University prepares for commencement

No more studying. No more group projects. No more Blackboard.

On Sunday, May 6, 425 Waynesburg University students will trade years of hard work for a diploma. Of those students, approximately 285 baccalaureate candidates, 135 graduate candidates, and 5 doctoral candidates. The Board of Trustees will formally approve this list on May 5.

When their hands touch their diplomas for the very first time, a smile is a common, expected response from graduates. That same smile can usually be seen on the faces of those who are part of the Commencement Planning Committee, which is a team of university members that works to make sure that commencement runs smoothly from beginning to end.

For months, the committee has been planning for this year’s commencement, taking into consideration what has went right and wrong from previous years. As the member of the committee who represents academics, Academic Communications Coordinator Sarah Bell said planning and preparedness for commencement is the key to its success, but many aren’t aware of the work they put in.

“We put so many hours in behind the scenes that people don’t consider the planning of the entire event,” Bell said. “We try to plan for anything so it seems seamless to the people that are there.”

The day of commencement will begin at 10 a.m., as graduates and faculty arrive at the Marsh Center in Roberts Chapel and guests take their seats. At 11 a.m., there will be a Baccalaureate Service in Roberts Chapel. Following the Baccalaureate Service, there will be two separate seatings for a Graduate Buffet Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for those with tickets. After lunch, the commencement ceremony will officially begin at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a reception for the new graduates and their families in Fountain Park.

Typically, commencement is held on the lawn in front of Miller Hall, but if inclement weather arises, the ceremony will be moved indoors to Marisa Fieldhouse—also known as the “new gym.”

A “Welcome to the Alumni Family Reception” is the last event of the day, and it will take place in the same location as the commencement ceremony.

If the ceremony is held indoors, each graduate will only be able to have two family members view the commencement directly from the fieldhouse. This is now done ahead of time on the ticket distributing website, Eventbrite. This is a new feature that was added this year per the recommendation of the IT representative on the committee, Kylee Sargent. Eventbrite will also be used for luncheon tickets.

For Bell, commencement is always worth the lengthy planning process in the end.

“Commencement as a whole is really fulfilling,” Bell said. “When the students get their degrees, it’s fulfilling to them, but it’s equally fulfilling to us.”

To stay connected, students are encouraged to go to the “Commencement Information” tab on myConnect. They can also e-mail commencement@waynesburg.edu.