2013 Commencement & Baccalaureate:

Manhattanville College will hold its 2013 Commencement ceremonies and Baccalaureate on the dates and times as follows:

**TICKETS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ATTEND**

Location

Commencement ceremonies will be held outdoors on our Quad rain or shine.

Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony

Live streaming of today's ceremony available for viewing here.

Report Times

Graduate/Doctoral Candidates report to the East Room at 5:30pm, Thursday
Undergraduate Candidates report to the East Room at 9:30am, Saturday

For Commencement FAQ's, click HERE

Weather

In the middle of May, weather is usually mild. Depending on the forecast, guests may want to bring water, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, ponchos, raingear and comfortable shoes.  In case of rain, graduates will be issued clear rain ponchos and faculty will be in covered seating. Umbrellas are discouraged because they obstruct sight lines and drip on the other guests seated adjacent. In case of heavy or continuous rains, the ceremony may be shortened. If conditions are a threat to personal safety (such as severe thunderstorm, lighting, or tornado) the ceremony will be cancelled. If weather conditions are truly questionable, a cancellation notice will be posted on the Manhattanville homepage: www.mville.edu.

The Ceremony

The commencement ceremony includes: the academic procession, invocation, the national anthem, greeting from the president, student greeting, presentation of candidates for honorary degrees, honorary degree recipient and keynote speaker, (graduate ceremony has the addition of presenting doctoral candidates and hooding), presentation of college honors, presentation of candidates for degrees, conferring of degrees, alma mater and the recessional.

Degrees will be conferred en masse. Diplomas will be distributed in the Berman Students’ Center after the ceremony. If you are not attending commencement ceremonies, contact the Registrar's Office for your diploma.

Commencement FAQs

Where are the ceremonies?
Undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies are on the Quad lawn rain or shine. Baccalaureate will be held in the O'Byrne Chapel.

How long is the ceremony?
Although the ceremony length will vary every year, here are some general times
Undergraduate: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Graduate: 1 hour and 30 minutes

May I walk in the ceremony even though I won’t graduate until next semester?
Only those who have fulfilled all the requirements can walk in the ceremony. Those completing their requirements in August and the previous January are eligible for the following commencement ceremony.

How many people may I bring?
We suggest that students invite up to six family members to witness this wonderful event. There is no reserved seating. Seating is on a first come first served basis. Understandably, some families are larger than others and in that case, we recommend bringing lawn chairs and sitting slightly outside of the arranged seating. You should be able to see and hear from there.

Which students are hooded?
The majority of the participants will wear a hood from the start of the ceremony, only doctoral candidates will be hooded during the graduate commencement ceremony.

What is my name card for?
You will be issued a name card in the East Room during rehearsal. Bring it with you to the ceremony. You will hand the card to the announcer just before you receive the red envelope. The announcer will read the information that is listed on your name card as you start across the platform.

Will diplomas be handed out at the ceremony?
Red envelopes will be given out at the ceremony. The actual diploma will be available for pickup right after the ceremony at the Berman Student Center. If you don’t attend the ceremony, contact the Registrar’s Office about your diploma.

What name will appear on my diploma?
All students will be asked to submit a Diploma Verification Form to confirm the spelling of their name, name printing format on their diploma and diploma mailing address.

How will I know where to line up in the East Room?
Undergraduates are requested to attend a rehearsal the day before the ceremony. At that time you will be lined up and actually walk to the Quad and take a seat.
Graduates you will report to the East Room prior to your ceremony. You will be lined up then and there will be people on the Quad to make sure you get in the correct seats.

Can I leave my Personal belongings (purse, coat, etc.) in the East Room during the Ceremony?
There will be a security guard in the East Room if you choose to leave your items. If a woman wants to carry her bag, we recommend a small purse with a shoulder strap that fits up under the arm-pit; these work best and can be under your gown with little notice. It’s a day where less is better, car key, license and some cash.

As a graduating student, will I receive an invitation to commencement?
When you pick up your Cap & Gown you will receive two “keepsake” announcements. We do not issue invitations. We also provide an electronic announcement link.

Do I need to RSVP or Register for commencement?
Yes, you must RSVP so we can have the correct number of seats available for candidates.  RSVP Undergraduate or RSVP Graduate/Doctoral

What do we wear?
Most students wear nice clothing under their cap & gown so they look great for all the photos that day. However, that is not a requirement. On hot days, students have been known to wear shorts. Click to learn more about the academic attire you will also be wearing, hood colors and other details.

Will there be a webcast?
We are currently working with the govaliants.tv to get live streaming for the Saturday ceremony. Since our commencement is outdoors, we will project the live feed to the Chapel for any commencement attendees who cannot tolerate outdoor conditions.

Can I watch the event from home?
The Saturday event starts at 11:00am, people will be able to view the event at http://www.govaliants.tv/

May I watch the webcast later?
We will archive the undergraduate ceremony for future viewing.