Ceremony Procedures & Seating
Commencement is the formal ceremony at which the president officially confers your degree. The Commencement ceremony for undergraduate students will be held in the Woodsboro Bank Arena, Volpe Athletic Center. The processional begins at 9:45 a.m. and the ceremony begins at 10 a.m., lasting approximately two hours.
The Commencement ceremony for graduate students will be held in the Woodsboro Bank Arena, Volpe Athletic Center. The processional begins at 2:45 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 3 p.m., lasting approximately 90 minutes.
Please keep in mind Hood's policy that only those who have fulfilled all academic requirements and have met all of their financial obligations to the College may participate in Commencement.
Undergraduate students who wish to be excused from the Commencement ceremony must secure permission from the registrar.
Graduates will be directed out of their seats to make their way to the stage, stopping first for an official commencement photo. Commencement staff will guide graduates through to the ramp and graduates will then proceed to the top of the ramp and wait until their name is called. As the graduate receives their scroll and shakes the President’s hand, a photographer will take a photo. After the photo, graduates will process down the ramp on the other side of the stage and directed to promptly return to their seat, remaining seated until all candidates have been recognized.
Please be aware that alcoholic beverages and smoking are prohibited during the ceremony. Graduates should stay in their seats for the entirety of the ceremony, if possible.
All parking spaces on campus will be available the day of the ceremony.
Additional parking will be available:
- Frederick Memorial Hospital (FMH) parking deck (400 W. 7th St., Frederick)
- On the residential streets surrounding the campus
Handicap parking spaces are available throughout the campus and additional spaces will be held in the large lot south of the Coffman Chapel. An assigned handicap drop-off area will be located in front of the Volpe Center.
We ask that graduates arrive promptly to line up behind Alumnae Hall. You will receive an email with your row and seat assignment. Please locate the volunteer holding a sign that corresponds to your row. The volunteer will place you in the correct spot in the lineup.
- Undergraduate students: Arrive at 9 a.m., processional begins at 9:45 a.m.
- Graduate students: Arrive at 2 p.m., processional begins at 2:45 p.m.
At Commencement, graduates and faculty wear academic regalia. All candidates wear a cap, tassel, robe and hood.
Under the robe, graduates should wear clothing appropriate for this special occasion. Jeans, t-shirts, flip-flops, etc. are not appropriate attire for the Commencement Ceremony. You will be walking from Alumnae Hall to the Volpe Athletic Center; keep that in mind when choosing footwear.
The hood should be worn velvet side out with the velvet binding flipped to show the colors; secure the hood so that it does not fall off your shoulders.
The mortarboard should be worn flat (parallel to the ground), secured with bobby pins, if necessary.
May undergraduate candidates should wear the tassel on the right. September and January undergraduate candidates should wear the tassel on the left throughout the ceremony.
Academic honor ribbons should be worn to Commencement.
Guests with tickets to the Commencement ceremony must be in their seats 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony (9:30 a.m. for undergraduate, 2:30 p.m. for graduate). The entrance and sidewalk will be cleared at that time to make way for the processional. Latecomers can either watch the live stream in the Coffman Chapel or wait for the processional to finish before being allowed to enter the building.
Strollers will not be allowed in the arena. If a stroller is brought in, it will be checked at the reception desk to be picked up following the ceremony.
Please leave balloons, signs, megaphones, cowbells, whistles and other celebratory items or noise makers in the car. These items will not be permitted within the arena.
For guests will infants and toddlers who may get restless, there will be a "family room" located on the second floor of the Volpe Athletic Center with a live stream of the ceremony.
Only robes are required for the Baccalaureate ceremony; your class dink should be worn in place of your mortarboard.
The robe should be closed. Under the robe, graduates should wear clothing appropriate for this special occasion. Jeans, t-shirts, flip-flops, etc. are not appropriate attire for the Baccalaureate Ceremony.
Academic honor ribbons and dinks should be worn to Baccalaureate.
An interpreter for the hearing impaired will be available.
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