Preparing for graduation
Tickets
Five complimentary tickets will be available to each spring graduate. Candidates may pick up commencement tickets at the Ticket Center located at the Greenhill Center of the Arts Ticket Office from April 28 to May 16. Tickets are required for all guests, including children. Children under age two will be permitted to sit on an adult's lap, but all other guests will require a ticket for seating. A photo ID is required to receive tickets, and replacements will not be available.
Diplomas
The Registrar's Office will mail diplomas to the address the graduate listed on the data card when they applied for graduation in the Registrar's Office. Diplomas will be mailed within two months after the ceremony. Should an address change during this time, please notify the Registrar's Office immediately at 262-472-1570. If there are any financial holds on a student's record, the Registrar will hold the diploma until all obligations are met.
Exit loan counseling session
If your student received an educational loan while in attendance at UW-Whitewater, the student will be invited to attend an exit loan counseling session. At that time, students will be given a summary of their loans and information about the repayment process. Federal law requires all Perkins and Direct loan borrowers to attend.
Cap and gown orders
For students who missed Salute to Grads, cap and gown orders will be taken at the bookstore. An order for graduation regalia can be placed by stopping at the Information Desk in Esker Dining Hall or the Bookstore in Drumlin 120. Phone orders can be placed with Jane at 262-472-1281. Deadline for orders was Monday, March 17. Honor cords and international sashes can also be purchased at the bookstore. To order personalized graduation announcements and class rings contact Jostens at www.shop.jostens.com.
Cap and gown orders will be available for pickup beginning the week of Monday, May 12. Payment must be made at the time of pickup.
Graduates with disabilities
The Center for Students with Disabilities asks that any graduate with a disability (permanent or temporary) contact Elizabeth Watson at 262-472-1630. This request should be made three weeks prior to the ceremony. A limit of two family members may accompany guests who require Special Assistance Seating. There will be a sign language interpreter at the ceremony.
Commencement briefing
A commencement briefing will be held for graduating seniors Thursday, May 15 at 3:00 p.m. in the Kachel Fieldhouse. All spring graduates should attend to gather information and instructions for the commencement ceremony.
Commencement ceremony
The class of 2008 will gather with friends and family at the Kachel Fieldhouse Saturday, May 17 at 10 a.m. to participate in the formal graduation ceremony.
Michael J. Cesario will address the graduating students as the commencement speaker. Cesario received a bachelor's degree in 1971 from Whitewater. Currently, he is a band and drum corps uniform designer and holds professor emeritus status from New York's Purchase College where he was the director of design/technology and graduate studies for theatre arts and film.
He was recently inducted into the 2007 class of Signature Sinfonians, an award which recognizes alumni members of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonian music fraternity who have achieved a high standard of accomplishment in their field. He joined Phi Mu Alpha as a UW-Whitewater student in 1967.
Cesario is a member of the UW-Whitewater Foundation Board and the College of Arts and Communication Advisory Board. He also supports the college through various scholarships. He is a member of the distinguished Drum Corps International Hall of Fame.
Gwynne DeBoer of Greendale/Franklin, Wis., will be the student speaker. She will graduate summa cum laude with a double major in Spanish and biology with cell and physiology emphasis.
DeBoer is a member of the Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honors Society, Leadership Honor Society and the Golden Key International Honor Society. She has also participated in activities such as Students Teaching Alcohol Responsibility and Pre-Health Associates of Today. DeBoer has presented research at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research and studied in Costa Rica and Ceumavaca, Mexico.
A total of 1,327 undergraduates will receive degrees - 173 in arts and communication; 416 in business and economics; 195 in education; and 348 in letters and sciences. A total of 195 master's degree graduates will also be recognized.
Commencement will begin at 10 a.m., graduates must arrive by 9 a.m. Guests must have a ticket to enter the ceremony and must be seated by 9:45 a.m. The ceremony will last approximately two-and-a-half to three hours.
A professional photographer will take pictures of each graduate crossing the stage and will also be available to take family portraits following the ceremony.
Commencement will be broadcast on Cable 19, the university cable TV station. It will be shown live on campus at Drumlin Hall and off campus on Charter Cable, channel 19 in Whitewater. The ceremony will also be available for purchase on DVD.
UWWTV-Cable 19 offers professional quality DVD recording of the graduation ceremony. The DVD will include the opening ceremony, the speaker, the conferring of diplomas to students and the closing ceremony. This DVD is offered for $26.00, which includes shipping and handling costs. Each additional tape purchased is $23.00. For international mailing there is an additional $11.00 shipping-and-handling fee.
