Ceremony. Caps, gowns and hoods may be purchased at the UGA Bookstore. Contact the University of Georgia Bookstore at 706.542.3171 for purchasing information. Order your announcements online at Jostens.com.
Candidates should wear their tassels over the right eye until the degree is awarded and over the left eye afterward. The mortarboard on the cap should be parallel to the ground.
Please note: If you order your academic regalia from someone other than the UGA Bookstore, the UGA Bookstore will not be able to assist you with missing or replacement items.
Graduation with Honors (undergraduates only):
Criteria for graduation with honors are determined by the Educational Affairs Committee of the University Council and are described in the undergraduate bulletin.
Final honors designations for Summa, Magna, and Cum Laude as noted on the diploma and transcript will be based on the overall averages of 3.90, 3.70, and 3.50 respectively. Overall averages include grades at UGA as well as grades received at all previous academic institutions. To allow for current term grades, calculations for honors tassels and the commencement program only are based upon a current overall GPA of 3.85 for Summa Cum Laude, 3.65 for Magna Cum Laude, and 3.45 for Cum Laude. A list of potential honorees is provided to the UGA Bookstore.
Undergraduate students graduating with honors wear an honors tassel:
- Summa Cum Laude: red, silver, and black tassel
- Magna Cum Laude: red and silver tassel
- Cum Laude: red and black tassel
Parking and Entrance for Disabled and Elderly Visitors:
It is suggested that the disabled and elderly arrive early to ensure nearby parking. Guests who are wheelchair bound or who have physical limitations may be dropped off at the Smith Street and Sanford Drive intersection. Another option is to park in the Carlton Street deck by the Coliseum, which is within a short walking distance. Limited, special seating is available in Stegeman Coliseum and members of the Arch Society or police officers on duty outside the Coliseum will be able to direct and assist guests.
Directions:
View Larger Map
Parking:
Parking is available in several on-campus lots within convenient walking distance of Stegeman Coliseum. To avoid heavy traffic congestion before and after the ceremony, you may wish to park in the South Deck, the College of Veterinary Medicine Parking Lot or the Driftmier Engineering Center Parking Lot. There is no charge for parking on Commencement Day.
Please do not park on sidewalks, landscaped areas, or on streets so as to block lanes of traffic. Improperly parked vehicles may be towed.
First Aid:
First aid care is available for candidates and visitors at the first aid station located between Tunnel 1 and Tunnel 2 in Stegeman Coliseum. This care is provided by staff of the University Health Center. Local ambulance services provide emergency care if required.
Commencement Programs:
Two versions of the commencement program are printed. The longer version includes the names of all candidates. Two copies of this program will be placed in the seats for each of the candidates. Visitors will receive an abbreviated program containing information about the ceremony. Extra copies of the longer version are normally available after the ceremony. Please do not disrupt the ceremony by taking copies of the longer version from unoccupied seats during the ceremony.
The Academic Procession:
Assembly location and anticipated seating of candidates
Recognition of Candidates:
Undergraduates will rise as a group when their degree is conferred.
Conclusion of Ceremony:
Following the singing of the Alma Mater at the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, the platform party and the faculty will retire. There will be no formal recessional.
Diplomas:
During the first part of November, you will receive an email from the Office of the Registrar directing you to the following web site to confirm information for your diploma: https://apps.reg.uga.edu/diploma
Once final grades for all summer classes are received, each individual school, and college reviews the records of each candidate for graduation to verify that all requirements have been met. The Office of the Registrar is notified when this process is complete and authorizes the printing of the diplomas. Diplomas are mailed to graduates at their permanent or diploma addresses within four to six weeks. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the Office of the Registrar has the correct mailing address. Please note that diplomas cannot be mailed if the student still has a financial obligation to the University.
The information printed on baccalaureate diplomas is summarized below:
- Undergraduates with one major:
o Your degree, major, University honors, and graduation date will be reflected on the diploma.
- Undergraduates with multiple majors:
o If you complete the requirements for multiple majors, with the same degree, simultaneously, you will receive one diploma reflecting the degree, multiple majors, University honors, and graduation date.
o If you complete the requirements for multiple majors with different degrees, simultaneously, you will receive two diplomas. Each diploma will reflect the respective degree, major, University honors, and graduation date.
o If you complete the requirements for multiple majors during differentsemesters, you will receive a diploma for each. The individual diplomas will reflect the degree, major, University honors, and the graduation date corresponding to the major.
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