Senior Recognition Ceremony: Info for Graduates and Guests
All your graduation and SRC questions answered
For more information, please contact event organizers at hfa-src [at] umass [dot] edu (hfa-src[at]umass[dot]edu). Queries received by Monday, May 13, 2024 will receive a response within 3 business days. For immediate information, please see "Graduate Arrival and Check-In" section below.
Ceremony Details
Sunday, May 19, 2024
8:30 a.m. — Doors open and graduate check-in begins
10 a.m. — Ceremony begins
Recreation Center
161 Commonwealth Avenue
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
The HFA Senior Recognition Ceremony will be hosted by the College of Humanities & Fine Arts on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 10 a.m. in the UMass Campus Recreation Center. The ceremony is held in addition to Commencement and is a more personalized celebration. Each graduate will be recognized individually and presented with a University of Massachusetts commemorative medal. For a list of Commencement events, please visit the Commencement website.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and Where
The College of Humanities & Fine Arts Senior Recognition Ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 10 a.m. in the UMass Campus Recreation Center located at 161 Commonwealth Avenue. The event will end at approximately 11:30 a.m.
Doors open to graduates and the public at 8:30 a.m. and guest seating is on a “first come, first served” basis. Please note that it will take time to go through security. Graduates should arrive for check-in no later than 9:00 a.m. See the "What to Expect at the Ceremony" section below for more information about what to do when arriving at the Recreation Center.
Guests unable to attend may register to watch the livestream.
Parking & Shuttles
Parking across campus is free throughout Commencement Weekend.
Parking lots 25 and 12 are the most convenient lots in relation to the Recreation Center. See the interactive campus map or quadrant A3 on the detailed campus map.
Guests with impaired mobility may park in the Recreation Center’s lot 64 and its adjacent, smaller lot. While official handicapped parking stickers, license plates, and placards are not required, we kindly ask our guests to leave these spaces open for those who need them most.
The Recreation Center is located across Commonwealth Avenue from the Mullins Center (the green-roofed building that's home to Minuteman basketball and ice hockey) and across Hicks Way from Commonwealth Honors College Residential Campus.
The Commencement: FAQs webpage can help those who need directions to campus. Although traffic will be heavy, the University and its security services do an excellent job directing the flow of vehicles on campus.
Shuttle buses will be available to drop you off near the Recreation Center. A route map will be available on the Commencement webpage under the "Additional Information for Visitors" section (just above the Frequently Asked Questions section).
Building Accessibility
Guests who enter the Recreation Center on the first floor from Commonwealth Avenue may take one of two elevators up to the gymnasium on the second floor. Both elevators are near the center’s information desk on the first floor.
A few seats will be held for guests with limited mobility. However, since all seating is on one level, guests with a wheelchair or walker may prefer to sit with family members in the general seating area rather than in the handicap-designated seats. Graduating seniors will have an opportunity to advise the University about guests who need a special seating arrangement when they complete their MarchingOrder registration.
MarchingOrder Registration
This year, the university has partnered with MarchingOrder to coordinate registration for commencement and to ensure that graduating seniors have their names pronounced correctly as they walk the stage at their senior recognition ceremonies.
Graduating seniors will receive an email directly from MarchingOrder. It will include a link to register for Commencement and the HFA Senior Recognition Ceremony and a link for the student to record the correct pronunciation of their name. Graduating seniors are required to respond to the MarchingOrder email, even if they are unable to attend. .
I haven’t registered for the ceremony. What do I do?
The deadline to register for the HFA Senior Recognition Ceremony has passed. Students who haven’t registered but would like to participate should arrive at the Recreation Center at promptly 8:30 a.m. for check-in.
What to expect at the ceremony
Graduate Arrival and Check-In
Doors open to the public and graduating seniors at 8:30 a.m. Guests are asked to go directly to the gymnasium. Graduates will go to room 118/121 on the lower level of the Recreation Center just beyond the turnstiles by the service desk. Graduates should arrive at the Recreation Center promptly at 8:30 a.m. and no later than 9:00 a.m. to allow sufficient time to check in.
- Please arrive at the Recreation Center in your regalia and with your phone at 8:30 a.m. You will need your phone to register for photos.
- During check-in, you will receive your medal, your name card, and a QR code to register for photos. Photo registration should be completed before the ceremony begins.
- Secondary majors who have not submitted an RSVP in Marching Order in advance, should arrive promptly at 8:30 a.m. to allow sufficient time for registration.
- After check-in, graduates should go directly to the gymnasium and take a seat with their department.
- Metal detectors will be in place at the entrance to the Recreation Center. Graduates and guests are advised to pack lightly for the day because all bags taken into either venue are subject to search—the less you are carrying, the more quickly your party will be able to proceed through security. Please consider the appearance of some objects, such as key ring tools / accessories, and leave anything that could be perceived as dangerous at home, in your car or hotel room. Prohibited items will be confiscated and not returned.
Ceremony Timeline
- The ceremony will start with the dean and associate deans walking to the stage at 10:00 a.m. By this time, all graduates participating in the event must be checked-in and seated with their departments.
- Once members of the stage party are seated, the dean and the faculty recipient of this year’s College Outstanding Teaching Award will give short speeches. Ushers will queue students to begin forming a line at the stage during the dean's speech.
- Departments will walk the stage in alphabetical order. Graduates must remember to bring their name card with them to the stage.
- All graduates will be provided with an opportunity to have their photo taken before they reach the stage. Guests should refrain from congregating around the photo booth to not create a bottleneck and impede the line of graduates.
- As each graduate reaches the stage, their name card will be scanned. A prerecording of their name will be read as they cross the stage.
- Before exiting the stage, graduates will have a photo taken with the chair of their department.
- Upon exiting the stage, graduates will be directed by event staff to return to their seats.
- As a courtesy to all ceremony participants, graduates and their guests are strongly encouraged to remain seated until the last student has walked the stage and the dean delivers brief closing remarks.
- The ceremony is anticipated to end at 11:30 a.m.
- There is no formal exit at the end of the ceremony. Graduates are free to find their guests!
Cap and Gown
Graduating students should wear their cap and gown during the ceremony.
Undergraduates: No pre-order or online ordering is necessary. Caps, gowns, and tassels may be picked up on the days and times listed below:
- At the Commencement Fair: Wednesday, May 8, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Campus Center Auditorium.
- The week of Commencement: Monday, May 13 – Thursday, May 16,10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Campus Center 165
- On Commencement Day: Saturday, May 18, Prior to 10:00 a.m. Ceremony, Lot 11 Graduate Assembly Area at McGuirk Alumni Stadium
- Undergraduate UWW/Distance Learners and Fall or Winter Grads ONLY can request alternative options by emailing commencement@umass.edu.
Tassel colors are based on each student's primary major:
- White - Humanities & Fine Arts
- Brown - Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Pink - Bachelor of Music
Tips for Enjoying the Ceremony
The UMass Campus Recreation Center is a modern, air-conditioned building. However, please keep in mind that the large audience may make the room hot, especially if the weather is unseasonably warm and sunny. Graduates and their guests are encouraged to dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes. It is also recommended to bring water and a snack.
Metal detectors will be in place at the entrance to the Recreation Center. Guests are advised to pack lightly for the day because all bags taken into either venue are subject to search—the less you are carrying, the more quickly your party will be able to proceed through security. Please consider the appearance of some objects, such as key ring tools / accessories, and leave anything that could be perceived as dangerous at home, in your car or hotel room. Prohibited items will be confiscated and not returned.
Secondary Majors and Graduates Earning two HFA Degrees
If a student meets their graduation requirements for May 2024 Commencement or plans to graduate in February 2025, they may walk in the HFA Senior Recognition Ceremony.
Graduates who are primary majors in HFA will RSVP with MarchingOrder and walk to the stage with their primary major. Graduates who have a primary and secondary major in HFA may walk to the stage once with their primary major department; they may not walk a second time with their secondary major.
Graduates who are secondary majors in HFA will not RSVP in advance; they will RSVP on the day of the event when they check in at the Recreation Center. Secondary majors should arrive promptly at 8:30am to allow time for staff to register them in MarchingOrder. Arriving at 8:30am should allow sufficient time to take a seat with your department before the event starts.
The number of commemorative medals that a student may receive at the HFA Senior Recognition Ceremony depends on the number of degrees earned in HFA, not their number of majors. All medals are identical.
- Graduates earning one degree (including graduates with double majors) receive one medal
- Graduates earning two degrees in HFA receive one medal and may request to pick up two medals at the HFA Senior Recognition Ceremony.
- Graduates who earn multiple degrees from different colleges will receive a medal at each college senior recognition ceremony that they attend.
Seating and Tickets
Tickets and seating reservations are not required. There is no limit on the number of guests that each graduate may invite. Seating should be more than sufficient for the size of the event. Several seats will be marked for guests who have limited mobility.
Graduating seniors must RSVP through Marching Order. Guests are not required to RSVP.
Livestream
Those unable to attend you may register to watch the livestream.
The link to the recording of the Humanities and Fine Arts Celebration will be made available via the College's social media accounts and website as soon as it is available.
Pictures and Videos
Guests are welcome to take photos and video during the ceremony. However, when doing so, please be considerate of those around you. Do not block the aisles or interfere with the professional photographers or ceremony participants.
A professional photographer will be at the ceremony to take photographs of each graduate. The photography company will contact students directly after the ceremony.
Senior Portraits
Ultimate Exposures® will be on campus to take cap and gown photos as well as professional photos May 13-17 in Campus Center, Room 163C. Make an appointment online by visiting ultimateexposures.com.
Dining
A full range of dining options will be available in The Blue Wall, the food-court located on the lower level of the Campus Center. The Berkshire, Hampshire, and Worcester Dining Commons will be open throughout Commencement Weekend.
Food and beverages will not be available for purchase at the Recreation Center. Guests are encouraged to bring their own water bottle or drinks to stay hydrated during the 90-minute ceremony.