UH Law Center Commencement Ceremony

• One ceremony per year • Stand alone ceremony (law school only) • Indoors – held in basketball arena; no

tickets, no limit on guests (3000-4000 attend)

• Hooding Ceremony (diplomas mailed to students after grades are submitted)

• Participants– December Graduates, May & August Candidates

• JD and LLM students (300-400 graduates) • Duration – 2 ½ hours

Processional Two lines led by students holding the College Banner and the University Mace (top 2 students chosen); platform party followed by the graduates

Ceremony National Anthem - sung by (93’ alumnus) Welcome & Recognition of Distinguished Guests – Dean Welcome and Introductory Remarks – University President Greetings – Chair, Board of Regents Commencement Address - speaker selected by Dean Conferral of Degrees – University President Hooding – elected faculty members (2) or guest hooder (family member that graduated from UH Law Center or a parent that is a judge), Announced – student name, area of concentration, honors, Distinguish Service Award (winners find out at ceremony), student photo taken after hooding Welcome from Alumni – President , Law Alumni Association Student Speaker – elected class speaker Closing Remarks - Dean

Recessional Platform party is led off stage by students holding Mace and College Banner to the building next door; students follow last platform guest

Reception Held on the grounds of the Law Center for all graduates and guests. Food, Beverages, and Entertainment provided

Commencement Information Packet All the information and timelines that the students need to participate in the ceremony: (Date, time, and location) * RSVP – online or submit forms (data gathering for the program, contact information, guest accommodations, faculty hooders, class speaker, etc. * Regalia ordering – online or through law bookstore (gown, hood, and tam) * Line-cards and graduation day instructions/map * Honors Designation – Summa Cum Laude (top 2%), Magna Cum Laude (top 10%), Cum Laude (top 20%) * Order of the COIF information

Other Duties * Law program – program data, meet print schedules, proof read names * Distinguish Services Awards – awarded at graduation to students that have demonstrated outstanding service to the school (Framed Certificates) * Order Gift for the graduates – leather business card holder with school name and LEX shield/logo * Rehearsal – my staff, class speaker, two students selected to lead the lines (students with highest GPA) * Hire photographer, videographer, and brass band for ceremony * Stage and floor set –up for platform party & graduates * Parking * Print Dean Congratulatory Letters

website : http://www.law.uh.edu/student/commencement.asp

• Platform party - University President, Regents, University General Counsel, Dean, Commencement Speaker, Associate Deans, and law faculty (64 chairs on stage)

• National Anthem singer – (‘93) alumnus • 300-400 Graduates • 3000-4000 guests • 3 photographers and 2 videographers • 5 brass band ensemble • 2 sign language interpreters • 15 volunteers (includes my office) • 10 -15 Security guards (provided by university) • University police (5-6 officers) • 2 Health Center staff

Platform party Interpreter

Are there unique things about your program others might like to know about? Any creative ideas and problem solving? Challenges? Regalia – rent, buy? Who distributes? What type of regalia? Rehearsal? Yes or No Who participates? Reception?

Duties: Contact: Start Date: Deadline/End date: Law Center: Comments:

Commencement Coordinators Meetings

Renia S. LusbyThe Office of Special EventsUniversity of Houston111 E. Cullen BuildingHouston, Texas 77204-2025713-743-8163 Office713-743-8167 fax

Receive commencement date, time, and location (late-December); Meetings start in late February

Last meeting held the week before Commencement

Derrick Gabriel & Charlotte Jefferson

receives the date/time for UHLC Commencement and following meetings help get the arrangements set-up for commencement

Contact Bookstore to set-up dates for regalia rental, price, announcements, etc.

Laura UriarteOperations ManagerUniversity Of Houston BookstoreBarnes & Noble 510/2413Phone: (713) 748-0923 x 102Fax: (713) 748-8719

Contact mid-January

Need information to place in packet. Packet is distributed end of February to students via email and posted on website

Derrick GabrielInformation on the cost of regalia rental and set up, purchasing announcements, etc.

Printing Schedule for programs

Eric Dowding; Printing Plant

Receives print schedule at Coordinators meeting in February; 1st proof due mid- March

Final proofs due back to printing the week before Commencement; Late-April

Derrick Gabriel

There are 3 deadlines to meet to guarantee that your programs will be ready for Commencement - Initial program information and student names due early March 1st proof of galleys should be returned two weeks later; third proofing of galleys (last time to make corrections) due the week before the ceremony. Have two different people check spelling of names against the RSVP forms submitted.

Commencement Information Packet Derrick Gabriel Start revisions 1st week

in November

Packet is emailed to currently enrolled students, e-mailed and mailed to December grads, and placed on the web no later than the 1st week in March at the latest; Online RSVP available

Derrick Gabriel and Ruth McCleskey

Once the information is finalized, the packet is sent to December, and May & August graduates. The packet has all the information students will need with deadlines. Honors, RSVP form, Hooder and Class speaker voting, regalia rental information, line-up cards, etc.

RSVP Form Derrick Gabriel

Information used to verify the spelling of the graduates name, number of guest for reception, Guest Hooder information, Special accommodations for guest

RSVP form due 3 1/2 weeks after packets are sent Derrick Gabriel

Enter name and address information into the database for the program and photographer labels. Will use form to check spelling of names listed in the program.

Distinguish Service Award Sondra Tennessee

Sends out notice to faculty for student nominations/students selected for award by faculty vote; Late-February

Faculty vote for the recipients at the March faculty meting. Awards Certificates sent to add calligraphy and to be framed early April

Derrick Gabriel

Class Speaker Derrick Gabriel

Student that received the most nominations by the graduating class will present the class speech; late-February

Mid-March Derrick Gabriel Have speaker attend rehearsal

Program Data Derrick Gabriel

Graduate names and program information needed for first print schedule deadline - early March

Final program updates/corrections have to be made by the final galley proofing in late April early May

Derrick Gabriel, Kathy Brannon, Charlotte Jefferson

Charlotte will give me the program information layout and regents, faculty, and alumni board. Kathy will check the names for the alumni board, and Charlotte will check administration info.

Special Guest Hooder List and guest hooder instructions

Derrick Gabriel

Names retained from RSVP form. Start inputting names in an Excel spreadsheet first week in April

Information sent out to the graduate for their guest hooder; mid-April

Derrick GabrielGuest hooder will not wear regalia; nice dress and dark suit for men

Special Accommodations List Derrick Gabriel

Names retained from online RSVP of guest that will need special accommodations - parking, luxury boxes, etc.

Notify parking of color tag our special guest will be using for parking, give examples to Cliff at last Coordinators meeting ; 1st week in May

Derrick Gabriel

Parking tags are given to the graduate for their guest requiring accommodations along with instructions and a map

Dean's letters Derrick Gabriel/Kelli ClineHave the dean look over the congratulatory letter in late-February

Letters should be printed, signed by the Dean, and stuffed no later than the first week in May

Derrick/Kelli

Give Kelli the letter used the year before for the Dean to review. After corrections are made, print letters, and have the Dean sign them. Letters should be in order based on the line-up cards. After being signed, stuff and seal letters, and place in boxes to be taken over to commencement .

Photographer labels Derrick Gabriel/Vicky Crain

Send excel spreadsheet to photographer with graduate mailing address

1st week in May Derrick Gabriel Send electronic listing to photographer in excel

ReceptionSondra Teneesee,Vicky Crain, Shannon Smith, Erin Galus, Rob Gonzalez

Collect bids, select caterer, set up contracts, etc. for reception

Caterer selected no later than November

Shannon Smith, Erin Galus, Robert Gonzalez

Responsible for caterer and set up for reception

Ceremony - handout Dean's letter and Class Photo

Career Development

Hand out Dean's letter and class gift to graduates after being hooded on their way back to seating

Day of ceremony Allison Regan, Long Pham, Lisa Raynor

Regalia pick-up Law Bookstore

Student can start picking up their regalia at the law bookstore starting last week in April through the day before the ceremony

All regalia must be picked up the day before the ceremony

Line-up cards, instructions and map Derrick Gabriel

Print out numbered line-up cards for the graduates, and instructions for that day to be given out the last two weeks of school for the ceremony

The cards should be ready before exams start; last week in April. Students pick up cards and information 1st week in May

Derrick Gabriel

The cards will contain the graduate number & name, area of concentration, name of guest hooder, honors, and phonetic spelling of name for pronunciation. Two sets of cards are printed.

Line Break and Line-up Posters Derrick Gabriel

Create two posters with the line break ranges for line-up in Yeoman Field house

Have signs done the day before the ceremony Derrick Gabriel Objective - break lines evenly.

Miscellaneous Derrick Gabriel

Rope and signs for picture areas, tape, pens, back-up line-up cards, etc.

Take with me to commencement day of ceremony

Derrick Gabriel