Commencement

Overview

The Graduate School ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 16, 2013, at 5 p.m. One hundred seventy-two students are graduating from the University's graduate programs.

Undergraduate Commencement will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at 10 a.m. Seven hundred twenty-nine students will be graduating.

Each ceremony will be webcast live. The Graduate School ceremony begins at approximately 5 p.m. Thursday, May 16. The webcast of the undergraduate ceremony will begin at approximately 9:45 a.m. Saturday, May 18.

Honorary degree recipients, speakers announced. Learn more

To participate in Commencement exercises, undergraduate candidates for degree must have a graduation application on file with Academic Records. Candidates can check to see if they are scheduled to be part of the ceremony by checking the comprehensive list posted outside Academic Records. This list also includes academic minors, secondary concentrations, and anticipated graduation honors. All changes to this list must be made no later than April 5, 2013 . After that date, changes may not be able to be made to the graduation program and degrees which are part of the Commencement ceremony.

For your convenience, most questions related to graduation can be answered online. Please take a minute to look through the information provided on this site. Should you have additional questions, please check the Contacts tab to find the appropriate office that can best assist you with your specific inquiry.

General questions about Commencement exercises can also be sent to graduate@bryant.edu.

Lodging in the area fills up quickly, so please consider reserving your accommodations as soon as possible.

Schedule

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Graduation Fair - Rotunda
Graduates are strongly encouraged to attend this event, where they will have the opportunity to purchase academic regalia, order a yearbook, check for any holds on their accounts, sign up to receive Bryant's alumni newsletter, and obtain information about activities related to Commencement.

Undergraduate Commencement Information Session - Janikies
Undergraduate students are required to attend one Commencement Information Session in order to participate in the graduation ceremony. The sessions take approximately 30-45 minutes and are offered at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. This meeting is in lieu of a practice graduation ceremony and is designed to provide information about the ceremony itself to graduating seniors.

Please note: Students will be issued guest tickets after attending one of the sessions and will need to present a photo ID in order to obtain their tickets.

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013

4:00 p.m. - Graduate School Line-up - Rotunda
All graduate students should report to the Rotunda for line-up wearing caps and gowns.

5:00 p.m. - Graduate School Commencement - Main Tent
Guest seating will begin at 4:00 p.m. Guests are asked to be seated by 4:30 p.m. The procession will begin at 4:45 p.m. The ceremony will start at 5:00 p.m. and should last for approximately one and one half hours. Immediately following the ceremony a reception will be held in the Stepan Grand Hall. All graduates and guests are welcome to attend.

Speaking at our Graduate School of Business Commencement ceremonies will be Joseph J. MarcAurele , who will receive an honorary doctor of business administration degree.

MarcAurele is an accomplished and well-respected leader within the New England banking industry. In 2009 he joined The Washington Trust Company , the largest independent bank in the United States, as president and chief operating officer. He was appointed chairman, president and chief executive officer in 2010. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is the oldest community bank in the nation and one of the oldest public companies listed on the stock market. MarcAurele previously served as president of Citizens Bank, where he held executive positions including chairman, president, and CEO of Citizens Bank of Rhode Island and Connecticut. His early banking career included seven years at Fleet Financial Group. MarcAurele is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross.

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013

4:00 p.m. - Baccalaureate Service - Main Commencement Tent
This is an interfaith ceremony of thanksgiving for graduates, as well as their families and friends, which is led by Bryant chaplains and features music, readings, and reflection.  Graduating seniors do not wear their caps and gowns to this event and may sit with their families.

5:00 p.m. - President's Reception - Salmanson Dining Hall
President and Mrs. Machtley welcome all graduates, families, and friends to this special reception for the Class of 2013.  Honorary degree recipients, trustees, faculty members, and staff will also be in attendance. This is an opportunity for graduating seniors to informally gather with professors and other members of the Bryant community who have played a part in their education.  Refreshments will be served, and a cash bar will be available.  The reception concludes at 6:30 p.m. to permit graduates and their families to enjoy dinner off campus.  

SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013

9:00 a.m. - Graduate Line-Up - Academic Hall
All graduates should report wearing cap, gown, hood, and special 150th commemorative pin to their specified area in Academic Hall. Graduates should also bring their graduation name card that was distributed during the Commencement Information Meetings in April.

10:00 a.m. - Undergraduate Commencement - Main Tent
The Commencement tent, which is located behind the Bryant Center, will open at 7:30 a.m. Each graduate will be issued five tickets for admission to the tent. (See ticket information in the FAQ section of this site.) Guests are asked to be seated by 9:15 a.m. The procession of graduates begins at 9:30 a.m.; the ceremony begins at 10:00 a.m. and concludes at approximately 1:00 p.m. We ask that everyone remain seated in the tent until the ceremony concludes. For safety and comfort of all guests we ask that you remain seated at all times while in the tent. The tent provides protection from the elements but not from temperature, so please dress accordingly.

Additional guests are welcome to campus on graduation day and several viewing options are available. The entire ceremony is broadcast live on Channels 71 and 73 of the Bryant Cable System and can be seen on any campus television, including rooms in the residence halls and townhouses. Commencement can also be viewed live online. Bryant provides viewing locations in several large venues on campus, including the Rotunda, Janikies Theatre, and the lobby of Hall 16.

The Commencement speaker for this year’s undergraduate ceremonies will be historian Jon Meacham.

Meacham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Random House executive editor and executive vice president, will address graduating seniors on May 18. He is the author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, a New York Times bestseller that has been named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review , The Washington Post , Entertainment Weekly , The Seattle Times , and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Meacham received the Pulitzer Prize for American Lion , his biography of Andrew Jackson. He is also the author of Franklin and Winston and American Gospel. Meacham serves as executive editor and executive vice president of Random House, and he is a contributing editor to Time magazine, a former editor of Newsweek , and has written for The New York Times and The Washington Post , among other publications.

Meacham is a Fellow of the Society of American Historians and serves on the boards of the New-York Historical Society, the Churchill Centre, and The McCallie School. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he was educated at McCallie and at The University of the South. Bryant will recognize Meacham with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.

Bryant also will award honorary degrees to two highly accomplished women who share the vision of a world without hunger.

Catherine Bertini ’s distinguished career includes service as executive director of the UN World Food Program (WFP), where she transformed the WFP into the world’s largest humanitarian organization and a model for UN effectiveness and accountability. Bertini, who is widely recognized for her leadership in decreasing world hunger and famine, is a World Food Prize Laureate. She is a member of the Board of International Food and Agricultural Development, which advises USAID, and recently served as a member of the Accountability Review Board on Benghazi, appointed by Secretary Hillary Clinton.

She also served as the Under Secretary-General for Management and as UN Security Coordinator, and was appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan as Humanitarian Envoy to the Horn of Africa and to Gaza and the West Bank. Bertini is currently a senior fellow at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, where she co-chairs the Global Agricultural Development Initiative, and a member of the faculty of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Albany.

Navyn Salem , who will receive an honorary doctor of business administration degree, is executive director and founder of Edesia Global Nutrition Solutions , a nonprofit producer of ready-to-use foods (RUFs) that treat and prevent malnutrition in vulnerable populations in the developing world. Salem created Edesia after a trip to Tanzania made her aware of the toll malnutrition can take on a country. Using a model of social entrepreneurship, collaboration, and advocacy, Salem has expanded Edesia's work to include a U.S. factory focused on production, research and development, and support of local producers. Since opening its doors, the company, headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, has provided RUFs in response to emergencies such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and its products have been distributed in more than 34 countries, reaching 1.2 million children. Salem is a graduate of Boston College and the recipient of the 2012 Bryant University Women’s Summit New England Businesswoman of the Year award.

1:00 p.m. - Welcome Reception for New Alumni - George E. Bello Center
Graduates and their guests are invited to mingle and enjoy light refreshments. Diplomas can also be picked up after the ceremony in the Wellness Center Lobby until 3:00 p.m.

Please note: Diplomas MUST be picked up on graduation day.

3:00 p.m. - Student housing closes for the spring 2013 term.

Contacts

Academic Advising
(401) 232-6210
uadvise@bryant.edu
Verify academic eligibility to participate in Commencement

Academic Records
(401) 232-6080
arecords@bryant.edu
Update address information, request transcripts, and check status of diploma. Graduates must complete a Graduation Application in order to participate in Commencement. A confirmation list will be posted outside the Academic Records for students to verify their information. All corrections must be made by April 5, 2013. Corrections after this date may NOT be included in the program.

Alumni Relations
(401) 232-6040 or
(877) 353-5667
alumni@bryant.edu
Update address information to receive alumni publications

Bookstore
(401) 232-6240
www.bryant.bkstr.com
Purchase caps, gowns, and hoods or order personalized graduation announcements and class rings

Bursar's Office
(401) 232-6030
bursar@bryant.edu
Verify that all financial obligations have been met

Office of Campus Engagement
(401) 232-6160
csi@bryant.edu
Get information about Senior Week activities

Office of Conferences & Special Events
(401) 232-6921
graduate@bryant.edu
Contact this office if you have general questions or need to make arrangements for guests with special needs.

Development Office
(401) 232-6173
sdetri@bryant.edu
Donate to the Senior Class Gift

Balfour
www.balfour.com
Information about graduation announcements and class rings

Grad Images/Grad Trak
(800) 261-2576
www.gradimages.com
service@gradimages.com
Bryant's official graduation photographer. Grads will receive free passport-size digital proofs of photos via email 5-7 days after the ceremony. Photo packages can be ordered online or via phone.

Yearbook (The Ledger)
(401) 232-6048
www.shopjostens.com
Contact this office for senior portrait information and/or to order a yearbook. Orders must be placed by May 1.

FAQ

Please take a moment to look through this list of questions that are often asked regarding the Commencement ceremony, tickets, guests, and parking. Should you have questions that are not answered here, please contact graduate@bryant.edu or contact the office that is most able to assist you with your inquiry by clicking on the Contacts tab.

Q1. Are tickets required for Commencement?
Tickets are required for Undergraduate Commencement in order to gain entry to the Commencement tent. All students are issued five tickets at the Commencement Information Meetings in April. Tickets will be required for all guests to enter the tent. (This includes children and guests who will be seated in the special needs section of the tent; a ticket is not required for the individual receiving his/her degree.) Tickets cannot be reissued if lost. Please do not call to inquire about additional tickets - there is limited seating under the tent and all available tickets have been issued to graduates, faculty, staff, and guests. No tickets are necessary for the Graduate School Commencement.

Q2. How many guests can I invite to Commencement?
Graduates can invite as many people to campus as they would like. However, only five ticketed guests will be admitted into the Commencement tent for the Undergraduate ceremony. The ceremony is broadcast live on channels 71 and 73 of the Bryant Cable System and can be viewed from any television on campus (including residence hall/townhouse rooms). The University will also be providing viewing locations in several of the large venues on campus, including the Rotunda, Janikies Auditorium, and the lobby of Hall 16.

Q3. How long is the ceremony?
The Graduate School ceremony will run for approximately one and one half hours. The Undergraduate Commencement ceremony will last for approximately two and one half hours.  

Q4. What should I wear to Commencement activities?
Keep in mind the forecasted weather conditions when deciding what to wear for Commencement. The ceremony is held under a tent to protect from rain and bright sun; however, it provides limited protection from cold temperatures. While there is no dress code for Commencement events, most guests choose to dress in business casual attire for all graduation activities, including the receptions and ceremonies.

Q5. How can I get a photo of a graduate on stage?
Grad Images/Grad Trak will be photographing all graduates at the upcoming graduation ceremonies. Visit their web site, www.gradimages.com and click on the Pre-Event email registration, to register your email address. You will also receive an email link and free passport-sized digital proofs of your photos within 5 to 7 days following the ceremony. After graduation, you may order online at www.gradimages.com or call 800-261-2576.

Please do not contact Bryant University with inquiries related to photographic services. Please contact Grad Images/Grad Trak directly with any questions regarding photography.

NOTE: Parents and guests will not be allowed to approach the stage or enter the graduate seating area. It is a violation of RI State Fire Code for people to be standing in aisles or blocking exits. Any guest standing in an aisle will be asked to be seated. If they refuse they will be escorted out of the tent.

Q6. What arrangements are available for guests with special needs?
Please click the SPECIAL NEEDS REQUEST tab at the top of this page to complete the online form as soon as possible. Requests received after Friday, April 26, 2013, may not be able to be accommodated.

Q7. What is Baccalaureate?
Baccalaureate is an interfaith religious service for graduates and families held the afternoon prior to Undergraduate Commencement. All graduates and guests are welcome to attend.

Q8. Who is invited to the President's Reception?
All graduates, guests, faculty, staff, trustees, and honorary degree recipients are welcome to attend this reception.

Q9. Where do I park?
Bryant's public safety officers will direct traffic entering the campus during both the Graduate School and Undergraduate ceremonies. No vehicles will be allowed to stop on Jacobs Drive (main campus roadway). Guests who have made arrangements prior to Commencement for special needs parking will be directed to the Bello Center Parking Lot. All other guests will be parked in the "C" Parking Lots.

Q10. What services are open on campus Commencement day?
The Bookstore, Health Services, and Public Safety will all be open for both Graduate School and Undergraduate Commencement. Due to summer construction of the Bryant Center, the Bookstore will be located in the aerobics room in the Wellness Center. For Undergraduate Commencement a food concession tent will be set up near the main tent.

Q11. Where and when can I purchase a cap and gown?
Undergraduate students can begin purchasing caps, gowns, and hoods at the graduation fair on April 25. After that date, academic regalia can be purchased from the bookstore during regular business hours. Caps, gowns, and hoods are required for participation in the ceremony.

Graduate student regalia will also be available beginning on April 25 in the bookstore during the store's standard business hours. Graduate students purchase a cap and gown; the hood will be given to them during the Commencement ceremony.

Special Needs

All special needs requests were due on Friday, April 26. If you are still in need of accommodations and did not fill out the request form, please contact Kimberly Doell as soon as possible. If you already filled out the form, you will be receiving a letter with more information during the second week of May. We are looking forward to hosting this special event and making all of our guests as comfortable as possible.