Participation in Commencement
Roosevelt University holds ceremonies in May and December. Eligibility for participation in Commencement is as follows:
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Fall graduates participate in the December Commencement.
- Spring graduates participate in the May Commencement.
- Summer graduates participate in the December Commencement.
Student wishing to walk in a ceremony outside of their graduation term must contact Graduation Services. Requests are approved exclusively through Graduation Services and students need to complete a Ceremony Participation Request form.
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Email Graduation Services with your request and to receive the form. You must complete the request form by the posted deadline.
- Requests are honored on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Approval is based on space available and therefore participation is not
guaranteed.
- The students name will not appear in the program, but students will receive a name card so their name is announced during the ceremony.
Graduation Assembly Rooms: Where do I go the day of the ceremony?
Graduates need to report to their assembly locations 45 minutes prior to the start of their ceremony. Assembly room locations are listed by degree. A Marshal will guide the graduates once in their assigned location. It is recommended all personal items are left with a guest, as the assembly rooms are not monitored and we can not guarantee they will be watched. Roosevelt University is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.
View Graduate Assembly Room (graduate line up) locations.
Line up rooms TBD
Name Cards
Name cards are placed in the Assembly Rooms the day of the ceremony. You are encouraged to spell your name phonetically to assist in the the pronunciation of your name. It is also recommended you write your email on the name card, as this will assist the photographers in sending your proofs after commencement. Be careful not to lose this card. Should you drop it in route to the ceremony, please notify a Marshal.
Processional
After the degree groups have assembled, an assistant marshal will review the Commencement procedures with you. Candidates will enter the Auditorium Theatre through the Wabash lobby. Candidates remain standing until the marshal gives the signal to be seated. It is customary to remove caps for the national anthem and to leave them off until degrees are conferred.
Conferring of Degrees
After awarding any honorary degrees, the marshal will ask doctoral candidates to rise and come to the stage. Doctoral degree recipients will be presented to the president and their college dean to be hooded. The marshal then presents each dean and asks graduates to stand and proceed to the stage for awarding of their degrees. Master's degree recipients, preceded by an assistant marshal, will walk single file down the left (north) aisle and ascend the stage to present themselves to the dean and president.
The dean shakes the graduate's right hand, a picture is taken, and the student walks forward to President Malekzadeh, who shakes the graduate's right hand and places the diploma cover in the left hand. After receiving the cover, graduates leave the stage via the south staircase, have pictures taken at the bottom of the stairs and return to their seats. Graduates remain standing until the marshal gives them the signal to be seated. Bachelor's degree and all other graduating groups follow the same procedure.
Please Note: Once your group has been conferred you are required to remain in your seat until all degrees have been conferred. This is out of respect for your fellow graduates and the Roosevelt Community. Each ceremony is approximately 90 minutes long. Please be sure your plans start after your respective ceremony has ended.
After the Ceremony: Where do I meet my Graduate/Family?
The Auditorium Theatre will be cleared immediately following each Commencement ceremony. Please do not hang out in the Theatre lobby after the ceremony. It is imperative we clear the lobby after each ceremony for the next event.
The Wabash/Michigan Lobbies and the Wabash cafeteria are great places to meet your guests after the ceremony. Please plan accordingly.