School of Dentistry Commencement Information

Calihan Hall (McNichols Campus) & Fisher Fountain, 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The School of Dentistry’s 79^th Commencement Ceremony will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 13, 2012 in Calihan Hall on the McNichols Campus. Students, dignitaries, and faculty are expected to arrive no later than 9:30 a.m. to the designated rooms in the Ford Life Sciences Building listed below. A reception hosted by the Alumni Association will be held at the Fisher Fountain immediately following the ceremony.

• Students - Room 113
• Dignitaries - Room 116
• Faculty - Room 115

If you have any questions or concerns regarding commencement, feel free to contact Ms. Dana Hart at (313) 494-6621 or dana.hart@udmercy.edu.  Questions regarding regalia (caps and gowns) should be directed to Ms. Lauri Moore at (313) 494-6655 or moorela2@udmercy.edu.

Graduation Letter and Calendar

• Graduation Letter (important information)
• Graduation Calendar

Site Map

• Graduation Fair
• Preparation
  • Caps and Gowns
  • Guest Tickets/Seating
  • Locations/Parking
  • Local Hotels
• Graduation Mass
• Graduation Day
  • Room Assignments
  • Timetable
  • Assembly
  • Candidate Seating
  • Ceremony
• Contact Information

Graduation Fair  

Date and Time: March 7-8, 2012 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

All prospective graduates are invited to stop by the Special Functions Room for information regarding ordering regalia, announcements, class rings, diplomas, frames etc. from our vendor.

Preparation

Pre-Commencement Preparation

Caps, Gowns, & Tassels

Caps, gowns, hoods, and tassels can only be ordered online through April 8, 2012. The website for placing an order can be found at:   
www.herffjones.com/college/graduation
Prices vary by degree. Bachelor $39, Masters/Specialist $49, and Doctoral $54. There is a standard shipping rate of $14 within the US plus sales tax.  Regalia will not be distributed at the university. 
Your cap and gown will be shipped directly to you. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. If you are graduating with a dental or dental hygiene degree, your hood will be presented to you during the School of Dentistry Awards Ceremony, scheduled to take place on May 12, 2012. Accelerated Dental Student Hoods will be shipped directly to student residence. If you are ordering after April 8th, please call 1-800-879-8143 to place a RUSH order. Rush orders will incur a $50 late charge. The LAST DAY to place a RUSH ORDER is April 18, 2012.
No orders will be accepted after April 18, 2012.

Attire

Commencement is a formal academic ceremony. Only approved academic regalia can be worn. Although Calihan Hall is not air-conditioned, fans will be used to circulate the air. Dress accordingly. With 1200+ graduates, faculty and guests, depending on the weather, it may be warm. Since you will be standing in line and marching both in and out-of-doors for over an hour, comfortable shoes are recommended.
Gown decoration is strictly limited to university, college and school honor regalia. A listing of the approved items may be obtained from your college/school office or the Office of the Registrar. Caps should not contain adornments or messages. Candidates whose caps and gowns do not comply with the academic standards will not be permitted into the arena. You may not wear a cap and gown from another institution.

Guest Tickets/Seating

No tickets are required for the ceremony.  Please remember that seating is on a first come, first served basis, and once Calihan Hall is at capacity, no more guests will be admitted. 

Seating for Disabled Persons

Guest seating is on the main floor behind the graduates and overflow will be directed to the upper arena which is accessible only by stairs. A limited number of seats for disabled persons are available on the main floor. Only one family member is permitted to sit with those who require disabled seating. Escorted entry is through the northeast arena door only. Seats are on a first come, first serve basis. Strollers will not be accommodated in the disabled seating area.

Locations

Share a copy of the McNichols Campus Map (pdf)  with your guests so that they may familiarize themselves with the campus, its facilities and parking areas.
You may also wish to see the Driving Directions page. 

Parking

Parking will be crowded, and campus traffic will be heavy. ALLOW EXTRA TIME and CAR POOL.
Handicapped parking, in front of Calihan Hall, is limited and restricted to those with valid handicapped stickers or license plates.

Suggested Detroit Area Hotel Accommodations

Graduation Mass (Baccalaureate Mass)
Saturday, May 12, 2012

Mass

Graduation Mass is an integral part of the Commencement activities and candidates and guests of all faiths are invited to join this religious service thanking God for His blessings and praying for our future.
The Mass begins at 10:00 a.m. in Gesu Church located one block north of the McNichols Campus on Santa Maria between Quincy and Oak Drive. Graduates meet outside Gesu Church at 9:30 a.m. in cap and gown.
The Baccalaureate service, a long-standing tradition* in university commencements, is a religious service celebrated in conjunction with graduation. In accord with UDM’s Catholic tradition, our Baccalaureate service is a Mass, and is considered an integral part of the Commencement activities. Candidates and guests of all faiths are invited to join together in this religious service. It is a time to thank God for blessings received, and to pray for our future. Immediate family are invited and encouraged to attend. No tickets or reservations are required.

Location & Parking

The Mass takes place in Gesu Church, located one block north of McNichols Campus on Santa Maria between Quincy and Oak Drive. Limited parking is available near the church, but all are encouraged instead to park in the university lots and walk the short distance to the church. (Then you will not need to move your car between the baccalaureate service and the commencement itself.)

Graduates

The Graduates are asked to assemble outside Gesu Church promptly at 9:30 a.m., in cap and gown. If you are interested in volunteering to take an active role in the ceremony – such as reading, being a communion minister, or singing in the choir – please contact University Ministry at 313-993-1560.

Family & Guests

Go directly into the Church, where you will be seated by the Ushers. The procession begins at 10:00 a.m., so be sure to arrive sometime before that. No photography is permitted during the service.

Faculty

You are encouraged to participate. Academic regalia is worn for this occasion. Faculty assemble outside the church no later than 9:45 a.m.

Employees

Employees are needed to serve as ushers, communion ministers, and singers. Please volunteer by contacting University Ministry. Any concerns or questions? Please call 313-993-1560, or stop by the Ministry office, located in the Student Union across from the Bookstore.

*History

The Baccalaureate Service is thought to have first become a tradition at Oxford University in England, when the graduating bachelors of 1432 were asked to give sermons in Latin. Since the earliest universities in this country were founded primarily to educate ministers, the British practice of the Baccalaureate Service continued here in U.S. universities.

Graduation Day
Sunday, May 13, 2012

Room Assignments

Timetable

9:00 a.m. Calihan Hall Opens
9:30 a.m. Candidates, Dignitaries, and Faculty Report To Designated Areas
9:50 a.m. Line-up Begins
10:10 a.m. Students Process to Calihan Hall
10:15 a.m. Procession Arrives at Calihan Hall
10:30 a.m. Commencement Begins
12:00 p.m. Commencement Ends - Recessional to Student Center Steps for Photo
Alumni Reception - Fountain Area

Assembly
Candidates must be present in their assigned assembly rooms by 9:30 a.m. (See Room Assignments) 

Caps & Gowns
Inside your cap there is a "front" designation. Wear your tassel on the right side of your cap. You will be instructed during the ceremony when to change it to the left. Regarding your hood, please follow the package directions. Consult your Faculty Marshals with any questions. 

Seat Assignment and Announcer Card
IMPORTANT: Individualized 3x5" index cards will be distributed to each candidate during the processional lineup. Typed on each card are the candidate's name, phonetic pronunciation, and seat number. The sequence follows the seating chart and Commencement Program. Keep this card with you at all times and present to the Dean. If the card is not presented to the Dean, your name will not be read.  

Processional Lineup
Follow the specific instruction of your Faculty Marshals. Candidates will form double columns. If your partner is a no show, march alone.

Candidate Seating

In Calihan Hall, follow your Marshal's instructions and proceed to your numbered seat and remain standing. Leave seats empty for absent candidates. Seating is arranged alphabetically and serves to help your guests, if they are following the Program, to know when you will be awarded your degree.
Once the platform party is in place, the Ceremony will begin. Throughout the Ceremony, listen to the Grand Marshal's instructions. If your guests are interested in the general area where you will be sitting on the arena floor, have them review the seating diagram posted near the northeast entrance of Calihan Hall.

Commencement Ceremony

Commencement is a formal event that provides public recognition of your academic achievement. The Ceremony will last approximately two hours. Participants are to remain in the hall for the duration of the program.

Decorum

The Commencement Committee asks that you and your guests please show proper respect for the Ceremony and the other candidates by adhering to the following:

• Remain quiet and dignified during the Ceremony. Shouting between balcony guests and floor candidates is disrespectful and disruptive.
• Cellular/mobile phones/pagers should be turned off during the entire ceremony.
• Bottles, cups or cans will not be allowed in the processional or into the arena.
• Those with alcoholic beverages are subject to removal from the Procession and Ceremony.
• Candidates are expected to remain in their seats and stay for the entire Ceremony.
• Due to risk of injury, caps should not be thrown in the air.

Although celebration by graduates and guests is appropriate, air horns, balloons, screaming, banners, etc. are not. At the Presentation of Degrees, so that each graduate's name may be heard, please ask your guests to refrain from prolonged expressions of joy when your name is read.
The ceremony in Calihan is expected to last about one and a half hours. To add dignity to the event, all candidates/graduates are to remain in their position throughout the event. Restroom facilities are located in the hall to the left of the door you used to enter the arena.

Program

For program details, review the Commencement Program which will be on your seat in Calihan Hall.

Conferring of Degrees

This is the most important and solemn part of the Ceremony. After the Doctoral Degrees have been conferred, the Grand Marshal will ask, in turn, each college/school candidates to rise. Stand in place. The Dean will then recommend to the President that the degrees be conferred. The President will comply. After all of the degrees have been conferred, the Grand Marshal will then direct all of the graduates at once to change their tassels from the right to the left side of their caps.

Awarding of Degree

Follow Marshals' directions. Present your name card to the Dean. When your name is read, proceed to the President. Receive your “mock diploma” with your left hand and shake hands with the President with your right hand. You will be photographed a second time at this point. Proceed down the last aisle to the rear of the arena and then back to your seat via the same aisle used in the processional.

Recession

The Recessional will be orderly and dignified. Follow the Marshal's directions. Graduates will recess out of Calihan Hall to the steps of the Student Center for a photo before disbanding to the Fisher Fountain for the reception.

Reception

Plan to meet your guests at the Reception near the Fisher Fountain north of the Student Center. Light refreshments will be served. This reception is sponsored by the Alumni Association.

Traffic

To expedite campus egress after the Commencement, all vehicles exiting the McNichols Gate will be required to make a right turn. Please advise your guests.

Contact Information

For Further Information Regarding: 

Graduation Requirements
School of Dentistry Registrar’s Office (313) 494-6616 

Cap & Gown
If you have questions beyond what is covered on this web site, contact the Office of Academic Administration at (313) 494-6655.

Guest Hooders and Pinners
Office of the Dean - (313) 494-6621