Summer Commence­ment

About Summer Commencement

• Ceremony will be held at the McHale Athletic Center (MAC) in the Simms Center at 169 South Main Street external website.
• The Ceremony will begin at 1 p.m.
• Tickets are not required for ceremony.
• The ceremony will be streamed live external website.
• University staff and ushers will be positioned at information tables in the lobby to answer questions from families and guests.
• At the conclusion of the ceremony, the graduates will recess to the East Campus Gateway.
• Tobacco use and drinking alcoholic beverages are prohibited inside the Simms Center. Consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in all University parking lots.
• Wilkes University restricts support animals from public events on campus, with the exception of service animals. Students and visitors accompanied by their service animal shall be accommodated in all commencement venues. Students and visitors must adhere to University guidelines regarding the use of a service animal while on campus.

Assembly of Graduates

Graduates will assemble in the McHale Athletic Center beginning at 11:45 a.m. Signs will be posted as to where graduates should go for line up. The final line-up of graduates will begin at 12:30 PM. Do not bring valuables to the robing/line-up area as there will be no place to lock them away. Please be on time for the line-up of graduates. Those who are not in line in academic regalia as the procession begins will not be able to march in the parade of graduates with their classmates.

Academic Attire

All graduates participating in the commencement ceremony must wear proper academic attire. The charge for the cap and gown is included in the commencement fee.

Your academic attire will be mailed to you by Oak Hall prior to commencement. If you wish to iron your academic apparel, do so with a cool iron. Do not worry about how to "don" the hood; we will help with that on Commencement Day. We will have safety pins and bobby pins at the Arnaud C. Marts Center on Commencement morning.

The academic costume looks best when worn over dark shoes and dark lower garments. The collar of a white shirt or blouse complements the academic robe nicely. Members of the Student Life and Success staff will be available at the Arnaud C. Marts Center to help graduates with robing.

Diplomas

The Deans for Student Life and Success will announce the names of the graduates in alphabetical order by college, honors status, and major. Graduates will be placed in line for the academic procession according to where their names appear in the commencement program.

Students will be handed a diploma cover only on stage at Commencement for picture purposes. They will then receive their actual diploma at the Registrar’s table which will be located off to the side as they make their way back to their seats. Graduates with outstanding debts to the University will not receive their diploma until the debt is satisfied.

Photographs

Earl and Sedor Photography will take a photograph of each graduate when the President awards the diploma. Earl and Sedor will provide information to all graduates as to how they can access their proofs online. No one, except for the professional photographer and the media with appropriate credentials, will be allowed near the stage area for the purpose of taking photographs or videotaping.

Watching the Ceremony

The commencement ceremony will be livestreamed. You may also watch the ceremony again on our ceremony videos page.

Parking

All University parking lots will be open and available for parking on Commencement day.