Information for the Day of Commencement

The English Department does not have a rehearsal for our commencement. Below is a rundown of events. All times are approximate. Thank you for your assistance in helping to make your commencement run smoothly.

The gates to the Greek Theatre open for guests at 2:00 PM. Seating is plentiful on a first-come first-serve basis. The Greek Theatre is a large outdoor facility with concrete seating. You may want to recommend to your guests that they bring protection from the sun, cushions for their seats, and, if possible, that they wear flat shoes. If it is a hot day, a sun hat and water are also recommended. It is also possible that the weather will be cold and rainy.

All participants should be back-stage by 2:30 PM to wait for the processional.

Name cards will be provided for you by the event photographers, which will allow them to contact you regarding your photos. You will hold onto your card and hand it to the name-reader as you cross the stage to receive your scroll. Print your name clearly on the card as well as filling out your contact information on the reverse side. As you walk across the stage to receive your scroll, you will hand your card to a member of the English Department faculty, who will be standing at the podium to read your name aloud.

If (and only if) you know that English professors at Berkeley usually have trouble pronouncing your name, write your name a second time below the first, as follows: a) If pronouncing your name correctly is simply a matter of putting the stress on the correct syllable(s), re-write your name putting the stressed syllable(s) in capital letters. b) If you worry that a) will not suffice, re-write your name using phonetic syllables AND capital letters for stress. c) If you worry that b) will not suffice, e-mail the name-reader during the week before Commencement.

The name-reader will arrive at Commencement about 30 minutes early to check name-cards. Minor issues of pronunciation can be resolved at that time.

Ph.D. candidates should give their hoods to the Undergraduate Assistant for placement on the stage. Please open your hood to make it as large as possible so it will fit over your mortarboard/cap.

The processional begins at 3:00 pm.

Ph.D. candidates will exit from the north end of the backstage area and go to the chairs on the north side of the stage.

Undergraduates will leave the backstage area in two lines, one from each side of the stage. You will walk down the ramp to the seating in the pit. Department volunteers will be there to direct you. If you are the first person to enter your row, please cross the aisle in the middle and move all the way to the far end of the row. Please keep these lines moving.

All participants will remain standing until the last undergraduate has reached his/her seat.

Following the processional, the Chair will deliver a welcome address. This will be followed by the presentation of the Departmental Citation/Mark Schorer Prize. A selected undergraduate will give the Valedictory address. This will be followed by the Commencement Speaker. Last will be the distribution of certificates commemorating the commencement.

Ph.D.s will be awarded first. As your name and dissertation title are read, please cross the stage to where the Chair of Graduate Studies will hood you; please bend slightly to allow him/her to get the hood over your head. You will then pose for a photograph.

Each row of undergraduates, in turn, will stand and walk to the north side of the stage. You will hand the name-reader your card and walk across the stage as it is read. Please stop to shake hands and have your picture taken (by the event photographer) with the faculty member who hands you your scroll. Then proceed off the stage and return to your seat. Please do not stay on the stage to wait for your family to take a picture, as there other participants who need to cross the stage.

Once all names have been read, the Chair will make some closing remarks.

A recessional will lead all participants out of the Greek Theatre and down to the Campanile Esplanade for refreshments. You will stand and leave the Greek Theatre by rows, exiting past both sides of the stage. Please ask your family to meet you outside the Greek Theatre or at the Campanile Esplanade.

This ceremony should last approximately 2 hours.

For wheelchair accessibility to the Greek Theatre, please use the ramps at the main entrance to the theatre or at the South Gate. There will be designated wheelchair seating inside the Greek Theatre. Restrooms are available to accommodate wheelchairs.

Parking is difficult to find in the area. A long walk will be required from the car to the theatre. We urge you to drop off those who may have difficulty walking the distance. Disabled parking is available next to the Greek Theatre in the Bowles Parking Lot. For more information, please go to the Parking and Transportation website at http://pt.berkeley.edu.

Return to top

Last modified: April 23, 2008