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Sunday May 13, 2012
Graduates & Families:
The day you have been long-awaiting will soon be here! Commencement is a special time for you and for all of us here at Lyndon. We have done our best to plan a schedule of events which will make for a joyous and memorable occasion.
As with any event of this magnitude there are a lot of details to keep track of and plans to make. The web site information is meant to help you navigate this important time.
Best wishes for a wonderful Commencement experience!
The Commencement Committee:
- Instructor Joe Gittleman, Music and Performing Arts
- Associate Professor Kelly Glentz Brush, Visual Arts
- Professor Barry Hertz, Graduate Education
- Evelyn Franz, Recorder, Student Services Office
- Torrance Gaucher, Student Representative
- Erin Rossetti, Director of Residential Life
- Tracy Sherbrook, Assistant to the Dean, Academic Affairs
Contact information: Tracy Sherbrook, Class of ‘86,
tracy.sherbrook@lyndonstate.edu, or 802-626-6406.
Dr. Muriel Howard, President of the American Association of State Colleges & Universities.
Dr. Howard’s bio, as taken from the AASCU website (www.aascu.org):
Dr. Muriel A. Howard was named president of AASCU in April 2009. She is the first African-American to lead one of the six presidentially based higher education associations in Washington, D.C. She is also AASCU’s first female president.
As AASCU president, Dr. Howard is an advocate for public higher education at the national level, working to influence federal policy and regulations on behalf of member colleges and universities; serving as a resource to presidents and chancellors as they address state policy and emerging campus issues; and providing professional development opportunities for presidents, chancellors, and their spouses.
Formerly the president of Buffalo State College, State University of New York, Dr. Howard has been an active member of AASCU for many years. Her volunteer involvement with AASCU includes serving as chair of the board of directors (2006–2007) and committee and commission memberships that include the Voluntary System of Accountability Presidential Advisory Committee, the Millennium Leadership Initiative, the Commission on Public University Renewal, and the Alliance for Regional Stewardship. Dr. Howard also served as a faculty member for AASCU’s New Presidents’ Academy.
As president of Buffalo State College from 1996 to 2009, Dr. Howard led a campus of more than 11,000 students, approximately 1,700 faculty and staff, and a financial operation of more than $214 million. Prior to joining Buffalo State, she was the vice president for public service and urban affairs at the University at Buffalo, where she served in various leadership capacities over a 23-year period.
Her professional and scholarly interests include support of education, educational leadership, and a long-standing personal commitment to public service. Dr. Howard has served on numerous national, state, and community professional boards, including that of the American Council on Education; Air University; Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities; National Advisory Board of the National Survey of Student Engagement; National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Presidents’ Council; State University of New York, University Council of Presidents; Board of Directors, Center for Russia and the United States; H.H. Richardson Center Corporation Commission; Western New York Consortium of Higher Education; Niagara University Board of Trustees; United Way of Buffalo and Erie County; and King Center Charter School.
Commencement
Day and Date: Sunday, May 13, 2012
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: Lyndon State College Soccer Field, under the tent
Receptions: Before the ceremony, Theatre Lobby, breakfast social for everyone at 9:30 a.m.
After the ceremony, Stannard Gym, coffee social for everyone. Great photo opportunity with faculty! Just look for the department flag.
You will be expected to line up at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 13, 2012, in the Rita Bole Gymnasium. Please wear your regalia. You may also pick up your regalia on that date.
You must be a matriculated, degree seeking student,
AND
You must have filed, by March 9th at the latest, a Request to Graduate Form along with a program evaluation signed by your advisor with the Student Services Office, (you should apply a year prior to your anticipated graduation), and you must have been approved for graduation by the Faculty Assembly,
AND
You must have a 2.0 G.P.A. (may be higher for some majors), and a minimum of 122 credits (BA and BS candidates), 62 credits (AA and AS candidates), and must meet all degree requirements in your catalog. Master’s candidates require a minimum of 36 credits,
AND
You must be wearing green (Associates) or black (Bachelors) academic regalia in order to process,
AND
You must behave in a manner appropriate to the dignity of the occasion.
Please note: If your attendance plans have changed since you applied for a degree, please notify Evelyn Franz in Student Services at 802-626-6495.
Typically, the ceremony lasts for two hours, until 1:00 p.m.
Good news! No tickets are required for the Commencement ceremony. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be aware that the traditional plastic folding seats are very close together to maximize available seating (some seats are attached per the fire code). We ask that attendees please be respectful of their neighbors and practice civility at all times!
Yes. Some students have parents, grandparents or other guests who may need special assistance at the ceremony. We have reserved spaces for wheelchairs under the tent. We also live broadcast in our Alexander Twilight Theatre, which is a climate-controlled space with easy access to restrooms. This has proven to be a very nice option for some guests when they find it too cold or too hot to be outside under the tent.
Announcements are provided free of charge to each graduate. If you require more announcements than you received in your graduation packet, you may request extra announcements from the Career Services Office at the Advising Resource Center in the Library. Contact information: Linda Wacholder, Director of Career Services, 802-626-6441.
To participate in Commencement, you must wear a cap and gown. Contact the Bookstore immediately at 802-626-6466 if you have not yet ordered your regalia. No three-dimensional objects will be allowed on tops of caps. It is expected that all graduates will dress appropriately for the occasion. Dress as if you were going to an important job interview!
Regalia will be available to be picked up prior to the 3:00 p.m. Robing Ceremony on May 3. You may also pick up your gown before Rehearsal on May 11, or you may pick up your gown the day of Commencement, before 10:30 a.m.
You should be prepared to pay in full at this time. (Cost is from $36.00-$60.00 depending on what you order.) Note that an early pick up allows time to verify sizes and hang up your gown to let the wrinkles fall out. If you have concerns regarding regalia, please call the Bookstore at 802-626-6466.
This year, the Bookstore will also have special Lyndon sashes (green and gold with the Lyndon seal) available for parents to purchase for their graduate to wear during graduate. If you wish to order one of these special sashes for your graduate, please contact the Bookstore at 802-626-6466. These sashes will also be available at Commencement.
Students achieving academic distinction as of December 2011 will receive gold tassels (in addition to the black tassels on their caps). These can be picked up the morning of Commencement before line-up in the Rita Bole Gym.
Actual honors will be determined by your final cumulative GPA (as of May 2012) and will be indicated on your diploma. Students are awarded Latin Honors as follows: summa cum laude (cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher), magna cum laude (cumulative GPA of 3.7-3.89) and cum laude (3.5-3.69). Cumulative GPA is based on work completed at Lyndon; and students must have completed a minimum of 62 letter-graded credits at the Vermont State Colleges to qualify for degrees with distinction.
Since most underclassmen will no longer be on campus, there should be sufficient parking for all visitors on the campus. Public Safety officials will be on campus all day to direct guests to available parking areas, including the South Street parking lot. Please enter from College Road or McGoff Hill Road. Shuttle service and/or accommodations will be available for those unable to walk distances.
In order to create maximum space in parking lots for families, we request that graduating students please park in the Rita Bole Complex or Wheelock parking lots. Thank you!
Please leave your pet at home. Do not leave your pet in your vehicle. The only pets allowed at the Commencement ceremony are service animals.
Flowers will be sold on Commencement day at the Bookstore. Flowers can also be pre-ordered through the Bookstore. Please contact Anita Drown, Bookstore Manager, at 802-626-6466.
If you have out-of-town guests coming who will need to stay in the area, we suggest you make hotel reservations as soon as possible. A list of area motels, hotels and bed & breakfasts can be found at www.nekchamber.com and at www.lyndonvermont.com. Two of the larger hotels in the area to consider are The Comfort Inn & Suites (802-748-1500) and the Fairbanks Inn (802-748-5666). Both hotels are only 15 minutes away from the College. Other places to consider are The Wildflower Inn (with spectacular views) at www.wildflowerinn.com and the Lynburke Motel at www.lynburkemotel.com. Both of these establishments are only 5-7 minutes from the College.
The Robing Ceremony, held at 3:00 p.m. in the Alexander Twilight Theatre, is the official kick-off ceremony to Commencement and Senior Week. Robes are donned, awards are given, a student speaker gives an entertaining rendition of the history of regalia, and the main speaker is a faculty member chosen by the senior class.
The Senior Week committee plans the fun events that take place the week leading up to graduation: A barbecue, social at the President’s home, dinner cruise in Burlington, seniors vs. faculty/staff athletic event, and more. For more information, contact Hannah Nelson Manley, ’97, at hannah.manley@lyndonstate.edu or 802-626-6433.
Rehearsal is on Friday, May 11, 2012, at 2:00 p.m., starting in the Rita Bole Gymnasium. Rehearsal is the time to get important information about Commencement, to practice the processional, and to understand how you will receive your diploma by taking a practice walk across the platform.
If you are a December graduate, it may be difficult for you to make the rehearsal, but this does not reduce its importance. If you do not attend rehearsal, you should plan to arrive at the Rita Bole Gym a little earlier on Sunday (by 10:00 a.m.).
Yes, a professional video production crew will tape the entire ceremony. Kingdom Access Television (KATV) will produce DVDs of the ceremony. Order forms for KATV were included in graduation packets and will also be available at the ceremony. Contact information: http://katv.org 802-751-8103, or Kingdom Access Television, 515 Bay Street, Suite 202, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819.
In addition to the videographer, a professional photographer from Graduation Images will record the moment when you are awarded your diploma folder. Approximately one week after the ceremony, a passport-sized, full-color proof will be mailed to you. There is no obligation to purchase the photograph. If you do wish to get prints of the photo, you will have the option of ordering from a variety of enlargement packages. For more information, please contact Graduation Images at www.gradimages.com or call them at 800-424-3686.
Guests taking photographs or taping are asked to refrain from blocking the aisles or interfering with other guests’ views of the ceremony. Please be respectful of all graduates and guests and comply with the ushers requests.
If you have successfully completed all requirements of your degree, you will receive your diploma on stage during the ceremony. However, if you have a financial obligation to the college, or you are an August graduate, your diploma will be held until the financial obligation is fulfilled and/or you have fulfilled all your graduation requirements during the summer. At that point, your diploma will be mailed to your address of record with our office. If your address has recently changed, please notify Evelyn Franz, Recorder, at 802-626-6495 immediately.
Please check this page: http://www.lyndonstate.edu/alumni-friends/transcript-request/
The most common reasons for students being disappointed at the last minute are:
- Final cumulative average falls below 2.0
- Failure to complete degree requirements;
- Transcripts not received from other colleges attended;
- Incomplete grades not submitted;
- Not passing the required graduation standards.
Occasionally a few students forget to clear all their accounts with the College. Don’t be one of them. By Friday, May 4, 2012, all outstanding accounts with the Student Services Center, Library, Public Safety, Residence Life, etc. should be resolved. Diplomas and transcripts will be delayed if this is not done.
If you have borrowed a Federal Student Loan (Stafford and/or Perkins Loan), federal regulations require that you complete mandatory exit counseling if you are graduating or dropping to below half time.
The federal exit counseling requirement for the Federal Stafford loan program is completed online. Visit www.nslds.ed.gov >Select “Exit Counseling”>Click the “Start” button. Log in using your FAFSA PIN. Approximate completion time is 30 minutes. It must be completed in one sitting. You may opt to “tour” the session first but you will not get credit for completing the requirement until you log in and start the session.
The federal exit counseling requirement for the Federal Perkins loan program is also completed online. Visit www.ecsi.net >Login to My Account using your account number and ECSI pin number > Click on the “Exit Interview” link. From the list of Pending Exit Interviews, select the appropriate exit to complete and follow the instructions provided.
If you have questions regarding this matter, please contact Student Services at 802-626-6396.
Graduating seniors must make arrangements with residence hall staff to check out of their residence hall room before Commencement on Sunday, May 13. There will be further information provided regarding each residence halls check out procedure in May. Regular meal service in Stevens Dining Hall will end with dinner on May 10.
Once you graduate, you are an official member of the College’s Alumni Association. Some of the benefits of being a member include the alumni online community, group savings on home and auto insurance, continued use of the library, free admission at athletic events, continued support from Career Services, and invitations to regional alumni socials. Stay connected with your alma mater through the Alumni Association! alumni.lyndonstate.edu
For general Commencement information, contact Tracy Sherbrook, Assistant to the Academic Dean, at 802-626-6406. She will be happy to talk to you! You can also e-mail her at: tracy.sherbrook@lyndonstate.edu.
If you have questions about your eligibility to graduate, please contact Evelyn Franz in Student Services at 802-626-6495 or at evelyn.franz@lyndonstate.edu.
For questions about Senior Week activities, contact Hannah Manley, Director of Alumni Relations and Development, 802-626-6433, or at hannah.manley@lyndonstate.edu.
