GS Class Day

Class Day Webcast
The webcast of Class Day is now available on the University Commencement website.

Monday, May 18, 2009
5-6:30 p.m.
Morningside Campus, South Field Lawn

Grads: Academic regalia required, grads must report by 4:00 p.m. to to Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall. Enter on Broadway side.
Alumni: Academic regalia required.
Guests: Tickets are not required.

Class Day is a special event that celebrates GS graduates. Each GS degree candidate is presented by name to the president or provost of Columbia, assembled faculty, and guests. Each candidate for the degree ascends the stage, is presented by Dean Halvorson, and shakes hands with President Bollinger or Provost Brinkley and Dean Awn.

In addition to three speakers (two students and one alum), the Class Day ceremony includes the presentation of the GS Alumni Key Award. Following the ceremony, a reception will be held until 7:30 p.m. on Hamilton Lawn.

Although tickets are not required for Class Day, when completing the senior survey, you will be asked to specify the number of guests you are bringing.

• Assembly Time: Graduates must report to the Roone Arledge Auditorium in Lerner Hall (use the Broadway entrance) by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, May 18, in cap and gown. Graduates who arrive late risk not being part of the ceremony. Please note that guests will not be allowed into Roone Arledge Auditorium: consequently you may wish to give bags, purses, etc. to your guests before reporting; otherwise you will need to carry everything with you for the duration of the ceremony.


• Academic Regalia: Graduates who wish to sit with the class and be presented at Class Day must wear the Columbia gown (cap optional). Graduates who wish to attend the ceremony without participating may sit in the audience.


• Location: Butler Lawn, in front of Butler Library.


• After the Ceremony: A reception will be held until 8 p.m.

All alumni are invited to attend the Class Day ceremony. This year, alumni from classes ending in '4 or '9 are invited to participate in the Class Day procession. To learn more about serving on the Reunion Committee and becoming an alumni marcher please contact Sheila Brogan-Testa at sab143@columbia.edu.

Columbia provides accessible entrances and seating for students and guests with disabilities or special needs for both GS Class Day and Commencement. Students must notify the GS Dean of Students Office by Monday, May 11, about any special needs for students or guests in wheelchairs, individuals who require special seating, or other accommodations. Please use our online form to apprise us of your concerns or needs, and we will let you know what special arrangements can be made.

Please see the University Commencement website for information about accommodations for the Commencement Ceremony

What happens if it rains during the Class Day Ceremony?
The Class Day Ceremony and reception will be held under tents on Columbia’s lawns, so everyone should be well-protected. Umbrellas will still be needed to move from the ceremony tent to the reception tent.

Is the ceremony telecast?
The ceremony will be webcast live, as well as archived, on the webcast page of the Columbia Commencement website.

How many people are expected at the Commencement Ceremony?
We have between 275-300 grads, and we are expecting about 230 to participate (this includes February, May, and October grads).

Is there a Class Day speaker?
Besides brief remarks from Dean Awn and President Bollinger, there are three speakers: two from your class, the salutatorian and the valedictorian, and the Class Day Speaker, who is traditionally a distinguished GS Alum. This year’s GS Class Day Speaker will be announced closer to the ceremony.

Do faculty members attend Class Day?
GS sends invitations to all faculty members in the Arts & Sciences and to the Barnard faculty (via email). However, faculty members are more likely to attend GS Class Day if they know a specific student is graduating and if they are personally invited by you. We strongly encourage you to use our online form to invite faculty members (from Columbia and Barnard) who have served as your advisors and mentors. You can invite as many faculty members as you like, and do remember to invite those whom you invited to the GS Student-Faculty Dinners.

Will my Latin honors or departmental honors be read out at Class Day?
If all your grades have been turned in and you have been cleared to graduate, Dean Halvorson will mention your Latin honors or departmental honors when he presents you. In some cases, we cannot announce these honors because we or a department are waiting on a grade in order to make a determination on honors.

What is required to earn Latin honors?
To be eligible for Latin honors, you must have earned 64 credits at GS and earned the minimum grade-point average: 3.5 for cum laude, 3.67 for magna cum laude, and 3.9 for summa cum laude. Latin honors are noted on diplomas; departmental honors are not.

What if my family wants to take pictures?
Families and friends are welcome to photograph and videotape the ceremony as long as it does not inconvenience other guests. Guests are not allowed in the graduate or stage sections. There is an official photographer who will take your picture as you cross the stage and receive your diploma. You are not obligated to purchase these photos, but once you see the proofs, you may elect to order copies.

My elderly grandmother is coming to Class Day, and I worry about her standing in line or waiting too long to be seated. What should I do?
If you have an elderly person in your party who needs special seating or accommodations, you must notify the Dean of Students Office by Monday, May 11. Please use our online form to apprise us of your concerns or needs, and we will let you know what special arrangements can be made. If you have additional questions, please email gsgraduation@columbia.edu. Please note that a maximum of 4 guests per party may be accommodated in the disability seating section.