Graduate Commencement 2012

On Thursday, May 17, 2012 the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education will host Westfield State University’s Graduate Commencement for students receiving Master’s Degrees and Certificates of Advanced Graduate Studies. The evening will begin with a reception from 5:00 to 6:00, refreshments will be available. The ceremony will start promptly at 6:00 and is expected to last approximately 90 minutes. Candidates will receive a formal invitation in April, however, are encouraged to save the date now.

Participation in the ceremony is allowed to those graduate students who will have completed all degree requirements by the date of the May ceremony, and to those students who meet the following criteria:

1. Students who have completed all requirements in August or December of the previous year, or January of this year, and were not able to participate in last May’s ceremony.
2. Students who have completed all course requirements and are expected to complete their thesis/capstone over the summer. This would require the approval of their program administrator.
3. Students who have completed their comprehensive examination/thesis/capstone, but can complete their one remaining course by the August 30^th immediately following the ceremony date. This must be a course already scheduled to be offered over the summer of the same year as the commencement in which they participated.

There will be no exceptions to commencement participation as indicated above.

The Graduate Commencement is a recognition of academic accomplishment and an opportunity for graduates to celebrate with family, friends, and faculty. As part of the Commencement proceedings, graduate students will have their academic hoods donned from the Dean of the Graduate School and an invited faculty member. The hood is placed over the graduate’s head, signifying the completion of the graduate program of study. Graduate students will have the opportunity to briefly recognize those individuals who provided support during their graduate education (optional). Please note that the ceremony is longer than the attention spans of most small children. All faculty are invited to attend this ceremony, however, only faculty who have been asked by a graduate to don the hood are required to wear academic regalia. All graduates must wear academic attire. A professional photographer will take pictures of each candidate as they are hooded.

Details will be sent to eligible students in March. If you do not receive your detail letter by the end of March and believe you are eligible, please contact Shelly Normand at (413) 572-8024 or mnormand@westfield.ma.edu.

Students intending to graduate in May, need to file their graduation application by March 19^th.

Please nominate a faculty member for the John F. Nevins Outstanding Educator Award, to be given during the ceremony. Nominations may be made online by clicking on this link . For more information on this you may contact Denise Browne at dbrowne@westfield.ma.edu.

The evening of commencement, you will adorn attire steeped in ancient tradition. Today’s academic dress has its origins in the clerical attire worn by medieval scholars. The hood at that time was meant as a head covering during bad weather. The hood evolved over the years, becoming a small cape attached to the robe, and finally a draping separated from the robe. It entered this county through King’s College (now Columbia) in colonial New York. The custom grew so rapidly that in 1894, an American Intercollegiate Commission standardized the style and color of robes and hoods. Colors here at WSU include: Accounting: light brown, Criminal Justice: midnight blue, Education: light blue, English: white, History: white, Psychology: gold, Public Administration: peacock blue, Social Work: citron. Whereas hooded regalia began as an academic dress for all students, it evolved to distinguish and signify the regalia of graduate students only.

We look forward to witnessing you formally receive your academic hood and becoming a part of this distinguished tradition.