Commencement
Commencement
COMMENCEMENT UPDATE 7-29-2020
To best protect the health and safety of the public, students will not be returning to campus following Thanksgiving break. As such, the University has decided to cancel the in-person commencement ceremony for May/August/December 2020 graduates. The University will instead host a virtual ceremony on December 19. More information will be available regarding the virtual commencement ceremony in the coming weeks, as well as plans for an in-person commencement for both the May and December 2020 ceremonies.
COMMENCEMENT UPDATE 4-8-2020
On Saturday, May 16, Mountaineer Nation will gather – virtually – to celebrate May 2020 graduates and all of their achievements. The virtual ceremony begins at 11 a.m. EST on May 16 and will be closed captioned. Everyone's invited: graduates, families, current and future students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the University. The exact link for Mountaineer Graduation Day will be announced soon. Mountaineer Graduation Day is the first of two occasions honoring May 2020 graduates. The second will be a special ceremony December 19 when we'll welcome May grads back to the WVU Coliseum for an unforgettable, in-person celebration. The ceremony for May graduates will be separate from the annual event for August and December graduates. Please contact us at graduation@mail.wvu.edu if you have questions or visit https://graduation.wvu.edu/may-commencement
During the Virtual Ceremony
On May 16 at 11 a.m. EST, you and your guests are invited to join us for the virtual ceremony (we'll provide the specific link here soon). Since the virtual ceremony is a broadcast instead of a video conference, there is no limit on who can attend – so invite as many of your friends and family as you'd like! We also will have some fun ways for you to engage on social media following the ceremony.
After the Event
Keep celebrating! Continue sharing your clips and home celebrations with the hashtag #WVUgrad. The content you submitted (10-second video or photo with text) will be available for you and your classmates, friends and family to view, download and share via email and social media.
Family and Friends
It wouldn't be a graduation celebration without proud families and friends! Please join us May 16 at 11 a.m. EST for the virtual ceremony (we'll provide the specific link here soon). After the ceremony, be ready to share your graduate's content far and wide on social media using #WVUgrad. Looking for a graduation gift please visit the Statler College Apparel Store, all sales final on May 22.
COMMENCEMENT UPDATE 3-27-2020
You may wish to keep your regalia if you plan to participate in the virtual celebration
in May and/or the ceremony in December. We are planning several ways for you
to interact via social media during the virtual ceremony and you may want to
wear your regalia to post photos, videos, etc. We also hope that you are able
to participate in the December ceremony at the Coliseum.
Please follow this link to request your Herff Jones ship-to-store regalia order
be rerouted to your permanent address.
However, if you are certain that you will be unable to participate and purchased your regalia through Herff Jones, please follow this link to request a refund.
If you purchased your regalia through another vendor, please reach out to them for their return policy.
COMMENCEMENT UPDATE: 3-25-2020
On May 16, 2020 West Virginia University will hold Mountaineer Graduation Day – an online commencement experience for the Class of 2020 May graduates.
This online commencement will include ways for graduates to share their celebration with their classmates, family and friends, as well as special online moments to connect them with the University they love. More information will be shared soon with candidates and their families.
In addition, the University will hold a special commencement ceremony for all May graduates on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020 to recognize and celebrate the graduates’ accomplishments. Details regarding next steps to participate in the virtual ceremony will be forthcoming to your Mix e-mail account within the next two weeks
COMMENCEMENT UPDATE: 03-12-2020
Nothing is more important to the University than the commencement ceremonies where we celebrate and honor our graduates. At this time, the University is planning to hold commencement. However, the public health situation is evolving daily. If circumstances change to where it would be a public health risk to hold commencement, the University will communicate that change immediately. We advise parents and students to monitor University communications, delay making travel purchases (if possible) and pursue travel insurance options.
The WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources will host its official Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16, 2020, at 4 p.m., at the WVU Coliseum.
Graduates and their families will be receiving an official letter of invitation to Commencement, but the ceremony is open to all. No tickets are required, and there is ample seating at the Coliseum.
Register to Walk in the Ceremony
To make your graduation experience a memorable one, we ask that the graduate registered to participate in the Commencement exercises. Please note the registration to participate in Commencement exercise is separate from the graduation application.
Register to walk in the ceremony.
Timeline
3 p.m. - All degree candidates report to the Basketball Practice Facility, behind the Coliseum.
4 p.m. - Commencement Ceremony, Coliseum
Ceremony Program
The ceremony will last approximately two hours. During the ceremony, students will be recognized individually by degree program. Professional photographs will be taken and names announced as each student walks across the stage. Students will return to their seats and then exit the Coliseum in an orderly fashion during the recessional.
What to Wear
Regalia
Graduates must wear traditional regalia (academic caps and gowns), which can be purchased at the downtown or Evansdale WVU Bookstore, 304.293.7467.
All Statler College bachelor's and master's graduates should wear caps with orange tassels.
PhD graduates should wear a blue hood and gold tassel.
The only exception is military uniforms, which may be worn instead of academic regalia.
Honor Cords
The Honors Day ceremony has been cancelled. Students who are graduating with Latin Honors will receive an email from the Statler College Student Services in late April with instructions for obtaining their Latin Honor Cords. If a student is unable to receive their cords in person, they will be issued via mail.
All honors graduates are reminded to bring their cords with them to Commencement.
Cap, gowns, tassels and cords WILL NOT be available for distribution at Commencement.
In the event that we are able to reschedule the Honors Day ceremony later in the
semester, all students and faculty will be notified.
If you have questions or concerns, please email:
Statler Student Services.
Under the Gowns
Wear business casual clothing with appropriate shoes under your gowns. Keep in mind that there is NO air conditioning in the Coliseum; dressing in light, breathable fabrics is advised.
Where to Go
By 3 p.m., all degree candidates need to have reported to the Basketball Practice
Facility, behind the Coliseum. The address for the facility is 3450 Monongahela
Blvd, Morgantown, WV 26505.
Parking
Ample free parking will be available at the Creative Arts Center and the Coliseum, and all University lots will be free and open to the public during Commencement weekend.
Faculty
Faculty are encouraged to attend to help us congratulate our students on their accomplishment.
Faculty who wish to walk in the procession with their department graduates must wear regalia and should report to the Basketball Practice Facility along with their department's graduates.
Useful Information for Graduates and Families
Accessibility Services - Guests who require accessible seating will be served on a first-come, first- served basis. Once you have arrived at the graduation venue accessible seating ushers will assist you to the designated seating areas. Questions? Please email access2@mail.wvu.edu
Diplomas - Diplomas will not be distributed at the ceremony, but will be mailed after all graduates are certified by the WVU Office of the Registrar.
Hydration - Water will be available during registration. Water will not be available during the ceremony; hydrate before-hand.
Lodging - For information on lodging in Morgantown during Commencement weekend, visit https://graduation.wvu.edu/may-commencement/lodging
Photography - GradImages is the official photographer for our Commencement. Proofs will be sent to your home and via email within three to five days after graduation. Pictures can be ordered online, by phone, or by mail. Graduation Images can be contacted at 800-261-2576 or via www.gradimages.com. Guests are not permitted to approach the stage to take personal photos.
Watch Live - The May 2020 Commencement Webcast will be available to view live at the start of the commencement ceremony. https://webcast.wvu.edu/commencement
Clear Bag Policy
To provide a safer environment for guests and to ease entry into event venues, a Clear Bag Policy will be implemented for all commencement ceremonies, beginning in December 2019.
WVU’s Clear Bag Policy limits the size and type of bags that guests may bring into an event venue.
Starting in December, prohibited items include, but are not limited to, purses larger than a clutch bag, diaper bags, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, luggage of any kind, computer bags, camera bags, any bag larger than the permissible size and non-approved seat cushions or chair backs larger than 16” that have pockets, zippers, compartments or covers.
Guests are allowed to bring the following:
- One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags (Ziploc bag, for example).
- Small clutch bags, approximately the size of a hand (4.5” x 6.5”), with or without a handle or strap. A small clutch bag can be taken into the venue in addition to a clear bag.
- Bag that is clear plastic, vinyl or pvc and does not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”.
- Exceptions will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection at an assigned designated gate.
Guests with prohibited bags cannot enter. Please visit graduation.wvu.edu for details or contact graduation@mail.wvu.edu with questions.
December 2020 Commencement
Potential December graduates of the Statler College will receive an invitation at their local address to participate in the December Commencement, scheduled for Saturday, December 19, 2020, at 2 p.m., at the WVU Coliseum.
Graduates must report to the Coliseum's 2nd level Country Roads Gate one hour before the ceremony to check-in and receive instructions for line-up.
- Tickets are NOT required and there are no restrictions on the number of guests a graduate may bring. Each ceremony will last approximately two hours.
- Graduates are required to wear caps and gowns. Regalia is available for purchase online from Herff Jones or in person from the WVU Bookstores. Order deadline is November 15, 2019.
- Doctoral candidates will be hooded onstage by a faculty member of their choice or a WVU administrator. Master’s candidates will not be hooded on stage and should wear their hoods to the ceremony.
- Diplomas will be mailed after all grades are finalized and certified by the Office of the University Registrar.
- Names of the 2020 August and December graduates will be listed in the December 2020 Commencement program. They will not appear in the May 2021 program.
- To arrange accommodations for graduates or guests with disabilities, please visit our Accessibility Services page for further instructions.
DISCLAIMER: Registration to walk in December Commencement is not a record of degrees awarded. Names listed in the December Commencement program are taken from applications for graduation made to WVU's Office of the University Registrar for August and December graduation. Registration for graduation does not ensure that graduate names appear in the program and participation in Commencement exercises does not constitute graduation from West Virginia University. Students who have met the academic criteria required for their program of study will have their degree conferred by the University and will receive their diploma in the mail. Please contact the Office of the University Registrar at 304-293-5355 or registrar@mail.wvu.edu with questions regarding diplomas.
Questions - Contact the Office of University Events at graduation@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-7132.
August Graduates
They are invited to participate in the December ceremony. Their names will be listed in the December Commencement program.
WVU Commencement Weekend
Visit https://graduation.wvu.edu/ for complete information on WVU's Commencement Weekend activities.
Questions - If you have questions or concerns, please email: Statler Student Services.
We hope to see you at Commencement!
Application for Graduation and Diploma
Students graduating are required to complete an online Application for Graduation and Diploma. The Graduation Application can be completed on-line through the student's portal account. Graduation applications are only good for one semester. If you applied any other semester and did NOT graduate then you will need to re-apply to graduate.
Graduation application deadlines
For additional information regarding the graduation application process, contact Statler Student Services.