Details for Graduate Commencement processional

The Graduate School Commencement for the fall 2018 semester will take place at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, in Stegeman Coliseum. Graduates from summer 2018 are invited to participate in the ceremony.

At Commencement, UGA will use the same clear bag policy used at athletic events.

Faculty who plan to participate in the ceremony are being divided into two groups: (1) those who plan to accompany their doctoral students to the platform for the hooding ceremony, and (2) those who will not be hooding students.

Please note that if you are a major professor for a doctoral student, not only is it an honor, but also it is expected that you will attend and participate in the hooding of your student. I realize that unforeseen circumstances can arise. If this is the case, please identify a substitute and email

Cheri Bliss

with your replacement’s name as soon as possible. The graduation ceremony is a landmark in a student’s life/ career. I hope you will help us honor your student by making all possible efforts to participate in the hooding of your student.

Faculty participating in the hooding activity will line up at 1:30 p.m. with their doctoral students in the Women’s Basketball Gym on the second floor of the Coliseum Practice Annex. At the appointed time, this group of faculty and students will follow the marshal down the south concourse of the coliseum and through Tunnel 2 to the coliseum floor.

Please note the following:

• The procession descends two flights of stairs to access the coliseum. If you have difficulty with stairs,

  please contact us

  to arrange alternate access.

• There is no accommodation for leaving personal items in the gym—all items that you want to retain must be removed before the procession begins.

Please see maps A and B of the coliseum and annex on our website for clarification.

Faculty not participating in the hooding activity will assemble in the conference room on the lower level of Stegeman Coliseum near the Tunnel 2 entrance to the coliseum floor. Please arrive no later than 2 p.m. These faculty members will march in after the students and immediately preceding the platform party.

Requests for reserved parking and registration for commencement will be available on the UGA Commencement website by the end of October. Reserved parking is very limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. You must register by Nov. 30 for reserved parking. The Carlton Street and South Campus parking decks will be open for commencement parking.

Rental of faculty regalia will be provided free of charge through the UGA Bookstore. Faculty members who prefer to wear their alma mater’s regalia must place their rental order at the UGA Bookstore by Nov. 2 to ensure delivery. After that date, the bookstore cannot guarantee regalia even with a rush fee. Free rental is provided to support participation in UGA’s Undergraduate and/or Graduate Commencement; free rental is not available to faculty who only plan to attend a college-level convocation. The UGA Bookstore will assist you and can be reached at 706-542-7224 or

via email

.