The Ceremony

The Commencement Ceremony will begin precisely at 10:00am on Saturday, May 17, 2008 under the tent on the main athletic field, rain or shine.  Graduates must arrive at the Campus Recreation Center Fieldhouse at 8:15am.  Instructions for lining up will begin at 8:45am and the procession for graduates will promptly leave the Campus Recreation Center at 9:30am. 

Graduates who arrive late will not be allowed to join the ceremony.  Guests must be seated no later than 9:30am as that is the time the procession begins.  While we encourage guests to arrive early, no one is allowed to take their seat before 8:00am and no one may reserve seats.

Family members may ask how long the ceremony will last.  To be safe, we estimate that you allow at least two and a half hours from the start of the ceremony (10am).  An informal reception for each respective school follows the ceremony and we encourage graduates and their guests to attend these gatherings.  The locations for these receptions will be listed in the commencement program you will receive at the ceremony.

Souvenir Guest Invitations

Souvenir guest invitations (5 invitations per graduate) are provided by the University for graduates who would like to send their guests a formal invitation.  These invitations will be available for pick up beginning March 3, 2008. 

Day division students and Continuing Studies students may pick up their invitations in the Special Events & Conferences Office in the Campus Recreation Center during the hours of 8:00am- 5:00pm, Monday-Friday. For those Continuing Studies students who will not be able to pick up their invitations in Bristol, please call 401-254-3067 so other arrangements can be made.

Residence Hall Move-Out for Graduates

All graduates must move out of their residence hall room by 7:00pm on the day of Commencement, Saturday, May 17th.  Please plan accordingly.  Questions regarding this may be directed to the Office of Student Life at (401) 254-3161.