Page

Touhill Performing Arts Center University of Missouri - St. Louis

One University Blvd St. Louis, MO 63121

http://missouri.wgu.edu/commencement

WGU Missouri 2017 Commencement Guidebook

Saturday, June 24, 2017 St. Louis, MO

Page 2

WGU Missouri graduates, faculty and their guests are invited to attend the 2017 Mixer, which is held on the Friday evening before commencement. This is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with your fellow Night Owls. Dress attire: business casual * Hors d’oeuvres * Cash bar * Photos with mascot Sage the Night Owl Date: Friday, June 23, 2017 Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Touhill Performing Arts Center University of Missouri - St. Louis One University Blvd St. Louis, MO 63121 Parking Information: The Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center is located on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Take I-70 to Florissant Road (Exit 240). Travel South on Florissant Rd. to the second University entrance at Grobman Drive. Turn right. Parking is available in Parking Lot E on the right, about 500 feet past the bridge. From Natural Bridge, turn left onto University Drive and follow it around to the right as it turns into Grobman Drive. Parking is available in the garages to the right and in Parking Lot E on the left. See map on page 7

2017 WGU MISSOURI MIXER

Page 3

Commencement creates a special and memorable experience for graduates that not only celebrates their achievement, but highlights the new directions of their dreams. We want our graduates to experience a joyful ceremony that truly recognizes their hard work and the sacrifices they have made. WGU Missouri believes mutually respectful participation by graduates and their guests is the best way to set the stage.

Academic Attire for Graduates

All graduating students wear approved academic attire that includes a cap, gown, and tassel. The official regalia color is NAVY, which can be purchased from our regalia vendor. Master’s degree graduates will need a hood specific to their degree. We encourage you to wear comfortable, yet professional, dress attire under your gown rather than casual clothing. WGU Missouri graduates affiliated with an academic honor society may wear society pins or honor cords on their gowns. Graduates should not wear other items or decoration on their academic regalia.

Commencement Etiquette To promote a respectful, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for graduates and their guests, all attendees need to observe the following guidelines. 1. Put your cell phone on vibrate or silent during the ceremony. 2. Do not leave until the entire ceremony has ended, and participate in the recessional. 3. Keep cheering respectful, avoiding disruptive outbursts to allow the families and guests of other graduates to hear their graduates’ names when they are read.

Guest Seating Guests should be seated with their cell phones on silent or vibrate before the graduate procession begins. Guests should remain in their seats during the entire ceremony as a courtesy to graduates. The commencement venue allows photos and videos at the ceremony; however, we encourage you to take photos from your seat rather than from aisles due to fire and safety regulations. WGU Missouri has booked a professional photographer for this event, and images of each graduate and the ceremony will be available online for purchase.

Babies and Young Children

The commencement ceremony is recorded. We know that many graduates want young family members to be a part of this special event. For your child’s comfort and as a courtesy to graduates, we encourage you to bring toys, refreshments, or other items that will keep your child quietly entertained for several hours. Caretakers should bring restless young children or crying babies to the lobby area to avoid disrupting the ceremony. To promote safety in close quarters, no babies or children will be allowed on stage or to sit with graduates. By observing these guidelines, we can have a safe, enjoyable, and memorable commencement.

CEREMONY PROTOCOL

Page 4

Graduate Attire: All graduates participating in the commencement ceremony must arrive wearing full academic attire: cap with tassel and gown. Master’s: bring your hood. No changing rooms are available on site. 8:30 am Graduate Registration - Terrace Lobby Please report to the grad registration area where you will pick up your name card containing your name and degree. Hold on to this card. As each graduate walks on stage, s/he will hand this card to the reader, who will announce the graduate’s name. Following graduate registration, an individual photo will be taken of each graduate. The graduate photo booth will be located near graduate registration. 8:30 am Theater Doors Opens for Guest Seating No tickets are required for the commencement ceremony and seating is first-come first served. 8:45 am Graduate Class Photo & Individual Photo - Terrace Lobby Steps 9:30 am Graduate lineup - Terrace Lobby After the class photo, graduates are lined up by college and degree. Master’s graduates will keep their hood on. 9:45 am Processional March –Theater After the stage platform party marches in, graduates will be led into the theater.

Processional National Anthem

Welcome by WGU Missouri Chancellor Commencement Address

Graduate Speakers Conferral of Degrees

Closing Remarks Recessional

End of Ceremony The stage platform party and faculty will exit first. Row marshals will lead graduates out of the Theater. After the Ceremony Light refreshments will be available for graduates and their guests following the ceremony.

GRADUATE SCHEDULE

Page 5

1. All graduates and guests enter

through the main entrance of the

Touhill Performing Arts Center. Once

through the entrance doors, please

proceed down the steps to the Terrace

lobby for graduate registration and

class photo. The Terrace lobby will be

limited to graduates only. Guests are

welcome to proceed directly to the

theater for seating.

1

2. Following graduate registration, the class photo will be taken on the above steps.

In preparation for the class photo, all graduates will be lined up by height. For the

photo, all graduates will wear their tassel on the left. Master’s graduates will wear

their hood.

After the individual/class photo, bachelor’s graduates should move their tassel back

to the right side.

2

KEY LOCATIONS

Page 6

During the WGU Missouri Commencement,

Grad Images will be shooting candid photos,

speaker photos, and the graduate-receiving-

diploma cover shots.

How to access your commencement

photos?

A few weeks after commencement, Grad Images will post those photos online. Go to

www.gradimages.com to view the commencement photos. You will enter your “Last

Name”, “School Name”, and “Event Year” from the dropdown menu. This link will also

be posted on the commencement web site.

For additional help, please call the Customer Service department at 1-800-261-2576 or

email giservice@gradimages.net.

There is no obligation to purchase.

Instructions for Diploma Cover Picture with Chancellor

Two photos will be taken of the graduate and the university chancellor. Please

maintain handshake for the second photo.

Special Note: Stil l photography and video is taken at every commencement

ceremony. A graduate’s appearance and participation in the commencement ceremo-

ny is recorded on video tape and still photography. WGU Missouri may use some of

these images in its publications (student newsletter, alumni newsletter, university

newsletter, etc.) for informational purposes.

COMMENCEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Page 7

The Touhill Performing Arts Center is located on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Take I-70 to Florissant Road (Exit 240). Travel South on Florissant Rd. to the second University entrance at Grobman Drive. Turn right. Parking is available in the garage to the left, just under the bridge, or in Parking Lot E on the right, about 500 feet past the bridge. Metrolink The University of Missouri-St. Louis North Campus Metrolink Station is just steps away

from the Touhill ’s Main Entrance.

Touhill Performing Arts Center

DIRECTIONS AND PARKING

Page 8

Important Reminders

Theater doors open at 8:30 a.m. for guest seating.

Tickets are NOT required for the commencement ceremony.

No guest reserved seating. Seating is first-come, first-served.

Guests with baby strollers will need to park their strollers in the designated stroller area.

Please keep in mind that aisles must be kept clear at all times to follow fire and safety regulations.

WGU Missouri seeks to provide equal access to commencement ceremonies to its graduating students/guests with known disabilities. Requests for reasonable accommodations should be sent as early as possible to mocommencement@wgu.edu. Because requests for ASL interpreters, special needs seating, and wheelchair seat-ing require significant time to arrange and implement, these requests should be received by WGU Missouri no later than 72 hours prior to the commencement ceremony.

COMMENCEMENT SEATING

Page 9

Commencement Orientation Webinar To ensure everyone is prepared and ready for commencement, we will be hosting an orientation webinar to review the commencement ceremony. Please note the following

date and time:

Date: Tuesday, June 20, 2017 Time: 12:00 pm CT Please join the webinar at: http://wgu.adobeconnect.com/arc Toll Free Dial-In Number: 1-866-962-6634

Participant/Conference Passcode: 67963877

We look forward to greeting and meeting you at the upcoming commencement

ceremony!

ORIENTATION WEBINARS & RECYCLING

Join in the commencement excitement by tagging your photos and updates with #WGUMOGrad on Facebook or Twitter. After graduation, keep up to date with everything WGU Missouri offers its alumni. We regularly plan networking, social, and volunteer opportunities for our alumni, students, and faculty. The best way to stay con-nected is through social media.

LET’S STAY CONNECTED

Like us on Facebook!

Follow our blog!

Tweet with us!

Page 10