College of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Graduate Studies
Bradenton, Fla.
Class of 2014
The Commencement Ceremony for the LECOM College of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, and Graduate Studies will be held on Sunday, June 8, 2014, promptly at 1:00 p.m., at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto, Fla. The following information is provided regarding the Commencement Ceremony.
Arrival Time and Parking
Graduates should arrive by Noon (12:00 p.m.). Parking is available at no charge at the Convention Center. The main entrance doors of the Arena will open to guests at Noon (12:00 p.m.) Seating is general admission by ticket for all guests. There is ample handicapped seating in the Center. Simply ask an usher for assistance. Please arrive early enough to have your family members seated before the ceremony begins.
Dressing Areas
Upon arrival, graduates should enter at the front entrance and follow signs to the Student Robing area, which is in the Longboat Key Room. Staff will also be available to direct students to the proper area.
Guest Hooders
Graduates should instruct their guest hooder arrive by noon and to use the main entrance and where staff will direct them to the arena floor (by the stage) to receive direction for the ceremony. The guest hooders will be assigned a seat in the section behind the faculty.
During the ceremony, guest hooders will be instructed to line-up along the left wall of the arena and wait until the name of the graduate is called. They will proceed to the second set of steps on the left side of the stage and walk along the side to the hooding platform. One of the academic deans will hand the guest hooder an academic hood. The guest hooder will place the hood over the head and onto the shoulders of the graduate. (The guest hooder does not step onto the hooding platform.) The graduate and the guest hooder will immediately leave the stage, step to the photograph area and have their photograph taken together. They will return to their seats in their designated sections. Guest hooders will remain in their seats until the entire academic procession has left the arena. The College reserves the right to limit the participation of guest hooders in the Commencement Ceremony.
Academic Procession Line-up
All graduates will line-up in the hallway of the Longboat Key room in alphabetical order according to the academic procession before processing into the arena. Staff members will be available to assist students with the line-up for the procession. Assistant Marshals will lead the students to the procession starting point with the Master candidates first, followed by Pharmacy graduates and College of Medicine.
The Faculty Procession and the Trustee Procession will line-up at 12:30 p.m. in the hallway outside of the robing rooms. Dr. Anthony Ferretti, Chief Marshal, will lead the academic procession. He will be followed by the banner carriers, master’s graduate, School of Pharmacy graduates and College of Medicine graduates. Dr. Laura Stevenson, Associate Marshal, will lead the faculty procession and members of the faculty will line-up behind the Associate Marshal. Staff will be available to assist with the lineup.
Commencement Seating
The Masters graduate will be seated in the left side seating section in front of the faculty. Medical graduates will be seated on the right side, while Pharmacy graduates will be seated on the left side seating section. Seating charts will be available for the Commencement rehearsal as well as the day of the ceremony. Staff will assist the graduates with the processional line-up. Guest hooders will be seated behind the faculty on the left side. Guest hooders will be seated prior to the start of the academic procession.
Academic Procession
At 1:00 p.m., the Musical Fanfare will announce the beginning of the ceremony. The orchestra will play “Trumpet Voluntary,” announcing the start of the procession. The Chief Marshal, Dr. Anthony Ferretti, will lead the academic procession into the arena. When the procession is completed and the participants are at their seats, the Chief Marshal will signal for the audience to be seated and the commencement ceremony will begin.
Conferral of Degrees
The Master of Science in Medical Education will be the first degree conferred, followed by the Doctor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.
As each graduate’s name is announced, he/she will step to the diploma table and receive the diploma cover from Dr. John Ferretti. The Master of Science graduate will cross the stage and exit down the stairs to where they will have a portrait photo taken and return to their seats. Pharmacy and medicine graduates will each receive their diploma from Dr. Ferretti, then cross the stage to where they will receive their hood from one of the deans, or a guest hooder. After receiving the hood, the graduate (and hooder) will walk down the stairs, stop for the portrait photo and return to their respective seats.
Recessional
After the benediction, the orchestra will begin playing the recessional music. The Chief Marshal and Associate Marshal will pick up the Mace and Staff, which will signal the academic procession to rise and the procession to begin. The audience should remain standing until all of the graduates leave the arena. The Chief Marshal will then lead the Trustees, administrators and deans off the stage. The faculty will follow the Trustees and stage participants. Immediately following the faculty procession, assistant marshals will lead the College of Medicine, the School of Pharmacy and the masters graduates. The LECOM banner carriers will follow with the book carrier ending the academic procession. The entire procession will exit the arena.
The ceremony is anticipated to end between 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
After the Ceremony: Cap and Gown Return/Diploma Pickup
All graduates will exit the arena and proceed back to the Longboat Key room in order to pickup their diploma and return their cap and gown. Diplomas will not be available for any student who has not completed all requirements for graduation.
Only graduates will be permitted in the regalia return and diploma pickup area following the ceremony. LECOM staff will be available to assist students with the proper return of the caps and gowns.
PLEASE RETURN YOUR LECOM REGALIA BEFORE LEAVING THE CONVENTION CENTER!