Commencement congratulations

Related Information

Graduate Information -- Commencement 2008

Commencement for the class of 2008 will be held on Saturday, May 17, at 11:00 a.m. at the Fine Arts Center of Calvin College. Friends and relatives are cordially invited to attend; no tickets are necessary for attendance.

  1. Events

    Please take careful note of the following:

    1. Breakfast for graduates (graduates only, no spouses or friends) and faculty is scheduled for 8:00 a.m., in the Commons Lecture Hall, Lower Floor, Commons Annex, Calvin College. Host: Student Senate President John Lee - Speakers: Richard Sytsma and Ron Nydam.
    2. Rehearsal follows immediately upon the conclusion of the breakfast. For those not at the breakfast, be sure to join the others and come to rehearsal at 9:15 a.m. at the Fine Arts Center of Calvin College. A graduating class picture will be taken at this rehearsal time. This picture will include graduates in all the degree programs. Please wear something appropriate for a picture to be displayed for posterity in the Student Center at the Seminary. This rehearsal should end at approximately 10:15 a.m. (sooner if all goes well). Please note that you must attend this rehearsal in order to participate in commencement.
    3. Commencement begins at 11:00 a.m. Doors will be open for guests at 10:30 a.m. All graduates are expected to assemble in the Seymour Swets Choral Room # 125 of the Fine Arts Center for robing at 10:30 a.m. sharp, then proceed to the respective hallway alongside the FAC auditorium as soon as possible. They will be met there by one of the two marshals, Ina DeMoor or Mary Brasser who will assist in the formation of the lines.
    4. Reception follows immediately after commencement exercises. This year, it will be held on the lawn near the waterfalls on the seminary side. Faculty, staff, graduates and friends and relatives are encouraged to proceed there from the FAC as quickly as possible. In case of inclement weather, the reception will be held in the Student Center of the seminary building.

  2. Academic Regalia

    1. Gowns, hoods, caps and tassels are scheduled for arrival at CTS on Monday, May 12, 2008. They will be placed in the seminary auditorium (175S). Please check there on or soon after Tuesday, May 13 to ensure that your regalia have arrived. You are strongly encouraged to take them home, make sure that your robe and cap fit (reasonably) well, and take them with you on commencement day! If there is a problem with any of the regalia, please contact the Willsie Company representative, Andy Gillespie, at (888) 678-4723 (office), (517) 282-9876 (cell) or gownman@aol.com (e-mail).

    2. Please return gowns and hoods to the seminary auditorium (175S) as soon as possible after the reception. Graduates may keep their caps and tassels.

      Special Note to Th.M. Graduates:

      If you choose to purchase the master's hood you are responsible for the cost. To reserve a hood or gown, and to find out current pricing, please e-mail gownman@aol.com, identify yourself as a CTS Th.M. student, and state that you wish to buy a hood and/or gown. Payment in cash or by check is made directly to Andy Gillespie at the time of commencement.

  3. Commencement Exercises

    1. The order of procession is as follows: platform party, seminary faculty (in order of rank and seniority), trustees, seminary graduates. The graduates will proceed in order of degree programs and alphabetically. The order of procession and seating will be distributed at rehearsal. Tassels should be on the left side of the cap where they remain throughout the ceremony.
    2. Graduates remain standing after proceeding into the auditorium. They are seated when the President and the remainder of the platform party are seated. When seated, men should remove their caps; women have the option of not doing so.
    3. At the time of "presentation," the Vice President for Academic Affairs will ask the graduates to stand. Put on the cap at this time and remain standing until after the entire diploma ceremony is completed. Be seated only after you are invited to do so from the platform.
    4. No diplomas are presented at the time of commencement. Only the decorative covers are given to you by the President. The awarding of the diploma itself is contingent on the completion of all degree requirements. Your diploma will be mailed to you when all requirements have been met.
    5. For the recessional, the platform party, the faculty and the trustees leave first. When the last trustee has walked past the graduates, the front row of graduates leaves, followed by the back row.

A Final Note:

Participation in the commencement ceremony is required of all graduates. Permission to be excused from it will only be granted for sufficient reasons by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.