Commencement

Information for Graduates

General Graduation Information

Please view the video below as you will find helpful information regarding graduation and specific information and a demonstration on how to wear your cap, gown, and hood.

Cap & Gown

Cap and gown, and other purchases are coordinated by The Starting Gate - Campus Store on the Owings Mills campus. Please call (443) 352-4062 or email sustore@stevenson.edu

Be sure to wear all four pieces: cap, black tassel, gown and hood!

If you completed both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree at SU please note: the gown and hood for master’s degree graduates are different than the gown and hood for bachelor’s degree graduates.

Cap – Wear the cap flat on your head, not perched on the back. Cap decorations are permitted; however, they should not create a distraction from the ceremony. Remember the following guidelines:

• All decorations must lay flat on the cap. Nothing may dangle or hang down from the cap other than the tassel and nothing may extend vertically.
• Use common sense. Offensive language, photos, graphic images, etc., will not be permitted.
• The University will require that you remove any embellishment deemed inappropriate by authorized University officials before you are permitted to participate in the ceremony.

Tassel – Remember to bring the black tassel with you! For bachelor’s degree candidates, the black tassel hangs to your right, and you will move it to your left when instructed during the ceremony.

Gown – Take your gown out of the package and hang it before commencement day! If necessary, iron it on a low setting. Carefully consider your choice of shoes as you will be walking up and down steps in addition to going across the stage. Comfortable dress shoes are recommended (no flip-flops or sneakers). Wear appropriate clothing under the gown.

Cords, Stoles and Pins – Graduates may wear cords or stoles representing any University-sponsored organization. Please be aware any outside organizations that have not been recognized by the University cannot be represented by a cord or stole. Cords/stoles are not provided for academic honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude). Academic honors for bachelor’s degrees are recognized in the program and announced as you walk across the stage. Questions regarding nursing pins may be directed to the Berman School of Nursing and Health Professions. Stoles and cords are worn under the hood.

Hood

• Put the hood over your head with velvet side showing and the small tapered end with the string in front. View demonstration photo. (The velvet color represents the degree for bachelor’s and the area of study for master’s.)
• The string should be on the bottom (close to your gown/shirt).
• You may secure the string loop around a button on your shirt or pin it inside your gown with a safety pin.
• The back should be folded out to see the school colors. You may need to ask someone to assist with this step. View demonstration photo. 
• Watch SU video demonstration
• Watch Herff Jones demonstration videos on how to wear your cap & gown. 

MarchingOrder

Graduates participating in an on-campus ceremony will be sent a Grad Pass through MarchingOrder approximately one week prior to your ceremony. The Grad Pass contains a QR code that you will scan when you arrive at the graduate check-in and during the ceremony prior to walking across the stage. Bring your Grad Pass with you (either on your phone or printed) to the graduate check-in.

Arrival and Procession

• If you need transportation from the Owings Mills campus to the Greenspring Campus on commencement day, please email JBERKERIDGE@stevenson.edu or LROODY@stevenson.edu prior to commencement day.
• Meet for the graduate check-in and procession line-up on the Greenspring Campus 45 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. 
• When you arrive on the Greenspring Campus go to the Knott Hall Lobby for check-in. Click here for a Greenspring Campus map.
• Masks and safe distancing are required on campus.
• Graduates will be directed when to begin the procession. Continue to maintain six-feet distancing while walking. Keep your Grad Pass with you.
• When you enter the gymnasium and move into the row of chairs, remain standing until someone on stage instructs everyone to be seated.
• Trust the marshals when they show you where to sit, and when to stand to move toward the stage. Keep your Grad Pass with you until you scan the QR code to proceed to the stage. The Grad Pass and additional instructions will be sent by email prior to your ceremony.
• The procession and ceremony will start on time, even if you are not here yet, so plan to arrive early! If for any reason you arrive late and the line-up area is empty, go to the Manuszak Center Gym and someone will help you get seated. Listen to the marshals when they tell you where to sit and when to move toward the stage.

The Ceremony

• The ceremony will be approximately one hour.
• Watch your marshals to know when to stand and move toward the stage. Take your Grad Pass with you to the stage!
• Scan your Grad Pass at the designated place and proceed to the stage.
• When you walk up the steps on stage, select a “diploma” scroll from the table and walk to the center of the stage as your name is announced. Pause briefly for a photo, continue walking and exit the stage.
• No selfies on stage. There will be professional photographers taking pictures as you go across stage and after you exit the stage; keep moving as instructed. When you return to the row of seats – sit down in the same seat where you were before going to the stage. Marshals will be there to direct you as needed.
• Contact information for the photographers: www.gradimages.com 800-261-2576.

Recessional

• At the conclusion of the ceremony, you will exit the gym by rows. Watch the marshals who will let you know when it is time for your row to exit.
• It is very important that you keep moving all the way out the doors, outside and toward the parking area. If you stop just outside the Manuszak Center doors, those behind you in line will be stuck waiting to exit the gym. Keep Moving!

Guest and Ticket Information

• Up to two guests per graduate may enter the Greenspring Campus and proceed to the guest check-in to be directed to one of the areas where they may view a livestream of the ceremony.
• Graduates participating in an in-person ceremony on the Greenspring Campus will enter the names of their two invited guests in the RSVP section through MarchingOrder. Tickets for the two guests indicated by the graduate will be available at the Guest Check-in area on campus 45 minutes prior to the assigned ceremony.
• If you need to make any changes to the two guests listed on your ceremony RSVP please email commencement@stevenson.edu
• Social distancing and masks are required for all guests on the Greenspring Campus.
• Guests will not be permitted to enter the Manuszak Center or gymnasium.
• The commencement ceremony will be streaming live online! The link will be available on the SU website.
• Contact information for the photographers: www.gradimages.com 800-261-2576.
• Answers to frequently asked questions may be found in the FAQ tab.
• If you need to request disability accommodations for your guests (e.g. sign language interpreters, wheelchair access, etc.) please email llabrecque@stevenson.edu

A few more things you need to know

• Walking across a stage and receiving a “diploma” scroll does not mean that you graduated. Your degree is not awarded until all grades are received and all requirements are complete. You may view your degree information in WebXpress under the “Academic Profile” section, click on “My Profile” and scroll to the bottom of the page. Your degree information will appear in this section.
• You will receive an email when your official academic transcript is updated with your degree information. Transcripts may be requested by using National Student Clearinghouse, if needed.
• Academic honors for bachelor’s degrees will be listed on your diploma and official academic transcript based on your final cumulative GPA. This may differ from the academic honors announced during the commencement ceremony, which is based on your cumulative GPA prior to the final semester. SU does not round the GPA.

Cum Laude 3.500 – 3.699

Magna Cum Laude 3.700 – 3.899

Summa Cum Laude 3.900 – 4.000

• Diplomas are sent via U.S. mail the month following degree conferral. For May 2021 graduates diplomas are mailed in June and for August 2021 graduates diplomas are mailed in September. Diplomas and transcripts may be held if there is an outstanding balance with Student Accounts. If you have questions, contact the Office of Student Accounts, 443-334-3500.
• Remember you may always access the Stevenson Career Connection Center, even after you graduate, and stay connected with SU through Alumni Relations.

Keep Stevenson Safe

The following protocols, which include wearing face coverings, physical distancing, and limiting the number of participants, are in place to promote the health and safety of our Stevenson community. Employees, graduates, and visitors will be required to follow certain behaviors while on Stevenson University property in order to promote the safety of all individuals and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Individuals on school property must wear face coverings. An acceptable face covering is one that is made of cloth or other filtering material, fully covers the nose and mouth, fits snugly against the sides of the face so there are no gaps, and is secured around the ears or head to prevent slipping. Every effort should be made to ensure a 6-foot distance from other individuals. This includes obeying directional signage for seating, hallways, stairwells, and building entrances and exits. Physical contact between individuals, including handshakes, is discouraged. In-person gatherings will only include necessary individuals and will be limited in duration to the extent possible. Please be considerate of others and depart campus promptly after your ceremony is concluded. The gym and hospitality areas will be cleaned between ceremonies. The University reserves the right to make adjustments or changes to the commencement schedule to remain in compliance with applicable governmental guidance from public health authorities regarding the size of gatherings. We will notify graduates if plans must be altered in light of any emerging public health concerns.
 

Thank you for your continued commitment to Keep Stevenson Safe!

Information for Guests

We look forward to welcoming our graduates and guests to the Greenspring campus for the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 Commencement Exercises. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have structured our graduate and guest experience in accordance with safety guidance from public health authorities.

The information below will help orient you to our safety protocols for guests when arriving, during, and following the daily Commencement Exercises.

• Prior to Commencement, graduates will have provided the names of their two guests. Upon arrival to campus, guests should proceed to the Guest Check-In area where their names will be matched with the names provided by their graduate. Stevenson staff and signage will help direct you to Guest Check-In when you arrive.
   
• Guests will then receive two tickets at the Guest Check-In giving them access to a viewing room where the ceremony will be live streamed. We will have multiple viewing locations on campus to comply with state capacity and distancing requirements. We ask that guests remain masked while on campus and in their assigned viewing room. Stevenson staff and signage will help direct you to the viewing locations on campus.
   
• Each viewing room will have an assigned room host who will ensure that the classroom technology is functioning while the live stream is being broadcast.
   
• Prior to the ceremony, guests will be able to enjoy refreshments available at tables outside the Inscape Theatre and outside the Dawson Center, but we ask that guests please not congregate in groups and follow six-foot social distancing, especially between family groups to help protect yourself and others. In addition, please wear your mask when you are not actively enjoying refreshments.
   
• At the end of the ceremony, guests can meet their graduates in the grassy area below the Greenspring Gymnasium and Dawson Center to take photos and celebrate.
   
• We ask that graduates and families depart the campus no later than 30 minutes after the conclusion of their Commencement ceremony so that we can clean and prepare our campus facilities to welcome our next group of graduates and guests that day.

Thank you again for helping to make this a safe and enjoyable experience for all of our graduates and guests! As noted, Stevenson staff will be on hand to help guide you when you arrive on campus.

Commencement FAQ

Q: What is the plan for celebrating graduation for the Class of 2020 and 2021?

A: Stevenson University plans to hold in-person commencement ceremonies during the week of May 17-21, 2021, on the Greenspring campus. We have planned 20 separate ceremonies that are specific to class year and major, and allow us to maintain appropriate physical distancing for the safety of our graduates in accord with guidance from public health authorities.

All commencement ceremonies will be live streamed. Virtual ceremony student profiles will be available on the website as well as a recording of the live-steamed events.

No guests will be permitted inside the gym; however, each graduate will receive two tickets for guests to safely view livestream video of the ceremonies at designated campus locations.

Q: When is my ceremony?

A: Click here to view the ceremony schedule.

Q: Where is the ceremony?

A: Commencement ceremonies are in the Manuszak Center Gymnasium on the Greenspring Campus. Graduates will be sent an email with the check-in location and instructions.

Q: When should I arrive?

A: Graduates should arrive 45 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.

Q: How long is the ceremony?

A: Commencement ceremonies will be approximately one hour.

Q: How do I obtain a cap and gown?

A: Cap & Gown purchases are coordinated by The Starting Gate - Campus Store on the Owings Mills Campus. Please call 443-352-4062 or email sustore@stevenson.edu if you have questions.

Q: Why are no guests allowed in the gym?

A: The safety of everyone in the Stevenson community is our primary concern, and the decision to hold in-person Commencement ceremonies carries with it the responsibility to adhere to public health and safety guidelines and practices. The space best suited for hosting the commencement ceremonies this year is the Greenspring gymnasium. There is a limit to the number of students that we can safely seat in the gym with appropriate physical distancing, which is why there is a need to host 20 ceremonies over five days and why guests will not be in the gym.

Q: Why not have graduation outside or in the stadium?

A: Many people on campus have vetted multiple options for an in-person commencement, including an outdoor ceremony. One significant concern about an outdoor ceremony at Stevenson is that we do not have an indoor venue that can seat an appropriate number of students and their families in the event of inclement weather, which is quite common in Maryland during May. We are thrilled that Stevenson will be able to offer in-person commencement ceremonies that will preserve the elements our students value most, including hearing their name called, walking across the stage, turning their tassels, and having a professional photograph taken. Because the commencement ceremonies will be indoors, every student will be able to have this experience, regardless of any weather concerns. We are also pleased that we will be able to offer families the opportunity to be on campus to view the ceremony simultaneously (even if not in the same physical space).

Q: How do I receive my tickets?

A: Graduates participating in an in-person ceremony on the Greenspring Campus will enter the names of their two invited guests in the RSVP section through MarchingOrder. Tickets for the two guests indicated by the graduate will be available at the Guest Check-in area on campus 45 minutes prior to the assigned ceremony.

Q: May I request additional tickets?

A: Each participating graduate will be able to invite two guests to campus. The safety of everyone in the Stevenson community is our primary concern, and the decision to hold in-person Commencement ceremonies carries with it the responsibility to adhere to public health and safety guidelines and practices. Given the limited number of students participating in each ceremony, the number of guests on campus at any one time will also be limited. Two guests per graduate provides us with the ability to offer guests safe venues for watching the ceremonies remotely on campus.

Q: How do I view the ceremony online?

A: The Commencement ceremony will be streaming live online! The link will be available on the SU website.

Q: Will there be professional photographs?

A: Yes. GradImages will be providing photography during each of the ceremonies including when the graduate is on stage and after receiving the “diploma” scroll. GradImages will also be available for individual photos prior to the ceremony at the graduate check-in area. Additionally, there will be photo opportunities several days in April on the Owings Mills campus prior to the ceremonies. Graduates will receive information about these photo opportunities by email. Contact information for the photographers: www.gradimages.com 800-261-2576.

Q: When will I receive my diploma?

A: Diplomas will be sent in the Stevenson University embossed cover via standard U.S. mail the month following degree conferral. For May 2021 graduates diplomas are mailed in June and for August 2021 graduates diplomas are mailed in September.