|
GRADUATION FAQ
How Do I Graduate?
To be eligible for
graduation and receive your diploma, the following steps need to be completed:
1. The Senior Audit verifies that you have met all of the requirements for
your undergraduate degree. Contact your college’s advising office to find out if
your college requires a potential graduate complete an audit and to schedule an
appointment if needed.
2. Apply for Graduation:
Seniors may register for graduation online at http://www.testudo.umd.edu.
To avoid a late registration, be sure to register before
Friday, February 8th - the 10th day of classes.
3. Meet All University Requirements
4. Settle Your Student Account. Your student account must be settled and
cleared with the university before your diploma will be mailed. This includes
paying any outstanding bills such as Health Center charges, parking, tuition,
etc. Check with the Office of the Bursar, Room 1133 Lee Building, to be sure you
have financial clearance before graduation.
5. Exit Interview with Financial Aid. The University of Maryland is required
by federal regulations to perform exit interviews with students who received any
Federal Stafford Loans during their studies at the university. You may complete
your exit interview online or in person. Please contact the Office of Student
Financial Aid at 301.314.9000 for more information.
When is Commencement?
The main ceremony is
Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 7pm. Each individual school has their
ceremony on Friday, May 23rd at various times which can be found
here.
How do I know when and where my Individual College Ceremony will
be?
The schedule is available at http://commencement.umd.edu/ceremonies.html
Why are there two days of ceremonies?
Students from all colleges celebrate together at the Main
Commencement Ceremony and the keynote speaker will address
graduates and their guests. The next day, each graduate is
recognized individually at College Ceremonies. Your diploma is
mailed several weeks later.
Who is the Commencement Speaker?
The Commencement Speaker will be announced by early May.
Do I need tickets?
May graduates will receive up to 6 guest tickets for the
Main Commencement Ceremony in the Comcast Center. Ticket
distribution will take place April 28-May 2 during regular
business hours in the Mitchell Building.
Tickets are limited and will be distributed on a first come,
first-served basis. Extra tickets (if available) will be
distributed May 6th and 7th. There are no tickets required for Individual College Ceremonies,
but some do require that you RSVP.
What are Exact Graduation Procedures?
The schedule for the main graduation ceremony is as
follows:
5:45 pm - Graduates report to small
gym in Comcast Center (graduates should already be in their
regalia, and will be lined up within their colleges)
6:30 pm - Graduates begin entering
main arena in line by college
7:00 pm - Commencement ceremony
begins
*Check with individual colleges for their specific procedures
Will there be a rehearsal?
No. Senior Marshals will be prepared to guide fellow
graduates on Commencement day.
What do I need to wear for graduation?
You must wear your academic regalia to graduation.
You will need to purchase a graduation package (cap, gown, hood
& tassel). You can purchase your regalia at the University Book
Center or the Maryland Book Exchange.
Please wear appropriate clothing under your gown. The
gowns will end around your ankles so men should wear pants and
not shorts. A good rule of thumb would be to wear
comfortable business casual clothing under the gown. For
men, that includes khakis and slacks and for women, that
includes dresses, skirts, and slacks.
Is
there assigned seating for graduates or their guests at main
commencement?
Graduates sit with their College in the front of the Comcast
Center, but they do not have specific assigned seats. Guests of
graduates also do not have assigned seats. Guests are asked to
be seated approximately one half hour before the designated time
if they want to see the students and faculty processional.
Guests needing special arrangements should call 301-405-4638.
What if I need special arrangements for
family members?
The campus-wide
Commencement ceremony will be closed captioned on the JUMBO
screens in the Comcast Center. ASL Interpretation is available
upon request. Contact Disability Support Services at
301.314.7682 to arrange for interpretation at the main ceremony
or at specific college ceremonies. For information regarding
wheelchair accessibility or special needs for specific
ceremonies, please contact the college's Dean's office.
For special arrangements at the campus-wide ceremony, contact
the Office of Special Events by emailing events@ur.umd.edu or
calling 301.405.4638.
What is the cost of the academic
regalia graduation
package?
The graduation package costs approximately $110 and includes
your cap, gown, hood, tassel, stole, and 10 generic
announcements. This can be found at the University Book Center
located in the Stamp Student Union.
How do I know what color hood I should get?
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) hood has a white collar and the
Bachelor of Sciences (BS) hood has a gold collar.
Who are the Senior Marshals?
Senior Marshals are students invited to represent the
graduating class based on their scholastic achievement,
extracurricular involvement, and contributions to the campus
community. They are nominated by faculty and staff and selected
through an application process. Marshals will be recognized at
the Main Commencement Ceremony.
Can I get a Senior Portrait taken?
While yearbook photos have already been taken, there will
be photographers at the Main and Individual College Commencement
Ceremonies. For more information, go to gradimages.com
What is the Senior Class Gift?
Each year, seniors contribute to the class gift in order to
give back to the University. This year's gift is a one-of-a-kind
clock in the Stamp Student Union food court! Visit http://seniors.umd.edu/classgift.html
for details.
Can I participate in commencement if I
will not be finished with course work until August?
To participate in
the individual college ceremonies, you have to have completed
all your coursework and requirements. Check with your advisor.
What will Commencement Parking be like?
When you arrive
for Commencement, you will be directed to the closest parking
area to access the Comcast Center (where the main Commencement
is held) or to the individual graduation locations.
Bus service will
be available from the College Park Metro station to the Comcast
Center between 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and from the Comcast
Center to the College Park Metro station between 8:30 p.m. and
10:00 p.m. for the Main Commencement Ceremony.
Service will be available between College Park Metro station,
on-campus parking lots and all graduation sites across the
campus throughout the next day for the Individual
School/College/Department ceremonies.
Shuttle buses will make brief stops at each commencement site on
their route beginning one hour before the scheduled start until
approximately one hour after the conclusion.
If you require special transportation assistance, please make
arrangements by calling Department of Transportation Services at
301.314.7271. or visit the commencement website: http://www.commencement.umd.edu/activities/parking.cfm
What is Senior
Week?
This week celebrates graduating SENIORS with five days
great events and activities for Seniors Only! The Senior
Council, with help from other offices on campus, put together an
exciting week-long celebration, from golf cart rides to a
Reception at President Mote's house. Check back at this website
for a complete update of events
POST-GRADUATION FAQ
How do you get
season tickets to basketball and football games after you
graduate?
Season
tickets for FOOTBALL games are $199/ticket (1) for recent
graduates. They can be bought at the ticket office or by phone.
Phone: 301-314-7070 or 800-IM-A-TERP
Email: terptix@umd.edu
Hours
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and on game days
Season tickets for BASKETBALL games do not really exist. There
is a waitlist for season ticket buyers. The price would be $589,
there is no recent graduate rate if tickets were available.
Joining the Terrapin Club increases the likelihood and chance of
getting season tickets to basketball games. The tickets can also
be purchased by phone or the box office.
How Do I Become a
Member of the Alumni Center?
At the moment,
people are automatically being given membership, all you have to
do is graduate. To confirm/double check, go to alumni.umd.edu and follow the links.
|
