May 2013 MBA Commencement

Admission

The MBA Commencement Ceremony is open to the public. Doors to the Coralville Marriott Convention Center will open at 9:00 a.m. Guest seats are not reserved and tickets are not required for the ceremony. No backpacks or large bags are allowed. The Marriott reserves the right to inspect any bag or package brought into the building.

Graduates planning to participate in the ceremony who need special accommodations for themselves or their guests should call the School of Management (319-335-1039) by April 26 to arrange for special parking and/or reserved seating.

Apparel

Caps and Gowns

All graduates who participate in the Commencement Ceremony are required to wear a cap, MBA gown, and black tassel. MBA gowns are easily distinguished by their long draping sleeves (see photos).

Caps and gowns may be purchased in person or ordered via telephone (319-335-3179) or mail order from the University of Iowa Book Store. Please be sure to emphasize that you wish to order the MBA (not undergraduate) gown and tassel (black). Do not purchase cords.

The price of the cap, gown, and tassel is $25.50. If purchased separately, the price for each item is as follows:

Cap: $3.75
Tassel: $2.50
Gown: $19.25

The UI Book Store accepts cash, check, Visa, and MasterCard and will have inventory beginning April 22. They will ship to you (for a fee) after April 22 or hold the items for pick up. We strongly suggest that you pick them up in person and that you do not wait until the day before the event.

The Book Store is located in the Old Capitol Mall in downtown Iowa City and is open during the following hours:

Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday, Noon - 5 p.m.

Celebration Details

Dress at Commencement

Graduates should plan to obtain their commencement apparel early so that the gown can be pressed with a cool iron or allowed to hang in order to remove wrinkles.

Men are expected to wear ties. Jackets are not required. Flowers may not be worn on gowns. No backpacks or purses are to be taken on stage. Graduates are encouraged to leave any jackets, purses, or other personal items with their family members prior to checking in, as the check-in area will not be staffed during the ceremony.

All cell phones/pagers should be turned off. Caps are to be worn with the mortarboard horizontal and the tassel on the left. They should be worn during the Processional, while degrees are being conferred, and during the Recessional. They may be removed at other times.

Arrival Time

Please arrive at the ceremony with cap and gown in hand. All candidates for degree should be assembled in the Coralville Marriott lobby by 9:15 a.m.. Arriving earlier will give you time for photos with family and friends, and there also will be less traffic congestion.

Upon Arrival

Check-in will be arranged alphabetically, by last name, at tables arranged at the Marriott. You will be given a nametag and your name card. Please wear the nametag on your clothing (not the graduation robe) and prepare to line up in alphabetical order.

Candidates for degree will be seated in alphabetical order to facilitate the distribution of diplomas. To assist with the announcement of names, please see that your name is spelled phonetically on the name card. Keep the name card with you until you hand it to the announcer as you are recognized onstage.

Program

The program will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. with a processional of the graduates led by the Platform Committee. Commencement programs will be available on your chair; therefore, you do not need to carry one with you to the ceremony. The ceremony will begin with a welcome from Dean Jay Sa-Aadu, followed by the Commencement Address, the Conferral of Degrees, and the Presentation of Graduates.

For the Presentation of Graduates, the candidates will be invited to come to the front of the stage to be recognized individually. Take your name card with you, hand it to the person reading names at the microphone, and walk briskly to the center stage to shake hands with the University official and Dean Gardial. Continue across the stage to receive your diploma from Dean Sa-Aadu. You will then walk completely backstage to have your posed graduation photo taken. Following the posed photo, you will return to the opposite end of your original row of seats, cross to your chair and be seated.

Following the closing remarks, graduates will be asked to stand. The Platform Committee will then lead the recessional to the Marriott lobby. The ceremony is expected to last one hour.

Diplomas

Diplomas, with covers, will be distributed during the ceremony to May graduates. December 2012 and Summer 2013 graduates will receive only a diploma cover. If you are unable to attend the ceremony, your diploma will be mailed to you after final grades have been recorded, approximately three weeks after the ceremony.

Students who have incomplete course work or who have not met other requirements for degree will not receive their diploma until the deficient course work has been completed.

The final academic or credentialing document (i.e. official transcript), will not be released if there is any financial indebtedness to The University of Iowa.

Announcements and Photographs

Announcements

Henry B. Tippie School of Management commencement announcements are available from CB Announcements. You may order by phone (800-433-0296) or through their website (www.cbgrad.com). Be sure to indicate your interest in ordering School of Management (MBA) announcements, not "Graduate College" or "College of Business" announcements. Please plan on a two-week delivery and order accordingly.

General University announcements, which require you to insert information about the degree and graduation ceremony, are available from the UI Alumni Association (319-335-3294).

Photographs

Professional photographers will take two photos of each candidate: a candid photo taken while shaking hands with Dean Sa-Aadu and a more formal, posed photo taken after being recognized onstage. To receive a complimentary proof (with no obligation to purchase), please be sure to complete the address information on the back of the name card. You will receive your name card when you check in upon your arrival at the Marriott. Keep the name card with you to hand to the announcer as you are recognized onstage. Name cards can be completed at the time you order your cap/gown or at check-in on the day of the ceremony.

UITV broadcast, rebroadcast and DVDs of ceremony for purchase

Guests unable to attend the ceremony but wishing to watch their graduate participate have several options to view commencement ceremonies. Ceremonies taking place at Carver Hawkeye Arena will be broadcast live on the UITV channel for local viewers to watch.

All ceremonies will be rebroadcast on UITV within 24 hours. In addition each ceremony will be posted online and will be accessible via the UI YouTube website within 24 hours. Instructions for ordering a DVD copy of these or any previous commencement ceremony, can also be found on the UITV website.

www.registrar.uiowa.edu/Student/Commencement/tabid/61/Default.aspx