What You Need to Know
Academic
Regalia and Mementos
What
exactly is academic regalia, and how and when do I wear it?
Academic
regalia for undergrads consists of your cap (hat), gown (robe), and tassel. Senior
class marshals are given a braided shoulder tassel to wear with their cap and
gown to indicate their special role and status. We suggest that on the night
before the first ceremony you will be attending (Baccalaureate, PBK, Class Day,
or Commencement), you hang your gown on a hanger in your bathroom and, with the
door shut, steam out the wrinkles with a hot shower. We also recommend that you
bring hair pins to secure your cap. The tassel should hang to the right side
of your cap. You do not move it to the left until President Bollinger has conferred
your degree during the Commencement ceremony on May 21.
Where
do I get my cap and gown?
Caps and gowns are available for purchase in the Columbia University Bookstore in the basement of Lerner beginning in March. Your regalia is custom designed in Columbia Blue. These gowns are not rentals but souvenirs, and are yours to keep. No pre-ordering is required.
What if I want to buy a GS ring or order
graduation announcements?
GS and Columbia jewelry (lapel pins, cuff links, earrings) designed
by Philip Ehrlich, GS ’88, will be on display for purchase or
ordering at the GS Graduation Kickoff event, Tuesday, April 29,
from 12:30-2:00 p.m. in the Lewisohn Lounge. You can also order his
jewelry and other GS merchandise on OwlNet.
Columbia rings, graduation announcements, and certificates of appreciation
can be viewed and ordered at the GS Kickoff event as well as at the
Columbia University Bookstore in the basement of Lerner. For more information,
visit the bookstore
website or
call 212-854-4132.
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Where to Stay
Is
there any Columbia housing for families of graduates?
Yes, Columbia Housing Services provides a limited amount of housing
for the families of undergrads. The Columbia Commencement website also
provides information about hotels in the area. For further information,
consult http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ceremonies/commencement/docs/guests/accomodations/index.html.
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Tickets
How
do I get tickets for GS Class Day and Commencement?
Tickets are not needed for GS Class Day; however, when completing the senior survey (available starting April 21), you must specify
the number of guests you are bringing. Each degree candidate is allotted
four tickets to Columbia’s Commencement. The tickets are distributed
by the GS Dean of Students Office. You must complete the GS Senior Survey before picking up your GS Graduation Packet, which includes your tickets.
You may pick up your tickets at the GS Graduation Kickoff Event on Tuesday,
April 29, 12:30-2:00 p.m. in the GS Lounge, or anytime thereafter, beginning
at 9:00 a.m. on April 30, during office hours in the Dean of Students
office, 403 Lewisohn Hall. Tickets in packets not claimed by 12 noon,
Friday, May 16, will be distributed to students who have signed up
for the additional ticket lottery in the Dean of Students office.
What
if I want/need more than 4 tickets for Commencement?
GS students may sign up for the extra ticket lottery at the Kickoff Event
on April 29 or at any time thereafter in the
Dean of Students office, 403 Lewisohn, until 12 p.m. on Friday, May 16. We cannot
guarantee that there will be extra tickets, nor can we promise that you
will get as many tickets as you need if your name is chosen; we will
distribute the extras that we do end up with fairly. The extra
ticket lottery will be conducted on the afternoon of Friday, May 16, and you will
be notified immediately if you have won additional tickets. You may also
wish to contact other GS students who may have extra tickets.
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Accommodations
For Students Or Guests With Disabilities
Are
there special arrangements for students or guests with disabilities?
Columbia
provides accessible entrances and seating for students and guests with
disabilities or special needs for both GS Class Day and Commencement.
The Commencement Ceremony will be signed. Students must notify the GS Dean of Students Office by Monday,
May 12, about any special needs for students or guests in
wheelchairs, individuals who require special seating, or other accommodations. Please register online to specify your concerns or needs, and we will let you know what special arrangements can be made.
More information on accommodations for the Commencement ceremony is available at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ceremonies/commencement/docs/guests/disability/index.html.
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Alumni
Are alumni able to attend the Class Day ceremony?
All alumni are invited to attend the Class Day ceremony. This year, alumni from classes ending in '3 or '8 are invited to participate in the Class Day ceremony. To learn more about this special opportunity, email Erich Erving, Alumni Affairs Officer and GS '06 (ehe2001@columbia.edu). To RSVP, email Meredith Loffredo, Associate Director, GS Volunteers and Donor Recognition, (mal82@columbia.edu). More information about the Class Day ceremony can be found on the Events page.
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Baccalaureate Service
What
is the Baccalaureate Service?
The Baccalaureate Service is believed to have originated at Oxford University in 1432 when each bachelor was required to deliver a sermon in Latin as part of his academic exercise. Since the earliest universities in this country were founded primarily to educate ministers, the British practice of the Baccalaureate Service was continued. The tradition of the Baccalaureate Service at Columbia University began after the move to Morningside Heights in 1897. The Baccalaureate Service is now an interfaith, intercultural service celebrating the completion of each undergraduate's academic career, and is the opening event of Commencement week. The service is prepared and coordinated by the Office of the University Chaplain; the chaplain, president, and deans preside, students from each of the undergraduate schools participate.
Do I need to attend the Baccalaureate Service?
Attendance is optional. Grads who wish to attend must wear academic regalia. Families and friends of degree candidates are welcome. Tickets are not required. The service will be held Sunday, May 18, from
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
in St. Paul's Chapel.
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Class
Day
What
is Class Day?
GS Class Day is a special GS event that celebrates GS graduates. It
will be held on Monday, May 19, at 5:00 p.m. on Butler Lawn. 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 McGee, 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 awarding of academic prizes and the presentation of the GS Alumni
Key Award.
When do I need to report for Class Day?
You MUST report to the Lerner Hall Roone Arledge Auditorium (entrance on Broadway) by 4:00 p.m. on
Monday, May 19, in your
cap and gown if you are going to participate in GS Class Day. Students
who arrive late risk not being part of the ceremony. Make sure you allow
enough time to get to Lerner by 4:00 p.m. from wherever you are coming. 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.
Do
I have to wear cap and gown to participate?
If you
want to sit with your class and be presented at Class Day, you have to
wear the Columbia gown (cap optional). If you do not want to participate
in the ceremony, you may sit in the audience.
Now
that GS Class Day has moved outside, what happens if it rains?
The Class Day Ceremony and the 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.
Can
my guests come with me at 4:00 p.m.?
Your guests may come with you, but they will need to wait in front of Furnald (between Lerner and Journalism) until Class Day seating on Butler
Lawn opens at 4:30 p.m. It is open seating (reservations are not possible); however, every seat offers a clear, unobstructed view of the stage.
How
long does the Class Day Ceremony last?
It lasts about 1.5 hours.
How
many GS graduates are there this year?
We have between 250-270 grads, and we are expecting about 200 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 is Alicia Graf.
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 invite to GS Class
Day 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.
Faculty members can
participate in the academic procession and sit on stage (if wearing academic regalia)
or they may choose to sit in the audience (no tickets are needed for the general seating). Faculty members joining the academic procession and sitting on stage need to be in academic regalia and report
to the Broadway Room in Lerner Hall by 4:30 p.m. on Class Day.
Faculty members joining the academic procession should RSVP via email to gsgraduation@columbia.edu. If you receive
an affirmative response from a faculty member, please forward the email to gsgraduation@columbia.edu,
and we will follow-up with additional information about their participation.
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 McGee will mention your Latin honors or departmental honors when she 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.
Will
the GS Class Day be webcast?
Yes.
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 12. Please register online to specify 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.
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.
Is
there a reception after Class Day?
Yes, a reception immediately follows the ceremony. It will be held on
Furnald Lawn (between Lerner Hall and the Journalism School). The reception
following Class Day will last until 8:00 p.m. The reception provides
an opportunity for a festive toast to our graduates. Most students make
dinner reservations for their families and stay at
the reception just long enough to introduce their families to faculty
members, advisors, deans, and other students.
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Commencement
What
time do I need to show up for Commencement?
GS students need to start lining up no later than 9:15 a.m. on
Commencement Day. You will need to be wearing your cap and gown or have a Commencement
ticket in order to get onto campus on May 21. We will send you a reminder about
where to be when on the morning of May 21.
Where
do GS graduates sit for Commencement?
GS sits on raised bleachers in front of the wall rising from Low Plaza to Lewisohn
Lawn. You may want to let your family know as they may wish to sit on the west side
of the audience to have the best view of GS.
Do
children attending Class Day or Commencement need tickets, or only the
adults who are accompanying them?
Space on campus is very tight during Class Day and Commencement. All children
need tickets, unless a child is small enough to be held on the lap of
an adult during the event.
What
happens if it rains on Commencement Day? Is the ceremony telecast?
Bring an umbrella! All Commencement Day activities will continue outdoors
as scheduled. The ceremony will be webcast live. There will be a link
to the webcast page on the Columbia
Commencement website.
How
long is the Commencement ceremony?
It lasts about one and a half hours, beginning at 10:30 a.m. and ending
at 12:00 p.m.
How
many people are expected at the Commencement Ceremony?
There will be about 30,000 people. We encourage family and friends of
candidates to set meeting places for after the ceremony in case anyone
should become separated. GS students may recommend that their guests
meet in the GS Lounge in Lewisohn Hall, since GS will host a reception
after the Commencement Ceremony from 12-1:30 p.m. (only cookies and water
will be available at that reception).
Who
will be the speaker at Commencement?
The Columbia University Commencement address is traditionally delivered
by the President of the University.
How
does GS stand out at Commencement?
GS students are seated together. At various times in the ceremony, when
GS is referred to, it is appropriate to signal your presence with loud
whoops and cheers. It is customary that each school waves something when
that school is presented by its dean; this year, grads will be waving black and white racing flags.
What
happens after Commencement?
General mayhem, so be prepared. Make a plan in advance with your guests
as to where to meet. Students may wish to meet their guests at the Lewisohn
Lounge: you can pick up your diploma, take a photo with
your advisor, and raise a toast to a fellow grad.
Are there special accommodations available for the Commencement cermony?
Please see http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ceremonies/commencement/docs/guests/disability/index.html.
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Diplomas
When
can I get my diploma?
Diplomas for May graduates will be available at the GS reception in Lewisohn
Lounge after the Commencement Ceremony (if all grades are in and
you have no holds due to an outstanding balance or unreturned library
books). May diplomas not picked up at this event may be picked up in
210 Kent beginning May 22; if diplomas are not picked up within two weeks,
they are mailed to graduates. Diplomas for February and October 2008
grads are mailed. Note: graduates who resolve financial or library holds
preventing the release of their diplomas must proactively notify the
Registrar’s Office that their last hold has been removed; if you
do not notify the Registrar’s Office, your diploma will not be
mailed to you.
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Additional
Questions?
First,
check to see if your question is answered on the Columbia Commencement
page:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ceremonies/commencement/.
If you
have a question specific to GS students or GS graduation, email gsgraduation@columbia.edu.
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