It’s time to celebrate!

Ceremony Information

• Wristbands will be required for guest entry to the commencement ceremony.
• Each student attending will receive six (6) wristbands to give to their guests.
• Guests will not be allowed to enter the arena without wearing a wristband.
• Wristbands will be available for pick up and/or shipment to you in November.

Children will not be permitted to sit on laps or stairs.  All children must occupy a seat in the arena. All guests must go through the front entrance of the Russell and Martha Wehrle Innovation Center.

For our guests that wish to use our ADA accessible entrance, it is located to the left of the main entrance.

ADA Access and Seating

Signage will be posted to lead guests to this entrance. A person that would like accessibility support will have seating available in the upper portion of the arena at the main doors. This section will be marked for easy access.

Please let your guests know that only one other guest can be seated with a guest that is using accessibility support to ensure we have enough seating in this area.

If your guests need help with seating, please advise them to speak with one of our volunteers working at the event.

Graduates’ Check-In FAQs

All students must be checked in and seated by 9:30 a.m. for the ceremony.

If you are not seated, you will be removed from the attending list!  NO EXCEPTIONS!

Regalia

Every student must wear their regalia (cap and gown) when they check in and while in the arena and during the ceremony.

Students may decorate their graduation caps. Please keep decorations tasteful, neat, and family-friendly.

The dress for the event is business casual/professional.

The Day of the Ceremony

Doors will open at 9:00am for guests. Plenty of on-campus parking will be available for our graduates and their guests.

Personal Belongings

Please be sure to leave your personal belongings in a safe place.  Please leave them with your guest(s), family member, or someone you trust.  We cannot house personal items at the ceremony.

Notecards

A notecard will be placed in your seat with a commencement program at the ceremony.

You must hold on to this note card during the ceremony!

You will give this card to the provost when you step on stage so they can call your name. Some cards will have your name written phonetically for the provost to say it correctly from the pronunciation provided to him. If you want to send in a phonetic spelling of your name for your note card, please send it to robertelmore@ucwv.edu.

Conferring of the Degrees

When the provost announces that they will begin the conferring of degrees, please pay attention, and stand at the appropriate time.

Please pay attention to this portion of the ceremony!

• Students graduating with an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree are students who are graduating from a two-year program.
• Students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree are students who are graduating from a four-year program.
• If you are unsure about your degree and/or program, please contact robertelmore@ucwv.edu.

Walking Across the Stage

Make sure you bring your notecard with you when the Presentation of the Graduates begins, and you start to process to the stage with the Grand Marshal.

You will walk across up the stairs where the stage coordinator is standing, stand on the third step and hand the provost your notecard.

When the provost calls your name, you will then walk across the stage, receive congratulations and your diploma cover from the President.

You will then process down to the right side of the stage and arena, and back to your seat.

Do not walk through the chairs or in any other direction back to your seat.

Exiting the Arena After Graduation

All students must leave the arena when the designated Marshal approaches your row. You will exit from the Innovation Center doors leading to the Clay Tower Building or through the back of the gym. Do this quickly after your Marshal has excused your row.

Do not stop for photos, to find your guests, or for any other reason except for an emergency.  All foot traffic must exit the arena ASAP!

Commencement Reception

A reception for the graduating class will be held in The Rotunda of Riggleman Hall (2^nd floor) immediately after the commencement ceremony.

Photographs

Professional photographers will be at the ceremony to take each student’s photos. When the student’s name is called, they will approach the stage and walk across it to a marked space for a photo with President Roth. The photos will be available from Bruce Heflin Photography.

Navigating the Main Campus, Parking, and the Charleston Area

Campus, parking maps, directions for moving about campus, and information about the Charleston area are available on our website using this link: https://www.ucwv.edu/campus-visits/.

Our Coffee Tavern will be open from 8 am to 1pm.

Virtual Livestream

We will provide a livestream of the ceremony as well as a virtual recognition video of all UC graduates. The livestream will be available on the UC Facebook page, UC YouTube page, or by visiting the UC website on the day of the event.  The virtual recognition video will be available indefinitely on the UC YouTube page after the event.

Where can I purchase UC gear?

Our campus bookstore will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We offer an online store! Please use this link http://www.ucwv.edu/uc-life/bookstore/.

Who can I contact for additional information?

For any additional questions or inquiries, please send an email to robertelmore@ucwv.edu.

We are very excited to be celebrating this special day with you and your guests!

Download a copy of the Commencement Ceremony FAQs