Information
The Commencement ceremony for Bachelor’s degree candidates will
be held rain or shine on Sunday, May 27, 10:00 a.m.- noon, at Warren P.
McGuirk Alumni Stadium on the University campus. The Procession of Degree
Candidates will begin at approximately 10:00 a.m.
Tickets are not required and there is no limit on the number
of guests who may attend. In case of heavy rain, the ceremony will still
take place outside but the program will be shortened, for a total running
time of approximately one hour. (See also “Guest
Seating.”)
Information Kiosk (download
in other formats)
The information provided in this Web site is available for download
in other formats for those who prefer:
Information for seniors
 Commencement
Ball
On Friday, May 25, 2001, the Commencement Ball offers graduating seniors
the opportunity to celebrate their final days at the University in a familiar,
yet formal setting. The Student Union will be transformed into a formal
hall, where guests will enjoy an evening of music, dancing, gourmet foods,
and refreshments. There will also be rides around campus in a horse-drawn
carriage. Social hour will begin at 7 p.m. There will be music and dancing
from 8 p.m. to midnight. Advance ticket purchase is required. The cost
is $35 per ticket. To order tickets, please call the Alumni Office at
(413) 545-2317 or order online at http://www.umassalumni.com/.
Chancellor’s Reception
for Seniors
To celebrate your upcoming graduation, Chancellor David K. Scott and Dr.
Kathleen L. Scott invite you to their home for an informal reception on
Wednesday, May 9, 2001 at Hillside, the Chancellor's House, 150 Chancellor’s
Way. Dress is casual.
To help us plan, please respond no later than May 1 by emailing
Peg Wilson or by calling University Advancement at (413) 545-6953.
Please include your name and time you will be attending.
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Suggested times for each school/college: |
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2:00 - 3:30 p.m. |
Education, Food and Natural Resources, Humanities
& Fine Arts, Management, Public Health & Health Sciences,
and University Without Walls |
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3:30 - 5:00 p.m. |
BDIC, Continuing Education, Engineering, Natural Sciences
& Mathematics, Nursing, Social & Behavioral Sciences, and
Stockbridge School of Agriculture |
Any person needing special services or accommodation is asked to contact
Disability Services (413) 545-0892 (Voice/TTY). If you need an
interpreter, please call by April 18.
Eligibility
A student’s year of graduation is established by the Registrar’s
Office. To be eligible to participate in the May 2001 Commencement ceremony,
students must have graduated in February 2001 or be scheduled to graduate
in May 2001 or September 2001. Students scheduled for February 2002 graduation
who wish to attend the May 2001 ceremony must file a “Petition to
Participate in an Earlier Commencement”beginning May 4. This form
is available at the Registrar’s Office, 207 Whitmore. (See also “Program
Listings.”) Students requesting this will not have their name printed
in the program listing, but it will appear with the official graduating
class.
Program Listings
Because of publication deadlines, additions to the graduation
list made after April 9 will not be included in the program book. If a
student has a “full” Privacy Request on file but wishes to be
listed in the Commencement program book, the student must notify the Dean
of Students Office no later than the close of business on April 2 to have
the “privacy” removed. Otherwise, the student’s name will
not be listed.
Caps, Gowns, Tassels, and Announcements
Caps, gowns, tassels, and a packet of four commencement announcements,
all of which have been prepaid by “Graduating Fees,” may be
picked up at the Textbook Annex between May 7 and 25, Monday-Friday, 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. Early May pickup is strongly advised. A student ID card
is required to confirm eligibility. On Commencement day, caps and gowns
may be obtained in the Graduate Assembly Area after 8:30 a.m.
Personalized Graduation Announcements
The Campus Copy Shop is offering custom printed graduation announcements.
Your name, degree and major will be inserted into the standard verse and
digitally printed in black ink on the inside of the announcement.
Visit the Copy Shop Web site at http://www.aux.umass.edu/campus.copy/announcements.htm
for more information.
Where to Assemble on Commencement Day
There is no pre-commencement rehearsal for students. When caps
and gowns are picked up, students will receive a handout about the Commencement
ceremony. It is very important that students read this in detail. It not
only updates this Web site, but also provides information about stadium
entry points, assembly areas, gate assignments, seating locations, and
related matters. This information will also be printed in one of the last
issues of the Collegian and will be available on this Web site.
Graduates go directly to the Graduate Assembly Area, carrying
Commencement cap and gown, no later than 9:30 a.m. Graduates will assemble
in Gladchuk Field at the far end of Yellow Lot #11, just north of the
stadium (See map below). Do not enter through the main gates of
the stadium. [This is a change from past years.]
You should arrive at Gladchuk Field between 9:00 a.m. -
9:30 a.m., on Sunday, May 27. George Parks, director of the Minuteman
Marching Band, will gather graduates by school. Volunteers will guide
you as you will march together by school into the stadium. Our faculty
will form a reception line on the field at each of the four gates to greet
and congratulate the graduates as they enter the field.
Graduate Seating Plan
Seating for graduates is by school and college. Information about
entrance gates and field seating locations will be handed out with caps
and gowns.
Diplomas
Diplomas will be mailed after grades have been received, recorded,
and processed by the Registrar’s Office and the diplomas have been
engrossed, which is usually by late July. Inquiries should be addressed
to the Registrar’s Office at 207 Whitmore (413) 545-6296. Every
graduate’s current mailing address must be on file with the Registrar’s
Office.
Yearbook
Copies of the UMass yearbook, the Index, may be ordered
no later than May 18. The cost is $50. To order, please send a check or
money order payable to “Walsworth Publishing Company” with the
student’s name, permanent mailing address, year of graduation, and
a daytime telephone number to: Walsworth Publishing Company, 306 North
Kansas Ave., Marceline, MO, 64658. Your copy will be mailed in October
or November. For additional information, please call (413) 545-0848 or
visit the Index Web site at http://www.umass.edu/rso/index/.
Commencement Video
The full Commencement ceremony will be videotaped. The VHS video
will also include scenic views of the campus and surrounding area. To
order copies, please send a check for $30 per video with your name and
mailing address to: UVC-TV 19, 216 Student Union, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, MA 01003-7310. The video will be mailed 6-8 weeks following Commencement.
For additional information, please call (413) 545-1283. The University’s
Union Video Center is producing these VHS videotapes on a nonprofit basis.
Alumni Association Membership
Free Gift to Seniors!
Stay connected to UMass via your Alumni Association. All Class
of 2001 graduates will receive the first year of membership FREE. Graduates
need only fill out an Alumni Association address update card to activate
membership. For more information, contact the Alumni Association at (413)
545-2317 or visit the Web site at http://www.umassalumni.com/.
Alcohol
University regulations prohibit the use of alcohol at the stadium. This
policy will be enforced and your cooperation is appreciated.
Information for faculty
Faculty can pick up their gowns between May 23rd and May 26th at the
Campus Center Concourse (just outside the Campus Center Store).
Graduate Commencement
Saturday, May 26, 2001
Faculty will assemble under the tent in the parking lot west of the
Mullins Center at 10:00 a.m. The procession begins promptly at 10:20
a.m.
Undergraduate Commencement
Sunday, May 27, 2001
Faculty will assemble by the flagpole at the south end of McGuirk Alumni
Stadium by 9:30 a.m. The Program begins promptly by 10:00 a.m. There
is plenty of available parking and shuttle buses will run all day long
to take you from your lot to the Stadium and back. Pastry, donuts, bagels,
fresh fruit, and beverages will be available in the Faculty Robing Room
for your convenience. Nancy Buffone and Staff Assistants will help with
robing and assembly line up by school/college.
Response Requested for Undergraduate Ceremony
Please notify Nancy Buffone (buffone@provost.umass.edu
or 5-2554) or Gloria Fox (gfox@urd.umass.edu
or 5-4203) whether or not you will attend. Seats grouped by school/college
are reserved on the field for faculty. Seats are located at the end
of each row of graduates.
Information for parents & other guests
Guest seating
Tickets are not required and there is no limit on the number
of guests. Guest seating is unreserved. The stadium is not covered and
seats approximately 17,000 people. Depending on weather conditions, protection
from the sun or rain is suggested.
Flowers and Souvenirs
Fresh cut roses, bouquets of flowers, and balloons will be available
for purchase both inside and outside the stadium.
Food Services and Snacks
Starbucks Coffee, bottled water, Minute Maid juices, and UMass Bakeshop
breakfast pastries will be available for purchase both inside and outside
the stadium.
The Campus Center Coffee Shop will be open from 7 a.m.
- 7 p.m.
Following Commencement, there will be a Food Court adjacent
to (north of) the stadium offering grinders, salad wraps, fruit cups,
desserts and other beverages for purchase. Further information will be
available at: http://www.aux.umass.edu/diningservices/
or by calling Food Services at (413) 545-2472.
The University Club on campus will serve from noon to 4
p.m. (MasterCard, VISA, Diners Club, and Carte Blanche accepted). Please
call (413) 545-2551 to make reservations as soon as possible, but no later
than May 23. Reservations elsewhere in the community should also be made
as soon as possible.
Parking and Shuttle Services
University police and security officers will direct vehicles to designated
parking lots. Free shuttle buses (with frequent departures) will transport
guests to and from the stadium. Note your lot number!
Public Facilities
Restrooms, public telephones, and first aid services are available
at the stadium. Portable toilets will be available in campus parking lots.
Disability Services
Sign language and oral interpreters are available upon request.
Call (413) 545-0892 V/TTY no later than April 27.
A limited amount of wheelchair seating is located on the
west side of the Stadium, accessible via the ramp at the southwest corner.
Individuals with documented disabilities who need handicapped-accessible
parking spaces adjacent to the Stadium must call (413) 545-0892 for an
application. Completed applications must be submitted no later than April
20. A limited amount of space is available.
Lift-equipped van and shuttle bus information and/or reservations
for service from campus parking lots to the stadium may be requested by
calling (413) 545-2086 V/TTY.
The Office of Disability Services will make every effort
to accommodate those with disability needs. For information please call
(413) 545-0892 V/TTY or write c/o 231 Whitmore Administration Building.
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