TO: Doctoral Candidates in the Graduate School at UAB
FROM: Julie Bryant, Director
RE: Doctoral Hooding and Commencement Ceremony
Saturday, May 12 at 12:00 p.m. (noon)
Alys Stephens Center
In order to properly acknowledge those who are receiving the university’s highest degree, we have a special doctoral hooding convocation ceremony. You, your dissertation advisor, mentors, family and friends are invited to attend the ceremony to be held in the Jemison Concert Hall at the Alys Stephens Center. The ceremony will take place at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, 2012. I am confident that this ceremony, marking as it does the culmination of your academic career, will prove to be memorable for you. This is your commencement ceremony; you do not attend the ceremonies at Bartow Arena on May 12.
REGARDING YOUR FACULTY MENTOR. Each candidate should ask his or her dissertation committee chair or committee member participate in the hooding. If no one from your committee is available to serve in this capacity, the person whom you ask to assist must be a faculty member in your program. You will need to identify the faculty member who will hood you to confirm his/her availability. Faculty should inform the Graduate School of their plans to attend and to provide the names of any doctoral candidates they intend to hood.
REGALIA. If you do not have your own regalia (cap, gown, tassel, and hood), you should arrange for rental of the needed items. Candidates and faculty may make arrangements through the Bookstore (Barnes & Noble at UAB) at (205) 996-2665. Full regalia (cap, gown, tassel, and hood) is required for this ceremony.
GUEST TICKETS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED FOR THIS EVENT. Please arrange for your guests to be at the Alys Stephens Center by 11:30 a.m. so that they can be seated before the academic procession begins. Seating will be available for families and friends.
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS. Upon request, special seating or assistance during the ceremony will be provided for those with disabilities. Please contact the Graduate School at (205) 934-8227 to make these arrangements.
CEREMONY PROCEDURES. Graduates report to the Alys Stephens Center no later than 11:00 a.m. on the day of the hooding ceremony. We ask you to proceed as follows:
- Proceed to Odess Theatre where you will check in at the Graduate School table, to pick up the name card that you will use in the ceremony, have an informal photograph taken, check your regalia with Bookstore representatives, fold your hood, receive instructions regarding the ceremony, and line up with your faculty mentor for the procession.
- Promptly at 10:30 a.m., the procession will begin with the entry of the stage party. You will enter in procession, followed by your faculty mentor, and will be seated in the first rows. You, your faculty mentor, and any other candidates he or she is hooding must be seated together.
- The ceremony will close with the recession of all members of the stage party, the doctoral graduates and their faculty mentors.
PHOTOGRAPHS. Picture taking is permitted, but only from audience seats or the outer aisles of the theatre; photographers should not impair the view of other spectators. There will be a professional photographer taking a picture of each graduate as she or he is hooded and a videographer filming the entire ceremony.
ARRIVAL AND PARKING. Parking for you and your guests will be available in the lot directly across from the main entrance of the Alys Stephens Center. The entrance to the lot is on 13th Street. The address and directions to the Alys Stephens Center are as follows: 1200 10th Avenue South the ASC is easily accessible from two major thoroughfares.
I-65 Northbound
Exit onto 8th Avenue South (University Boulevard). Turn right on 13th Street, then right again on 10th Avenue South. The Alys Stephens Center will be on your right.
I-65 Southbound
Exit onto 4th Avenue South. Turn right on 13th Street, continue to 10th Avenue South and turn right. The Alys Stephens Center will be on your right.
Highway 280 ( Red Mountain Expressway)
Exit onto 8th Avenue South (University Boulevard) and turn right. Travel to 13th Street South and turn left. Turn right on 10th Avenue South, and the Alys Stephens Center will be on your right.
Off street parking is located directly across the street from the ASC. Street parking is also available. There is an upper and lower circular driveway that can be used to drop off participants.