Degree Recipients
School of Engineering and Applied Science
University of Virginia

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Graduation exercises on Sunday, May 18, 2008, will consist of joint exercises on the Lawn at 10:00 a.m., followed by separate diploma ceremonies for undergraduates and graduates in Darden Court. The undergraduate diploma ceremony will commence in Darden Court immediately following the Lawn ceremony at approximately 1:00 pm, while the graduate diploma ceremony will begin at 3:00 pm, also in Darden Court. Since you will receive information on the Lawn ceremony from other sources, this letter will address the diploma ceremonies in Darden Court.

Over the years, the Darden Court ceremony has grown in size to the point that it is very difficult to accommodate all the guests and degree recipients in one ceremony. Therefore, we will have separate diploma ceremonies for the undergraduates and graduates, with the undergraduate ceremony first. Thus, if you are receiving your undergraduate degree, please proceed in academic regalia to the room designated below immediately following the Lawn ceremony. Your faculty marshal (also indicated below) will call the roll and place you in the appropriate order for the march into Darden Court. If you are not present when the roll is called, your marshal will have no choice but to delete your name. Your name would therefore not be called during the Darden Court ceremony. So please proceed as quickly as possible to the designated room following the Lawn ceremony.

Graduate degree recipients will assemble in the rooms indicated below such that procession into Darden Court can begin at 3:00 pm. Please arrive in the designated room at 2:30 pm to enable the pre-procession activities to be completed in a timely manner.

Please be sure to follow instructions from your marshal regarding procession, seating, and traffic patterns when receiving your diploma. The names of all graduate degree recipients will be called and presented by the Associate Dean, Ms. Thornton, or her designee. Bachelor recipients will be called by the appropriate department Chair.

Each degree recipient will receive a "diploma" as their name is called and a photographer will be present to record the moment. However, following the ceremony, please return to your original assembly room (in the MEC Building or Olsson Hall) to receive your real diploma. If you wish to have a ribbon for framing with your diploma, you should remove and keep the ribbon from the specious diploma. Ph.D. recipients present for the graduate diploma ceremony will receive a Ph.D. hood, compliments of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Each Ph.D. recipient will be "hooded" by their faculty advisor as they process across the stage to receive their diploma.

Attendance at graduation exercises is not mandatory, but those who do participate are expected to wear cap and gown or be dressed in suitable, dignified attire. May graduates not in attendance at the exercises will need to notify the Registrar's Office in order to receive their diploma via the mail. Arrangements can be made to have the Registrar send diplomas by United Parcel Service by payment of a nominal fee, or they can be obtained at the Registrar's Office after May 19.

For your convenience, we have made arrangements with Chappell Studio for a professional photographer to photograph the awarding of your diploma. You will be contacted by Chappell approximately one week after the ceremony. There is no obligation to purchase, however, you will have several purchase options at reasonable prices.

In the event of severe weather, the Lawn ceremony will be cancelled. This decision will be made by President Casteen and will be announced on local radio stations early Sunday morning. If the Lawn ceremony is cancelled, there will be a combined diploma ceremony for SEAS undergraduates and graduates at 10:30 am in University Hall. If the Lawn ceremony is completed on the Lawn but weather does not permit the diploma ceremonies to be completed in Darden Court, the combined diploma ceremony will be conducted at 7:00 pm in University Hall.

As a reminder to undergraduate degree candidates, please check with Ms. Lane, in Thornton Hall A-122, in person or by phone no later than Tuesday, May 13, to be sure all grades are in and that all financial obligations have been met

The faculty of this School are very pleased you have reached this milestone of your career. We congratulate you and extend our best wishes to each of you for a successful future in engineering and applied science.

Sincerely yours,

William J. Thurneck
Associate Dean for Administrative and Academic Services

For further information on final exercises refer to the University of Virginia Finals Weekend website.