Ceremonies
Special Interest Events
There are special events throughout the weekend that you are welcome to expect. Some of these events include:
Friday, May 29, 2020:
- PCPS Graduate Awards Ceremony
- 4:00 pm in the Kane Forum of Leahy Hall
- Honor Outstanding Graduate Student award recipients
- PCPS Human Resources and Scranton Online Education Graduate Student Reception
- 4:30 pm in the Kane Forum of Leahy Hall
- KSOM Graduate Student Reception
- 5:00 pm-7:30pm in Brennan Hall Room 509
- Class Night
- 7:00 pm: Graduates arrive for photographs in the Moskovitz Theater;
- 8:00 pm in DeNaples Center McIllhenny Ballroom;
- Honorees and their families are notified of their receipt of the awards in early May;
- Honor the undergraduate academic award recipients as they are presented by the Dean of their college;
- A reception is hosted immediately following the event;
- Mary Ann Maslar, CAS Dean's Office, 570-941-7560.
Saturday, May 30, 2020:
- Doctor of Physical Therapy Graduation Awards Ceremony
- 8:00 am in DeNaples Center McIllhenny Ballroom
- Nurses' Pinning Ceremony
- 9:30 am in the Long Center
- ROTC Commissioning
- 1:30 pm in Houlihan McLean
- President's Reception
- 8:00 pm-11:00pm in the Byron Center;
- Invitations are sent to families in the early morning. Additional tickets can be purchased when replying to the invitation;
- Drinks and desserts will be served;
- For additional information on this event, please contact the Division of Student Life at 570-941-7680 or visit their website .
- * Schedule and timing is subject to change. *
Graduate Commencement (Tickets not required.)
Graduate Commencement is on Saturday, May 30, 2020. Procession of the graduates will begin at 10:45 am. Graduates line up by Loyola Science Center (by the ornamental clock) beginning at 8:00 am. Doors will open at the Byron Center at 9:00 am. Once the graduates have begun, they will not be allowed to enter the Byron Center until the graduates, faculty, deans and stage parties have been seated.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates from the Byron Center and proceeded to the Green Alumni for a casual reception. All graduates and doctoral graduates are welcome to attend this reception. No RSVP is required. Please join us!
For a map of Graduate activities, please click here .
Baccalaureate Mass (Tickets not required.)
Baccalaureate Mass is on Saturday, May 30, 2020 and will open for the event no later than 3:00 pm. Graduates line up under the Wing Communications on Catlin Court no later than 3:30 pm. Procession will begin promptly at 4:00 pm in the Byron Center at which point the doors to the Byron Center will be closed. If space permits, the doors will be opened once again in their seats.
This event can become very crowded and we encourage you to arrive early. In order to facilitate quick and efficient seating, we ask that guests refrain from saving seats for later arriving guests. There is additional seating available in the Long Center and Mass will be projected on a large screen with Communion also served in this location. Some older guests prefer the overflow area as it is easy to accommodate wheel chairs and is less crowded.
At the conclusion of Mass, the graduates will recess out of the Byron Center and down the Commons. We ask that guests remain in their seats until all graduates have exited the building. At that time, all doors will be opened and you will be able to meet your graduates on the Dionne Green.
Undergraduate Commencement (Tickets not required.)
Undergraduate Commencement is on Sunday, May 31, 2020 at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The address for the Arena is 255 Highland Park Boulevard and is located off exit 168 of Interstate 81 (approximately 18 miles south of campus). Admission tickets are not required for family members and guests of the graduates. The doors will open at 10:45am and the procession of the graduates begins at 12:00pm. Guests may enter the Arena from either the East or West Gates. Graduates must enter at the East Gate. (See this map of the Arena for entry points.) Because of the "real world threat conditions", there is a greatly increased emphasis on security screening at the gates and patrolling in the parking lots.
The concession stands will be open for light refreshments and snacks for guests. Mohegan Sun Arena prohibits food, bottles, cans, coolers, alcoholic beverages and weapons of any kind being brought inside the Arena. All staff, guests and graduates will be screened upon entering the Arena. Smoking is prohibited in the Arena and the consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in the parking lots as well. Police will be monitoring the parking lots and alcohol is not sold at the Arena. As of January 1, 2019, Mohegan Sun Arena implemented a clear bag policy to bring items into the venue. To assist with alleviating the time required to go through security checkpoints, please utilize the following information:
For the best place to watch your graduate, please see this "Best View of Arena Seating" map.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates and guests will be able to meet outside the Arena. Students in the honors programs and the Panuska College of Professional Studies will exit through the East Gate while students in the Kania School of Management and College of Arts & Sciences will exit through the West Gate. It is recommended that you choose a spot to link up graduates and guests away from the Arena building. Please view the diagram for the Arena exiting procedures. The Commencement Ceremony usually ends between 2:30pm and 3:00pm.
Future Commencement Dates
For your planning purposes, the following dates are projected for future Commencement Ceremonies:
May 29 - 30, 2021
May 28 - 29, 2022
Photographs and Flowers
Photographs:
- A photographer from GradImages™ will be at the Graduate and Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies to take a photograph of the graduate at their special moment of recognition.
- Prior to your Commencement ceremony, you can pre-register your permanent e-mail address by visiting the GradImages™ website and click on "Pre-Event Registration". You can add contact information for up to 6 additional relatives and/or friends.
- A free passport-sized digital proof of this photo on an order card will be sent within 5-7 days following the ceremony.
- After the ceremony, you may order photographs online or call 1-800-261-2576. Questions may be emailed to service@gradimages.com.
- Since these professional photographs will be available, family members and guests are encouraged to remain in their seats, relax and enjoy the ceremony.
GradImages ™ never have nor never sell or share the address / e-mail information provided to any other vendor.
Flowers & University of Scranton Gift Items:
- The University of Scranton bookstore will sell flower arrangements, graduate degrees and University of Scranton gift items / apparel during the beginning ceremonies. For Saturday events, the University bookstore (located in the DeNaples Center) will be open from 8:00 am-5:00pm. For Beginning Undergraduate, the bookstore will also have a table in the concession area on the main concourse level of the Arena.
- You are welcome to pre-order flowers through their website .
- Upon ordering flowers, you will receive a payment confirmation. The flower concessions will be located at the Byron Center for Beginning Graduate, and at both the East and West Gates at the Arena for Undergraduate Commencement. At the East Gate, the flowers are located within the Information Tent. The flowers will be labeled for you to help ensure a quick pick up using your payment confirmation.
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