Convocation for recipients of the degree of
Master of Arts
Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 10:30 a.m.
Lerner Hall, Roone Arledge Auditorium
Reception at 12:00 p.m. on Philosophy Hall Lawn
MA Convocation Schedule
9:30 AM
Candidates arrive at Lerner to line up at
designated assembly spots according to their department. Candidates without Name Cards should get a replacement at the information
table near Lerner Auditorium at this time
9:45 AM
Ticketed guests of candidates are seated in
Lerner Auditorium
10:30 AM
Candidates, faculty, and administration enter
Lerner Auditorium in formal procession.
10:30 AM
Convocation begins.The ceremony includes brief speeches by
faculty members, deans, and the student speaker; awards are given and
candidates are announced individually and congratulated by Dean Pinkham.Candidates are photographed before they cross
the stage and as their names are announced (see the section Photography below).
The convocation concludes as the faculty leave the
auditorium, followed by the candidates.
12:00 Noon
Guests and candidates exit onto Broadway and north to 116th Street, where
they re-enter campus to join candidates at the champagne reception hosted by
Dean Pinkham on Philosophy Hall Lawn.
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Academic Regalia (Attire)
All candidates must wear academic regalia (caps
and gowns) at the MA Convocation.
Academic regalia may be purchased (not rented) through the Columbia University bookstore for $52.00.If you are not in the NYC area, the bookstore
will accept orders by mail or fax and will ship via UPS between April 9th and
May 9th.
Information regarding academic attire, class
rings, and announcements is available through a link at www.columbiagraduation.com (on the left, under “announcements”). To download the order form for academic
attire click here. The form may be sent or taken to the Columbia University Bookstore, 2922 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, 212-854-4132, fax: 212-866-8713, columbia@bkstore.com
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Guest Tickets For MA Convocation
Convocation and University Commencement are two separate
events.Both events require tickets for
guests (but not for graduates and candidates).Please read carefully the directions below.
If after reading the directions below you have questions
concerning guest tickets for MA Convocation, please contact Ryan Mason at rsm2142@columbia.edu or
212-854-8903.
MA Convocation is held in Lerner Hall auditorium on May 20th
beginning at 10:30 am.
Your guests at the GSAS MA Convocation must have
tickets.All MA students graduating in
October 2007, February 2008, or May 2008 are guaranteed two guest tickets for
the MA Convocation, provided they pick up their tickets by May 14th (see
below).
Reserving two guest
tickets:
Between February 25th and April 21st you may reserve two
guest tickets maximum for the MA Convocation by going to 107 Low Library
between 9:00 and 4:45. Pick up your tickets between April 21st and
May 14th in 107 Low Library from 9:00 to 4:45.
Bring your Columbia
ID to pick up tickets. No
one but the student can claim his or her tickets. Tickets will not be mailed.
Students who do not pick up guest tickets by 4:45 on May 14th
are not guaranteed tickets to Convocation.
Extra Guest Tickets:
Any Convocation guest tickets not picked up by May 14th will
be made available to MA candidates on a first-come first-served basis on May 15th
and 16th in 107 Low Library between 9:00 and 4:45.
Students may pick up one extra guest ticket on the 15th OR
16th. Bring your Columbia
ID to claim your extra
ticket. No one but the student can claim his or her tickets.
Any remaining MA Convocation tickets will be made available
to MA candidates on a first-come, first-served basis on the morning of
Convocation on May 20th from 9:00 to 10:30 at the information table outside the
auditorium in Lerner Hall.
If tickets are still available, students are limited to one
additional guest ticket on Convocation morning.
Click here for information about Commencement tickets.
Convocation Guests with Disabilities
Disabled MA candidates or candidates with disabled, ticketed
guests should contact Erika Gaynor at edg14@columbia.edu
or 212-854-5052 to discuss the arrangement of special seating or needs at MA
Convocation.
Note:Candidates with
disabled guests need to reserve tickets before contacting Ms. Gaynor.
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Name Cards
Candidates present their name cards to the reader so their
names can be announced as they cross the stage.
Professional photographers who are photographing the candidates use
these name cards to identify correctly the subjects of each photograph.
Name cards are mailed to candidates in March; please fill
them out before you come to Convocation.
BRING YOUR NAME CARD to Convocation. In
case of lost or forgotten name cards, you MUST pick up a duplicate name card at
the information table outside the entrance to Lerner Auditorium at 9:30 am, one
hour before Convocation.
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Convocation Booklet
Names of degree recipients and their programs appear in the MA Convocation Booklet distributed at Convocation.
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Photographing
Professional photographers stand near the stage to capture the moment when candidates process up to the stage to shake hands with the Dean.
Two professional photos of each degree recipient—one alone and one with the Dean on the stage—will be available for purchase after convocation.
Island Photographers http://www.islandphoto.com will contact graduates a few days after Convocation using information on the NAME CARDS that the student gives to the faculty reader.
So that all candidates are ensured an individual photograph, family and friends wishing to take photographs are asked to remain several feet behind the professional photographer.
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Parking
The following web sites are useful in deciding where to park during Convocation and Commencement week: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ceremonies/commencement/ and http://www.columbia.edu/about_columbia/parking.html
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Valuables & Baby Strollers
Please do not bring valuables to Convocation as there is no place to keep them safely. GSAS cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items.
Strollers will not be allowed in Lerner auditorium and we strongly advise against bringing them. For those who leave strollers outside the auditorium, they do so at their own risk and GSAS cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items.
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University Commencement - May 21, 2008, 10:30 AM
General information about University Commencement
University Commencement is held outdoors in the space
between Butler Library and Low Library on the morning of May 21st.
All Columbia
University degree
recipients for academic year 2007-2008 (October 2007, February 2008 and May
2008 conferral dates) and post-defense PhD candidates are invited to take part.
May 21, 9:30 AM: GSAS candidates arrive by 9:30 AM to line
up on Low Plaza at the designated location
point.Commencement lasts from 10:30 AM
until 12:00 Noon.
Those in academic robes/attire or in possession of a Columbia ID
do not need tickets to enter the campus.
You should plan ahead of time where you will meet your
family and friends afterwards – even if you have cell phones it is difficult to
locate people in a crowd of some 30,000 without prearrangement.
Commencement is held outdoors, rain or shine.Be prepared; if the weather is seasonably
warm you should not forget sunblock and water.
For more information on Commencement, visit http://www.commencement.columbia.edu.
Further information, including the designated assembly point
for the academic procession, will be sent to MA students by email in March and
posted here when it is available.
Guest tickets for University Commencement
Convocation and Commencement are two separate events. Both events require separate tickets for
guests (but not for graduates and candidates).
All MA students graduating in October 2007, February 2008,
or May 2008 are allowed a maximum of four guest tickets for University
Commencement.Guest tickets for
Commencement may be picked up in 107 Low Library from 9:00 to 4:45 between
April 21st and May 14th.
If you have questions concerning guest tickets for University
Commencement, please contact Ryan Mason: rsm2142@columbia.edu,
212-854-8903, 107 Low Library.
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Diplomas & Alumni Gifts
On May 21 between the conclusion of the Commencement
ceremony and 2:00 pm, please come to 301 Philosophy to pick up your diploma
(bring your Columbia ID).Officers of the Alumni Association will be there to welcome you with
gifts commemorating the day.
The Registrar’s Office will begin to mail diplomas on the
day after Commencement, but this process takes several days to complete.Until it is mailed, you may (with your Columbia ID) pick up your
diploma in 205 Kent
Hall. Please contact Sheila Kelly in the Diploma Division at 212-854-8319 or sdk1@columbia.edu if you have questions
about the availability of your diploma.
If you were awarded a degree in October 2007 or February
2008, your diploma has already been mailed.Please contact Sheila Kelly (see above) if you have not received it.
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