Graduate Commencement

Click here for information about the Graduate Business commencement ceremony. 

Announcements	Hotels	Program Coordinators
Candidate Attire	Map	Reception
Cap & Gown	Miscellaneous	Speaker
Ceremony Schedule	Nonattendance	Strollers
Diploma	Parking	Tickets
Handicapped Parking and Seating	Photographer	Weather
Hometown press release	Picture Taking

 

Announcements: [top]
You will receive five announcements from your graduate program coordinator. You may purchase additional announcements at the Bookstore. Personalized announcements can be ordered by connecting to the following link or through the St. Thomas Bookstore website. 

Candidate Attire: [top]
In keeping with the solemnity of the occasion, graduates must wear university issued academic regalia, including cap and gown. Only University issued honor cords, medallions, and Kente cloth stoles are also approved for wear during the ceremony. No other oversized personal adornments, such as; flower leis, hats, signs, ribbons, or scarves are acceptable.

The cap should be worn with the mortarboard parallel to the ground and without any additional modification to the appearance.  Candidates receiving a graduate or professional degree wear the tassel on the left side throughout the ceremony. 

It is recommended that personal clothing include dark pants for men, dark pants or skirts for women, and comfortable dark shoes. For graduate ceremonies, it is recommended that shirts or blouses with buttons be worn to properly attach the hood.

Cap & Gown: [top]
Your graduation coordinator must have your measurements by April 16.

You will need a picture I.D. when picking up your cap and gown.   Pick-up times for the Mpls. campus bookstore are as follows:
May 3 from 9 am to 12 pm. 
May 5 - 8 from 9 am to 6 pm. 
May 9 from 9 am to 4:30 pm. 
May 11 from 9 am to 4:30 pm.
May 12 - 15 from from 9 am to 6 pm.

You may also pick-up your cap, gown and tassel(s) at the St. Paul Bookstore.  Their pick-up hours are: May 6-9 and May 13-16 from 9am-6pm.

Commencement Ceremony
Saturday, May 17
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8:30 a.m.	Faculty and staff marshals report to Coughlan Field House to line up. Appropriate academic regalia is required.
9 a.m.	Doors open to Schoenecker Arena.
9:30 a.m.	Graduate candidates report to Coughlan Field House to line up.
9:30 a.m.	Faculty and staff (non-marshals) report to Coughlan Field House to line up. Appropriate academic regalia is required.
10 a.m.	Commencement exercises begin with academic procession from Coughlan Field House to Schoenecker Arena .
11 a.m.	President's Reception in lower quadrangle following the ceremony. Graduates, guests, faculty and administrators are invited. Rain site for reception is Coughlan Field House .

 

Diploma: [top]
You will receive your diploma when all requirements for the degree are completed. In addition, your tuition account must be paid in full. Diplomas will be mailed approximately 8 weeks after all requirements are verified as completed.

The size of all diplomas is 8.5x11 inches.  Information on the diploma includes the name of the university, the university seal, the graduate’s name, the degree represented by the diploma, and the date of graduation

Handicapped Parking and Seating:
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Handicapped parking is available on a first-come, first served basis.  The first three rows of parking lot H (Cretin and Summit avenues) closest to the stadium will be designated for those with a handicapped-parking permit. 

There are designated seating areas at the ceremony for people with mobility impairments.  These seats are on the floor/ground level.  People also can sit at the end of a row and ask an usher to remove a chair.  Ushers will be available to assist people with mobility issues. 

Hometown press release: [top]
Hometown press releases are issued for all verified undergraduate and graduate students.  Please note that the list of verified students is not available until approximately one month after the end of a term.  In addition, it can take two to three weeks to process and mail the list.  Publication is at the discretion of local newspapers.  If you have questions regarding the releases, please e-mail Tom Couillard at tecouillard@stthomas.edu. 

Hotels: [top]
St. Paul (10 minutes from campus)
Crowne Plaza Hotel
11 E. Kellogg Blvd.
(651) 292-1900

Embassy Suites Hotel
175 E. 10th Street
(651) 224-5400

St. Paul Hotel
350 Market Street
(651) 292-9292
(800) 292-9292

Holiday Inn Express – Bandana Square (not downtown – 10 minutes from campus)
1010 W. Bandana Blvd.
(651) 647-1637

Roseville (10 minutes from campus)
Days Inn Roseville
2550 Cleveland Avenue No.
(651) 636-7939

Minneapolis (downtown – 10-15 minutes from campus)
Doubletree Guest Suites
1101 LaSalle Avenue
(800) 222-TREE

Bloomington (near the airport and Mall of America – 15-20 minutes from campus)
Comfort Inn – Airport
1321 E. 78th Street
(952) 854-3400
(800) 228-5150

Comfort Inn & Suites – Mall of America
2221 Killebrew Drive
(952) 854-5555
(800) 456-4000

Holiday Inn Select – Airport
3 Appletree Square
(952) 854-9000

Important Note: Alcohol is strictly prohibited during the procession and ceremony.

Map: [top]
Click on this link for the campus map.  Please note that Coughlan Field House  is "16A" on the map.  http://www.stthomas.edu/campusmaps/

Miscellaneous: [top]
Students and faculty do not leave valuables in the field house during line up.
 
You may walk a distance from your car to the location of the ceremony so plan accordingly.

Nonattendance: [top]
Please notify your graduate program coordinator if you do not plan to attend the graduation ceremony.

Parking: [top]
Parking is available at all of the parking lots and in a parking ramp, the ramp is located at the northeast corner of O'Shaughnessy Stadium at Morrison Hall. Enter the ramp from the south end of the building, parking in the ramp is free. Please note that lots are available on the north and south campus.

For the most up to date parking information the day of graduation, call 651-962-PARK (7275). Below is a link to campus maps. http://www.stthomas.edu/campusmaps

Photographer: [top]
A professional photographer from Chappell Studio, Inc. will take your picture as you receive your diploma. You will receive a passport-sized full-color proof in the mail approximately one week after the ceremony, with no obligation to purchase. www.gradimages.com or (800) 424-3686

Picture Taking: [top]
Picture taking on or near the stage is prohibited.

Graduate Program Coordinators:  [top]
Art History Barb Kocik bakocik@stthomas.edu	College of Applied Professional Studies - Psychology Ea Porter eaporter@stthomas.edu
Catholic Studies Maggie Gikling mhgikling@stthomas.edu	Music Beverly Johnson bhjohnson@stthomas.edu
English Nicole Mass nwmass@stthomas.edu	School of Divinity Sharen Darling sldarling@stthomas.edu
College of Applied Professional Studies - Education Tara Borkowski taborkowski@stthomas.edu	School of Engineering Joyce Taylor jataylor1@stthomas.edu
School of Social Work Lisa Dalsin lmdalsin@stthomas.edu

 

Reception:  [top]
A reception will immediately follow the ceremony in the lower quadrayle.  Rain site is Coughlan Fieldhouse.

Speaker: [top]
Brother Louis DeThomasis, F.S.C., president of St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, will deliver the commencement address and receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.  Since 1984 DeThomasis has guided his institution through a significant period of growth in enrollment, facilities and programs.  Since 2005 he also served as chancellor and Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership at St. Mary’s, which is located in Winona, Minn.

Strollers: [top]
Strollers will not be allowed in Schoenecker Arena for the ceremony because of the large number of guests who attend the Graduate ceremony. There will be a stroller corral where you can leave your stroller in the lower quad. Ushers will direct you to the stroller corral and an usher will be with the strollers during the cermony.

Tickets: [top]
No tickets will be issued for this graduation ceremony. It is suggested that you limit guests to a maximum of five.

Weather: [top]
Please click here for the most current weather conditions.

For the most up to date event information on the day of Commencement, call the event line at 651-962-7434.