Commencement Instructions for Ph.D. Students and Faculty Advisors

Doctoral Candidates

Before commencement, candidates and advisors should review the hooding information flyer and the hooding video that explains how to carry the doctoral hood and procedure for hooding once on the stage.

1. Candidates must be present at the line-up area in the Greensboro Coliseum by 7:30 a.m. for Fall Commencement or noon for Spring Commencement.
2. Advisors will line up with faculty but will be asked to line up in the front.
3. Line up by college and within college by academic program:
   • College of Education: Leadership Studies, Rehabilitation Counseling
   • College of Engineering: Computer Science, Computational Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
   • Joint School of Nanoengineering and Nanoscience: Nanoengineering
   • College of Science and Technology: Energy and Environmental Systems
4. Seats will be reserved for advisors in the front of the faculty seating area.
5. Seats for candidates will be reserved for each program; candidates should sit on a chair marked with your program name.
6. All Ph.D. recipients will be asked to stand. All candidates should remain standing until the last Ph.D. recipient has received the diploma. The Graduate Dean will ask all Ph.D. recipients to sit down at the same time after the last candidate has received a diploma.
7. The Graduate Dean will ask candidates from each program to approach the stage one program at a time. When your program is called, all students in that program should approach the stage but remain standing at the bottom of the steps.
8. Simultaneously, the corresponding advisors will rise from their seats, walk towards the stage and line up behind their advisee. If an advisor has two or more students to hood, the order should be 1st student – advisor – 2nd student – 3rd student, etc.
9. Each candidate will walk up the steps to the stage as his/her name is called. The advisor will follow the student.
10. The student will approach the black platform on the stage and stand in front of the platform while the advisor will step onto the platform.
11. The student will turn back, present the hood to the advisor, and the advisor will proceed to hood the student.
12. The advisor steps down from the platform, positions himself/herself to the left of the student (the student is positioned in between the advisor and chancellor) and congratulates the student.
13. Assistant Dean hands diploma to the chancellor.
14. The student approaches the chancellor, receives a diploma, and shakes hand with Chancellor Martin.
15. Advisor, student and chancellor picture is taken (student in the center).
16. Student and advisor continue downstage and are greeted by Provost, Dean of the College, other stage guests, and returns to seat.
17. If the Advisor has more than one student, the advisor does not follow the student and instead remains near the platform to hood the next student and steps 8-15 are repeated.