Frequently Asked Questions

1 . When is the Commencement ceremony, where is it held, and when is it over?^

The Graduate Student Commencement ceremony (for those students who will be receiving a Masters or a PhD. degree) is always held on the Saturday of the Mother's Day Weekend and for this coming year it will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2009, in the McCarthey Athletic Center. Graduates must be in the gym of The Charlotte Y. Martin Centre (this building is the west end of the overall sports complex) in their academic attire no later than 4:00 p.m. and this is a good time for guests to arrive and take their seats in the McCarthey Center. The ceremony begins with an academic procession at 4:45 p.m. and the speaking part of the ceremony is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. Ample seating is available, graduates may invite as many guests as they wish to the ceremony, and no tickets are needed for admission. If the graduate has special needs for seating or the stage, the graduate should contact Susie Prusch at 509-313-5571 or prusch@gu.gonzaga.edu as soon as possible. There is plenty of handicapped seating available for guests in the McCarthey Athletic Center - just ask the Knights or Setons (the ushers) for assistance. We estimate that the ceremony will be over at 6:30 p.m. and it is followed by a social held on the south lawn of The Martin Centre. The social is a time for graduates to hug, kiss, take photographs, introduce their families to favorite faculty members - we expect the social will be over by about 7:30 p.m.

2 . Is there a Baccalaureate Mass and who may attend?^

The Baccalaureate Mass is for seniors and graduate students (this is not a Mass for just Catholic students - it is a Mass designed for everyone in our Gonzaga family) and it will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2009, in the McCarthey Athletic Center and it will begin at 1:30 p.m.  Graduates may invite as many guests as they wish and tickets are not required for admission.  Students wear their academic attire for the Mass and line up in the gym of The Martin Centre at 1:00 p.m. Please remember! The McCarthey Center is a gymnasium and some guests will need to sit along the top rows of seats. The very young usually need wiggle room and the not-so-spry might find climbing up a steep bank of steps to the upper seats very uncomfortable. With this in mind, I urge our graduates to be conscious of the needs of their guests when they issue invitations to this Baccalaureate Mass.

3 . Do graduate students need to attend rehearsal and when and where is it held?^

Rehearsal is held in the McCarthey Athletic Center on Thursday, May 7, 2009, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.   We encourage students to attend the rehearsal because detailed information is given, questions are answered, and those all- important "how to wear your academic attire" instructions are given. We realize that there are many off-campus students who won't be able to attend rehearsal. Not to worry! We will see you at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday in the gym of The Martin Centre for lining up and we will stay with you every step of the way.

4 . Is the Dean going to pronounce my name properly as I cross the stage?^

The Deans all hope and pray that they pronounce every name properly and they practice with a large stack of name cards for a month prior to Commencement. If you have a wonderful and unusual name, you could make it easier on the Deans by giving them a simple way to pronounce your name. Please bear in mind that the pronunciation explanations at the bottom of the page in the dictionary do not readily come to mind to a Dean who is having to read many names. On the Petition for Degree form where you are asked for the proper pronunciation of your name, you could simplify matters by letting the Dean know (for example) that the last name Krusee is pronounced like this: crew c or Prusch is pronounced like: brush with a p

5 . How do I order academic attire and if I can't get here in time, may someone else pick up my academic attire?^

We will be writing you by mail and e-mail (and yes, we will be using your Gonzaga e-mail address!!!) all through the fall about applying to graduate and ordering your academic attire.  In early December you will receive order forms from CEWard-National (our agents for academic attire) and I encourage you to order your cap and gown in a timely manner.  The gowns are made in a factory in Virginia and delivered to Gonzaga for distribution in late April.  There will be five opportunities for you to pick up your cap and gown in the week before Commencement.  If you can't be here to get the cap and gown yourself, you may ask someone else to do this for you.  Some departments will be making special arrangements to pick up the attire for those students who live at great distances.  Those departments will be in touch with you to see if you wish this service and to let you know where you can get your robes. 

6 . Photographs at Commencement - can family members take them and will there be a professional photographer?^

Family and friends may approach the stage and take pictures or a video; we ask everyone to be aware of other photographers and audience viewing. There will be a professional photographic team that will be taking a formal picture of every graduate as well as a candid shot. Order forms will be sent to the graduate during the summer from Image Studios in Moscow, Idaho (208-882-5594). You are under no obligation to order the pictures but I can tell you that, in the past, the pictures have been very good.