Office of the Registrar

Commencement

Ceremony Information

Graduate Student Ceremony - Friday, December 17, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.

The graduate ceremony will include candidates for graduate certificate, education specialist, master, juris doctor, and doctoral degrees from all Colleges.

Graduates should arrive by 5:15 p.m. to line up for the ceremony.

West Side - Sullivan Entrance Doctoral Candidates College of Law John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics College of Arts and Letters

East Side - Old Box Office Entrance College of Nursing College of Medicine and Life Sciences College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences College of Health and Human Services College of Engineering Judith Herb College of Education

Morning Undergraduate Student Ceremony - Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.

The morning ceremony will include candidates for undergraduate baccalaureate and associate degrees from the following Colleges. Graduates should arrive by 8:15 a.m. to line up for the ceremony.

Afternoon Undergraduate Student Ceremony - Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 1:00 p.m.

The afternoon ceremony will include candidates for undergraduate baccalaureate and associate degrees from the following Colleges. Graduates should arrive by 12:15 p.m. to line up for the ceremony.

West Side - Sullivan Entrance College of Engineering

East Side - Old Box Office Entrance   College of Nursing College of Health and Human Services College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Fall 2021 Important Dates

Deadline to apply to be included in commencement program:                         Friday, October 8, 2021

Deadline to apply to be included in MarchingOrder response process:          Thursday, November 11, 2021

Deadline to submit name pronunciation information to MarchingOrder:      Monday, November 15, 2021 at 5:00 PM

Deadline to submit RSVP to MarchingOrder:                                                               Monday, November 15, 2021 at 5:00 PM

General Information for Graduates and Guests

MarchingOrder Website
Students who have applied for graduation in Summer 2021 or Fall 2021 will receive an email invitation from MarchingOrder to submit name pronunciation information and review the graduation information we have on file. Students will also be able to indicate their intent to participate.

Watch your email for more instructions from MarchingOrder.

Ticketing Information
Commencement will be a ticketed event.  Graduates will receive six guest tickets to distribute to guests of their choosing. The tickets are non-transferable. Once a graduate assigns a ticket to a guest, it cannot be transferred to someone else. The tickets will be issued electronically. There is no cost associated with the tickets. Additional tickets will not be available. On the day of commencement, all guests will be required to have a ticket for entrance into Savage Arena.

Additional information about tickets will be sent to graduates who RSVP that they plan to attend. Graduates should watch for an email from the Ticketing Office at the end of November. Graduates must RSVP through MarchingOrder in order to receive ticketing information.

Mask Requirement
All guests and graduates will be required to wear face masks regardless of vaccination status. Graduates will be allowed to remove their masks when having their photo taken in front of the UToledo banner but must put on their mask before processing to the stage.

Viewing Commencement Virtually
A live stream video of the commencement ceremonies will be available on the main commencement webpage. Recordings of the ceremonies will also be posted for graduates and guests who are unable to attend in person.

Name Cards and Honors Cords Pick Up
Name cards will be distributed by Registrar's Office staff in the Rocket Hall front lobby (Secor Road entrance).  Eligible students will also receive their honors cords at this time.

Graduates can pick up materials during the following dates and times:

• Monday, December 13 through Thursday, December 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Friday, December 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

If you cannot pick up your name card yourself, a friend or family member may pick it up on your behalf.

Graduates must bring this name card to the commencement ceremony in order to have their name announced.  During the ceremony, each graduate will receive a commemorative diploma case, hand their name card to the announcer to have their name read, and then walk across the stage. Afterward, graduates will return to their seats for the remainder of the ceremony.

Ceremony Line Up
Graduates will line up in the Fetterman Training Center, next to Savage Arena. Graduates should follow posted signage to enter Fetterman directly.

Graduate Student Ceremony - Friday, December 17 at 6:00 PM: 
Arrive by 5:15 PM for line up, seating will begin at 5:40 PM

Undergraduate Morning Ceremony - Saturday, December 18 at 9:00 AM: 
Arrive by 8:15 AM for line up, seating will begin at 8:40 AM

Undergraduate Afternoon Ceremony - Saturday, December 18 at 1:00 PM: 
Arrive by 12:15 PM for line up, seating will begin at 12:40 PM

Diploma Cases and Commencement Programs
Diploma cases will be distributed at the in-person commencement ceremonies. If you are unable to attend the commencement ceremony, you may contact graduation@utoledo.edu to arrange pick-up.

Fall 2021 graduating students wishing to have their names published in the Fall 2021 Commencement Program must apply for graduation by Friday, October 8.  If you do not wish to have your name appear in the Commencement Program please email graduation@utoledo.edu and request to not have your name published.

Commencement programs from previous semesters are available electronically on the main commencement page.

Photographs
Each graduate is professionally photographed at multiple points during the ceremony. Graduates will be allowed to remove their masks when having their photo taken in front of the UToledo banner but must put their mask back on before processing to the stage. Approximately three weeks after the ceremony, each graduate will receive a proof of their pictures taken along with ordering instructions. For more information about photographs, please go to Grad Images website at www.gradimages.com. Family and guests are free to take pictures from the stands, but may not come down onto the arena floor.

When are diplomas mailed? What happens after Commencement?
Following commencement and after all grades are posted, the colleges begin the task of clearing students for graduation.  This means the college reviews final grades to determine that all degree requirements have been met and notifies the Registrar's Office when the degree can be awarded. Once cleared by the college, the Registrar's Office posts the degree to the transcript and orders the diploma from Paradigm Inc.  The diploma is printed and then mailed by Paradigm Inc. to the student at the address listed on the graduation application. Students will receive an email to their UT student email address once the diploma has been mailed.  This clearing, posting, and ordering of diplomas are ongoing for about 45 days past commencement. 

To verify that your degree has been awarded,  your unofficial transcript through the myUT Portal. Follow instructions for viewing unofficial transcripts online.

How to update diploma mailing addresses
Students can verify the diploma mailing address that is currently on file by viewing their application for graduation. To view your application go to the Student tab in the myUT portal and select the Student Profile link found in the upper right-hand corner of the page.  Select the 'Active' link in the Graduation Information section (middle of the page) to access your application.  Here you will find all of the information you included when you submitted your application. 

If your diploma mailing address is different from what is displayed then complete the Diploma Address Change web form. Diploma address changes can be made up until the last day of the graduating term.

Cap and Gown
Academic Regalia for all students is available for online purchase from the Main Campus University Bookstore. Students participating in commencement are required to wear appropriate regalia.

Honors
The actual honors awarded at the time a degree is posted is based on the final cumulative GPA. The diploma will show the honors awarded with the degree. View the University's Graduation with Honors Distinction Policy for complete details.

Summer Graduates
Although there is not a summer commencement program, all summer graduates are invited to participate in the fall commencement ceremony and will have their names published in the fall commencement program unless otherwise indicated as do not publish.

General and Accessibility Parking
Details on general and accessibility parking can be found on the university's main commencement page.

Accessibility and Accommodation Information

Information about accessibility measures for the ceremony can be found on the university's main commencement page .  

Inclement Weather Plan
In the event of inclement weather, notifications will be sent through the University’s UT Alert System.   The inclement weather date is Sunday, December 19, 2021. Additional information on the Commencement Inclement Weather Plan can be found at www.utoledo.edu/commencement. 

Additional Tips for Graduates

• Leave personal items like coats and purses with guests. There are no facilities available for storing these items. 
• Remember to wear sash, medal, ribbon, etc. that corresponds with your honor society.
• For safety reasons, graduates are discouraged from wearing high heeled shoes, as graduates will be lining up on the turf field at the Fetterman Center.

Contact Information
For questions or comments, please contact the Graduation Processing department at graduation@utoledo.edu.

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