Commencement Protocol A guide for faculty and academic staff Commencement is a very distinguished occasion at University of Wisconsin-Stout. This event is made possible through your hard work and commitment to excellence. The following protocol will help ensure that graduation is the most rewarding and memorable experience possible for our graduates and guests. Academic Regalia The university commencement ceremony is an academic ceremony; therefore all participants must wear traditional academic regalia. Recommended attire is dark dress shoes and dark clothing worn with the appropriate gown and cap or hood per degree. Only cordons or other insignia that represent academic achievement or academic honors may be worn on the standard attire. No other decorations, including flowers, may be worn. Pre-Ceremony Faculty and Staff that would like to march in the processional at commencement, please contact the Professional Education Programs and Services Commencement Coordinator one week before the ceremony so appropriate seating is available. Contact Angela Sieg-Bruhn, siegbruhna@uwstout.edu, 715-232-5169 or profed@uwstout.edu, 715-232-2793. More information can be viewed by visiting the commencement website at www3.uwstout.edu/commencement. Retired and Emeritus faculty are welcome to join the faculty for the ceremony. Individuals are asked to contact the Professional Education Programs and Services Commencement Coordinator one week before the ceremony so appropriate seating is available. A request to be seated with the stage guests must have prior approval from the Chancellor. Faculty may come to the base of the ramp to congratulate specific students with a handshake. Overt displays of affection are discouraged. The chancellor provides refreshments for participating faculty and academic staff at 8:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. in room 247 A&B in the Sports and Fitness Center. Assembly Please line up at approximately 9:15 a.m. for the first ceremony and 1:45 p.m. for the second ceremony in the upper East corridor of the Sports and Fitness Center. Marshal A university marshal and two university assistant marshals are elected by the members of the Faculty Senate from among the members of the full-time faculty and academic staff. Of those elected, the senior person in years of service to UW-Stout shall be the university marshal with the others named assistant university marshals. The duties of the university marshal shall be to serve as the chief protocol officer of the faculty at ceremonial academic events such as inaugurations and commencements. It shall include duties such as the carrying of the university mace while leading academic processions. The duties of the assistant university marshals shall be to assist the university marshal in fulfilling the university marshal's duties and to substitute for the university marshal as needed. The university marshal and two assistants lead the processional and recessional at commencement. Vocalist Applicants who would like to be considered for the vocalist position at commencement may submit an application and demonstration tape to the UW-Stout choir director. The choir director then selects potential candidates and conducts an interview and audition. The choir director is responsible for selecting the best applicant based on interview and audition results. Ushers Students are recruited to serve as ushers at commencement. Ushers are provided with written instructions prior to commencement day and verbal face-to-face instructions on the day of commencement prior to the ceremony. Processional Processional order: 1. Lead marshal with MACE 2. Assistant marshals 3. Candidates receiving graduate degrees 4. Candidates receiving undergraduate degrees 5. Faculty and academic staff 6. Platform guests Processional Instructions: 1. At the beginning of the ceremony the lead marshal, with Mace, enters the fieldhouse using the East door. 2. One assistant marshal follows the lead marshal until he/she reaches the front end of the bleachers. 3. The assistant marshal at the West door enters the fieldhouse and stops at the front end of the bleachers. 4. The lead marshal continues to the center aisle. 5. When the lead marshal reaches the center aisle the assistant marshals start to walk to the graduate seating area. 6. The lead marshal stands front and center with the Mace. 7. Candidates are seated by college. Ushers will assist the candidates into the rows. 8. As candidates are seated the assistant marshals work their way back toward the bleachers. 9. Faculty follow the candidates and stop at the front end of the bleachers until escorted by the assistant marshalls. 10. When the candidates are all seated the assistant marshals return to their respective sides of the bleachers to meet the waiting faculty and lead them to the faculty seating area. 11. The stage guests process in following the faculty. 12. After the faculty and stage guests are seated the two assistant marshals go to their reserved seats. 13. The lead marshal places the Mace on the table and goes to his/her reserved seat. Undergraduate Degree Candidates Undergraduate degree candidates are the first to proceed to the stage. The dean of each college will ask the candidates from his/her college to stand for the conferring of degrees. Ushers will then direct the candidates to the stage. A reader is stationed at the head of the stage ramp. The first candidate for a major will hand the reader a card with the major identified. All candidates give the reader a 3x5 card with their name spelled phonetically for the reader to announce. Candidates proceed across the stage to the chancellor to receive their degree and return back to their seat and are seated. Graduate Degree Candidates The Associate Vice Chancellor will present the graduate degree candidates. The candidates will be asked to stand for the conferring of degrees. Ushers will then direct the candidates to the stage. Graduate degree candidates proceed to the stage carrying their hood over their right arm. Candidates hand their name card to the name reader. As their name is read, they start toward the podium, stop between the two graduate school representatives, hand their hood to the representative on their right and face the audience while the graduate school representatives, place the hood over the candidates head. Candidates will then proceed across the stage to the chancellor to receive their degree and return back to their seat and are seated. Educational Specialists Degree Candidates Educational Specialists are the last graduates to receive their degrees. They will be presented to the chancellor by the associate vice chancellor and the chancellor will confer the degree. Candidates will carry their hood over their right arm. The ED.S. candidate’s faculty advisor or committee member will escort them to the stage ramp to be announced and hooded. While the ED.S. candidate is on stage, the faculty advisor or committee member will walk to the left side of the stage on the floor of Johnson Fieldhouse to meet and escort the candidate back to their seat. Candidates hand their name card to the name reader. As their name is read, candidates start toward the podium, stop between the two graduate school representatives, hand their hood to the representative on their right, face the audience while the graduate school representatives, place the hood over the candidates head. Candidates then proceed across the stage to the chancellor to receive their degree. After the graduate receives the degree, their faculty advisor or committee member will escort them back to their seat and are seated. Ceremony Order Welcome - Provost National Anthem – University of Wisconsin-Stout Concert Band and vocalist Welcome to the Stout Alumni Association – Vice Chancellor of University Advancement and Marketing Musical Selection/s – Stout Symphonic Singers (choir exits following the performance) Charge to the Graduates – Chancellor Conferring of Graduates – Chancellor Presentation of Diplomas – Chancellor Alma Mater – University of Wisconsin-Stout Concert Band Presentation of a posthumous degree A request for conferring of a posthumous degree must be made to the Dean of Students. The request must either come from or be approved by the family. The Dean of Students will work with the family and appropriate department to respond to the request. The Provost will determine the final approval of the request. Upon approval, the student’s name will be listed in the appropriate commencement ceremony program and the degree awarded. The graduate application fee is waived for the posthumous degree. With the family’s permission, the degree will be awarded at the commencement ceremony. The family will be seated in the VIP section at the front of the auditorium. Following the address to the graduates, the Provost will announce the posthumous degree and have a representative of the family come forward to receive the degree. An usher will escort the family to the stage. Script for presentation of posthumous degree Chancellor: “By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin system and on recommendation of the faculty, I hereby confer upon (name), the (degree), in witness whereof we now award the diploma.” Ceremony Script for presentation of diplomas: Presentation of degrees Provost introduces the dean of each college Dean of the College: “Will the candidates for the degrees from the College of (college name) please rise?” Chancellor moves to the podium. Dean of the College: “Mr. Chancellor. It is my pleasure as Dean of the College of (college name) to present to you the candidates for the degrees of Bachelor of (degree) with majors as listed in the program. I recommend that you now confer the degree upon them.” Chancellor: “By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin system and on recommendation of the faculty, I hereby confer upon you, each of you, the degree of Bachelor of (degree) with major fields as listed, in witness whereof we now award you the diploma. Please be seated and come forward by row as directed by the ushers.” The ushers direct the graduates to the stage. Hand sanitizer is available on the ramp and in the podium on the stage. Chancellor is seated after the last diploma is awarded. Dean of the College: “Congratulations, Graduates!” Dean is seated. Recessional Recessional order: 1. Lead marshal with MACE 2. Platform guests 3. Faculty and academic staff 4. Graduates Recessional Instructions: 1. The lead marshal stands, retrieves the Mace and leads the chancellor and provost followed by the other stage guests down the center aisle out of the fieldhouse. 2. At the same time, the assistant marshals walk over to the faculty and lead them out directly behind the stage guests. 3. After the last faculty member passes row one (1), the graduates follow the faculty out row by row, starting with row one (1) Reception A reception for graduates and their guests is held immediately following the ceremony, in the Multipurpose Room 50, on the lower level of Sports and Fitness Center. Faculty and academic staff are invited to join in the festivities. Close of Final Ceremony The bells at Bowman Hall are rung.