SMG Convocation Ceremony for Graduate Students
Friday, May 17, 2013 – 5:30 p.m., Agganis Arena
Followed by a reception in the Fitness & Recreation Center (FitRec)
The university’s commencement website, www.bu.edu/commencement, provides information about this exciting weekend. The GPO would like to call your attention to the following details and deadlines:
Quick Answers:
- You do not need tickets for either the SMG Convocation Ceremony for Graduate Students (May 17th) or the All-University Commencement Ceremony (May 19th). Seating is first-come first-served, and there will be plenty of seating. Bring as many guests as you’d like!
- For the SMG Convocation Ceremony for Graduate Students on May 17th, students must arrive at Agganis Arena at 4:45 p.m. For the All-University Commencement Ceremony on May 19th, students must arrive at Harry Agganis Way by 12:15 p.m.
- Please arrive to the student check-in area (Feld Entrance of Agganis Arena) on-time. The ceremony will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. with or without you.
Before May 17th:
- Make sure everything is correct before Spring Break (to ensure accuracy in the Commencement Program) on the Student Link.
- Look at your Diploma and Graduation Information (Academics tab). Enter and confirm your name as you want it to appear on your diploma.
- Look at your Directory Information (Personal tab). Place a checkmark next to ‘Commencement Program’ if you do not want your name in the Commencement Red Book and Program.
- If you are concerned about your name being pronounced correctly at Commencement, please attach a sound file to the following online form with your name pronunciation by Friday, May 10th.
- Obtain your cap and gown.
- If you have federal loans, complete your exit counseling with the Office of Financial Assistance.
- Resolve any outstanding balance with Student Accounting Services.
- Contribute to your legacy with the BU Alumni Association.
- Sign up for Commencement Weekend Family Events.
- For international visitors, it may be helpful to request a letter of invitation. This request is for a letter that can be used by family members of a BU student or scholar when applying for a U.S. visitor’s visa. It is not required for the visa application, but may be helpful.
SMG Convocation Ceremony for Graduate Students:
Friday, May 17, 2013 – 5:30 p.m., Agganis Arena
Agganis Arena is at 925 Commonwealth Avenue (Google maps)
The SMG Convocation Ceremony for Graduate Students begins at 5:30 p.m. Graduates should arrive at the Feld Entrance, of Agganis Arena (on Harry Agganis Way) by 4:45 p.m., (go upstairs and to the left) in order to check in and line-up in time for the ceremony. See the commencement map for check in location. It is very important that you arrive on time. If you arrive late, you risk being lined up out of order (not with your specific program) or not being able to participate in the ceremony at all. Once the ceremony has begun, students who arrive late will not be able to join the procession.
GUESTS may arrive at the Main Arena Entrance of Agganis Arena (Commonwealth Avenue) no earlier than 4:30 p.m.
Each SMG graduate will be recognized individually during the ceremony. No RSVP is necessary for students who have successfully submitted a graduation application to the GPO. We assume that all eligible students may be in attendance.
Students who plan to complete their degree requirements in May 2013 or September 2013 and those who completed their degree requirements in September 2012 or January 2013 are eligible to participate in the May 2013 Commencement Ceremony.
Upon check-in, you will be given a card that has your name, degree(s), phonetic pronunciation (if you provided this on your graduation application) and honors status. You must keep this card with you and bring it up on stage where it will be handed to the presenter.
From the North Shell (Harry Agganis Way Entrance), BU staff and student volunteers will lead you to your seats in Agganis Arena. A program of speeches, recognitions, and awards will follow, culminating in the finale – having each student walk across the stage to be recognized and receive a diploma cover from Dean Freeman. To allow each student the opportunity to be properly recognized we ask that you and your guests remain seated throughout the ceremony. This will help to create an atmosphere of decorum and respect for every graduate.
Students and their guests are invited to a reception immediately following the ceremony.
Reception: Fitness and Recreation Center (FitRec)
Immediately following the ceremony, a reception for graduates and their guests will be held in the Fitness and Recreation Center, 915 Commonwealth Avenue, next to Agganis Arena. The reception is expected to begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. Any dinner reservations should be made for 8:30 p.m. or later.
Guests should follow signs from Agganis Arena to the FitRec Reception. Students will leave the arena via an underground tunnel that will lead them into FitRec for the Reception. You may meet your guests at the reception in the Lower Basketball courts of FitRec or leave the building to meet your guests in the FitRec plaza. Cell phone reception may not be reliable inside of lower Agganis or FitRec.
Parking and Public Transportation
Traffic along Commonwealth Avenue during Commencement Weekend can become heavily congested, causing long delays. We recommend using public transportation to and from campus whenever possible. Transportation information can be found here. All university parking lots will be open and free of charge during Commencement weekend. However, it is expected that demand will be high, particularly on Friday afternoon when faculty and staff are still working, and we encourage you to use public transportation whenever possible. Parking Services will be running a shuttle service up and down Commonwealth Avenue all weekend.
Regalia
Online orders can be placed for home delivery of your regalia beginning January 1, 2013. To order online, visit the Herff Jones website. The deadline to place orders for delivery is March 15. Online orders can also be placed specifying in-store pick-up at Barnes & Noble at BU. Pick-up orders can be placed online from January 1 until March 15 and may be picked up at Barnes & Noble beginning April 22. Degree candidates who do not place an online order for delivery or in-store pick-up must visit Barnes & Noble at Boston University, beginning April 30, to purchase their academic regalia. Please be advised that in order to ensure that you have the correct academic dress for your ceremony with respect to color and size, you should plan to pick up any online regalia order or visit the bookstore to purchase your regalia no later than May 11. It is students’ responsibility to order and pick up their cap and gown from the bookstore. For those degree candidates who purchase academic dress online before April 1, Barnes & Noble at Boston University will discount the package price by $10. For further information regarding academic dress and announcements, contact the BU Barnes & Noble (617-236-7402).
The ceremony date listed on the order form will be May 19th, as this is the BU official Commencement date. The SMG ceremony is May 17th, and the same regalia may be worn for either or both ceremonies.
Military attire is acceptable in lieu of Regalia.
The SMG Graduate Student Council will also hold a sale of used regalia.
| Regalia | Graduate Program | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBA | MS•MBA | DBA/PhD | MSMF | |
| Tassel | Drab | Yellow | Thick Gold | Yellow |
| Hood | Drab | Drab | Drab | Yellow |
| Gown | Scarlet | Scarlet | Scarlet | Scarlet |
| Gown Velvet | No velvet | No velvet | Black | No velvet |
Honor Cords & Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Cords
Honor, High Honor & BGS cords will be available upon check in at the SMG Commencement Ceremony for Graduate Students. A gold Honor cord is worn by students who are graduating with High Honors (3.70 CGPA or above) and a white cord is worn by those graduating with Honors (3.55 CGPA or above). MS·MBA students who have honors or high honors in both degree programs will be recognized by their highest honor, receiving one cord upon check in.
Diplomas
During the actual ceremony, you will receive a blank diploma cover, regardless of your graduation date. May 2013 graduates pick up their diplomas during the FitRec Center Reception. September 2013 graduates will receive their diplomas approximately six weeks after their official graduation date – September 25th.
Those who do not attend the SMG Convocation Ceremony or the reception may pick up their diploma in the GPO during the period of Monday, May 20th through Friday, May 24th, during regular business hours. After June 17th, May graduates may pick up their diploma at the Office of the University Registrar (Diploma Office: 617-353-3604). Remaining diplomas will be mailed at the end of June.
Photographs & Video
A professional photographer will photograph each student as he or she receives a diploma cover. Commencement Photos, Inc. will mail proofs to your home address and offer other photo packages for purchase in the weeks after the ceremony.
The SMG Convocation Ceremony for Graduate Students will be video-recorded by Kitay Productions, and DVDs are available. Pre-order your DVD by clicking here or purchase the DVD on the day of the ceremony in the Agganis Arena lobby.
Special Assistance Needs
If one of your guests needs special access to either Agganis Arena or Nickerson Field, please submit the Accommodation Request Form starting April 1st.
Graduates needing special assistance should contact Jaclyn Anderson (jaclyna@bu.edu) in the GPO as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements may be made.
Convocation Student Speaker
If you would like to be considered for this opportunity, please submit a proposed speech to Jaclyn Anderson in the Graduate Programs Office by 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at the latest.
Things to keep in mind:
- Your speech will be one of several and should be no longer than 4-5 minutes in length
- Your speech should be inclusive of the various graduate student populations and programs in the School of Management (full- and part-time, MBA, MS-MBA, DBA/PhD and International MBA Program)
- Your speech should address the graduate student experience at the School of Management
- If you submit after the deadline, it is possible that your speech may not be considered.
Finalists will present their proposed speech to a selection committee on the morning of Friday, March 29, who will select the student speaker. If selected as the student speaker, you will be expected to rehearse your speech in early-May and attend a sound check in Agganis Arena on May 16th.
Student Award for Contribution to the Community
The Student Award for Contribution to the Community recognizes a graduating member of the respective SMG graduate program for exceptional efforts on behalf of the SMG graduate community and/or the local community. Separate awards will be given for PEMBA and Full Time MBA/MS·MBA. This award is based solely on student votes!
A simple online nomination for the PEMBA award will be emailed to graduating students.
Full Time MBA/MS•MBA nominations will be collected at the Dean’s Brunch on Friday, May 3.
Day of Ceremony Reminders
- Please do not bring personal items (e.g. coats, umbrellas and purses) with you to the line-up areas in the Agganis Arena, as there are no facilities to secure these items. You will not be returning to the room where you line-up and there will be no one there to safeguard your items. If you must carry small items, please make sure you can hide them under your gown in pockets or a small bag.
- Wear comfortable footwear. There will be a lot of standing and walking.
- Gowns tend to get wrinkled from the packaging, so hang your gown on a hanger the night before. Also, ironing/steaming the gown with VERY LOW heat can help.
- Be sure to arrive in your cap and gown. You will not be allowed to participate in either the SMG Convocation Ceremony for Graduate Students or the All-University Ceremony without them! Military attire is acceptable in lieu of Regalia.
- You are allowed to decorate your cap. Have fun with this!
- Alcohol, balloons, beach balls, air horns, or any similar paraphernalia will not be allowed – security will be checking.
