Information for Presenting Professors

Fall 2024 Doctoral Commencement Ceremony

Date, Time, and Location:

Academic Attire (e.g., Caps, Tassels, and Gowns):

Presenting professors are required to wear academic attire. The University Bookstore handles the university's academic attire needs. For renting or purchasing academic attire, faculty may reach out to the ISU Bookstore.
Faculty are encouraged to arrange for academic attire as soon as possible. Faculty may also borrow attire from a colleague or department.
If you are not able to secure academic attire by any of these means, please email phdprof@iastate.edu regarding attire as soon as possible.

Parking:

Parking will be available in Lots B-1 or C-1 to the north of Scheman or Hilton, respectively.
No parking pass is required.
Handicap parking is available in lot C2.

Accommodations:

Presenting professors needing special assistance (e.g., mobility concerns, wheelchair seating, sign language interpreter, captioning services, service animals, etc.) prior to or during the ceremony should contact us as soon as possible.

Check-in/Line-up:

Begin arriving for check-in at 6:00 p.m. on the 100 level (i.e., middle level) of the Scheman Building, but plan to arrive no later than 6:15 p.m.
Presenting professors will check-in by picking up their line-up card at the tables on the south side of the 100-level of the Scheman Building.
Line-up card will have your line-up instructions.
Review any special instructions on your check-in card with Registrar staff when you arrive for check-in.
Once checked-in and attired, proceed to line up area to line up with your graduate(s)..
Presenting professor line-up cards are only for line up area - presenting professors DO NOT take their card to the stage.
We strongly encourage you to leave everything, or as much as possible, home or in your car. The Scheman Building will be locked after once graduates and presenting professors process to Hilton and will not reopen after the ceremony.

Processional/Ceremony Process:

Presenting professors will be led by Faculty Marshals from the line-up area, process into Hilton Coliseum, and will be seated with their candidate(s) on the floor of the coliseum.
For the conferring of degrees, Faculty Marshals will dismiss presenting professors and graduates to the outside aisles (South side/North side respectively) to proceed to the side of the stage where graduates will have their individual photo taken.
- Presenting professors will split from their graduate during the photos - presenting professors remain in line to stairs while graduates form line for photos.
Presenting professors and graduates pair back up at the base of the stairs, are “prepped” by a Faculty Marshal at the top of the stairs, and are led to center stage by a Faculty Marshal for the hooding.
After hooding and handshakes, graduates and presenting professors will exit center stage* and return to their original seats on the floor.
- *Presenting professors hooding multiple graduates will have special instructions to return to the side stage for their next graduate and exit center stairs after hooding all graduates.

Presenting your candidate during the Graduate College Ceremony:

During the awarding of the degrees, a marshal will prompt you when to proceed to the front of the stage.
When your candidate’s name is read, escort him/her/zir to the President or Provost who will be standing center stage.
Your candidate will turn to face the audience and bend slightly at the knees enabling you to put the hood over his/her/zir head and onto his/her/zir shoulders.
Turn back towards the President or Provost. The student will shake hands (optional) with President or Provost.
The student will take a candid photo with the President or Provost.
Next, you may acknowledge your student and extend congratulations.
- If you prefer not to shake hands, please let your graduate know ahead of time and fold hands together after hooding to indicate you do not wish to be offered a handshake.
And finally, the President or Provost will acknowledge you and extend congratulations to you.
- If you prefer not to shake hands, please fold hands together after hooding to indicate you do not wish to be offered a handshake.
Your candidate, and you, will exit the stage via the front center stairs.
At the time your candidate exits the stage to return to his/her/zir seat, you should return to your original seat using the center aisle.

Recessional:

Presenting professors and candidates will not recess, but will remain on the floor.
After the recessional, you are free to take additional photos, meet and greet familieis, or leave, as desired.

Questions or Changes to Presenting Professor

Contact the Graduation Office at phdprof@iastate.edu or at 515-294-1840 with any questions or concerns.