Caps & Gowns

Academic Regalia will be $44.95 and can be purchased in the Penn State Great Valley Bookstore Saturday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to Noon and Monday and Tuesday, March 17 and 18 from 4:30 to 8 p.m.
Rings and frames will be available on these dates.

If you have questions, please call Karen O'Hara, Penn State Great Valley Bookstore Manager at (610) 648-3280. Commencement tickets should be picked up at this time.

 Printed Program

Printed programs listing graduates' names are distributed at the commencement ceremony.  If you turn in an Intent to Graduate form after information has been sent to the printing company, your name will not appear in the program.

Tickets

Each graduate is allowed 4 tickets for family and friends. Tickets are required for all guests.

Tickets may be obtained from the Penn State Great Valley Registrar's Office on the following dates:

Saturday, March 15, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon;
Monday, March 17, from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m.; and
Tuesday, March 18, from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m.

For more information about tickets, email the Commencement Committee at commencement@gv.psu.edu.
 

Graduation Brunch

The annual Commencement Brunch for Graduates is Sunday, May 4. All graduates from Summer '07 Fall '07, and Spring '08 will be invited along with one guest each.  Invitations & directions will be mailed by mid-April. There is no charge for this event.  Attire is dressy casual.  R.S.V.P.'s will be taken in April via e-mail at gvalumni@psu.edu.

Academic and service awards will be presented at the brunch. The awards include:

• 4.0 GPA certificates
• Overall Achievement Awards (one in each academic program)
• Henrietta Hankin Award for Outstanding Achievement in Education
• Aqua Pennsylvania Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering
• Carl E. Bligan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Management
  •Crocodile Enterprises Award for Outstanding Achievement in Leadership Development

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Commencement Ceremony

• Prelude
• Academic Procession
• National Anthem
• Welcome by the Chancellor
• Commencement Address
• Authorization to confer degrees
• Conferring of Degrees
• On Behalf of the Graduates
• Alma Mater
• Recessional

Commencement History

Academic Procession
The Mace, which symbolizes the president's authority, is carried at the head of the academic procession by a University marshal.

Academic Dress
Academic dress had its beginnings in the Middle Ages.  When the English universities were taking form in the 12th century, the scholars were also clerics who adopted robes similar to those of their monastic orders.  Caps were a necessity in the drafty buildings, and capes with hoods attached were needed for warmth.  The hood was made distinctive for the various degrees by its color, trimming, and bindings.  As the universities gradually passed from control of the Church, costumes took on brighter hues.

The use of academic costume in theUnited States has been continuous since colonial times.  However, a uniform system was not widespread until about 1895 when the well-defined code of the Intercollegiate Commission was adopted by nearly all institutions of higher learning.

The gown
Gowns worn by those in procession vary according to the degree held.  Although the gown is more frequently black for academic dress, certain universities have authorized the use of colored gowns.  The academic gown has pointed sleeves for the bachelors degree, short or regular sleeves for the master's degree, and round full sleeves for the doctor's degree.

The hood
The hood, which is the most distinctive feature of the American code, varies in length according to the type of degree held and is lined with the official colors of the institution conferring the degree. The velvet border or edging of the hood indicates the character of the degree it represents: light blue - education; drab - business administration; orange -engineering; yellow - science.

The cap
The mortarboard cap is standard, although soft-square-topped caps are permissible.  At Commencement, graduates wear the tassel on the left side throughout the ceremony.  Faculty participating in academic ceremonies also wear the tassel to the left throughout the proceedings.

F.A.Q's

Q:  What if I haven't filed my Intent to Graduate by the deadline?
Contact your Academic Division office at 610-648-3200.

Q:  May I attend Spring Commencement at University Park?
No.  Penn State Great Valley holds a Spring Commencement ceremony.  All PSGV graduates from Summer 2007, Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 are eligible to attend the Great Valley ceremony.  Please call 610-648-3275 for details. 

Q:  Can I bring more than the number of guests allotted?
No, due to space limitations in the tent, each graduate will only be allowed four guest tickets.

Q:  Which side of my cap do I wear my tassel?
The tassel is worn on the left side throughout the ceremony.

Diplomas - Spring 2008 Graduates

Immediately following the Commencement ceremony, diplomas will be available, with photo identification, in the Warren V. Musser Auditorium of the Safeguard Scientifics Building.

Additional dates for diploma distribution
May 19, 20, and 21, 2008, with photo identification, at the Registrar’s Office in the Main building.  Office hours are 8:30 a.m. - 6:15 p.m.

Summer 2007and Fall 2007 Graduates:   diplomas are mailed from University Park  to your home address approximately two weeks after the commencement ceremony.

Congratulations from the faculty and staff of Penn State Great Valley!