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Wharton

MBA Program Office

WHARTON MBA GRADUATION CEREMONY - SUNDAY, MAY 18, 2008

!!!! YOU MUST ASSEMBLE AT NOON ON THE NORTH SIDE (OUTSIDE) OF FRANKLIN FIELD - IN THE PARKING LOT BY HUTCHINSON GYM AT NOON (Ceremony begins at 1 PM)!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!! It’s almost here – graduation day. Following is a list of important information that you will NEED to know on and before the May 18 ceremony.

MarchingOrder.com: MarchingOrder.com is the system we use to track graduation data. You will receive notification of when the system is live for Wharton students. Once in MarchingOrder.com, you will be asked to provide us with information like:

  • Whether or not you will be attending the Graduation Ceremony;
  • How you would like your name to appear in the Ceremony Program;
  • How to phonetically pronounce your name;
  • Your hometown;
  • If any of your guests require special needs seating.

Regalia: All graduates must wear Cap, Gown and Hood: Caps and Gowns must be ordered through the Penn Bookstore on 36 th and Walnut Streets from March 19 - 21. The cost of renting regalia is $50.61 including tax. Note that all students who plan to participate in the MBA Graduation Ceremony must wear the regalia issued by the school. Students who come to the ceremony without the proper regalia will not be permitted on the field. Cap Tassels: Tassels should be worn to the right to indicate that your degree has not yet been officially conferred (which occurs by official proclamation of President Amy Gutmann during the University Commencement the following day). The velvet band on your hood indicates your discipline (tan for the MBA); this band should lie flat around the front of your neck, and should be turned under to form a cuff at the lower back of your hood, revealing the satin University colors, Red and Blue. Don’t worry – we’ll have plenty of staff on hand to help you with your hood that day.

Family Members and Guests

Arrival : The southeast gates (marked SJ-SN) to Franklin Field (at 33 rd & Spruce Streets) will open at 12:00pm . Please do not tell your family to come any earlier, as there are plenty of wonderful seats! Tickets are not required for entry to Franklin Field, unless you requested Special Needs seating. If you indicated on marchingorder.com that you required special needs seating, you will be notified by the MBA Program Office how to obtain these special needs tickets.

Students will march into Franklin Field and will be seated by Cohort. Once the field set-up diagram is finalized, it will be posted to this website so that you can tell your family and friends in the audience where to find you on the field.

Parking : Parking is in short supply at Franklin Field. A listing of available lots can be found at http://www.upenn.edu/commencement/visitor/parking.html.

Line-up: Assemble at 12:00 pm on the north side (outside) of Franklin Field- in the parking lot by Hutchinson Gym. When you arrive at the line-up area, there will be cohort signs prominently placed for line-up and your names will also be on these signs. THE LINES WILL BEGIN TO walk onto FRANKLIN FIELD AT 12:30 P.M.

You will be instructed to follow a Marshal in one of four lines. Lines will move onto Franklin Field two-at-a-time. PLEASE STAY IN PLACE UNTIL YOUR LINE BEGINS MOVING….

Please note stage set-up and flow of processional: At 1:00pm, the pre-ceremony music will end. The Class of 2007 will be “presented.” The Fanfare and Processional music will begin. When the Fanfare begins, all four lines will turn to center and follow flow through cattle-chute set-up. The flow is through the opti-screen set-up, turn accordingly around stage past the seating area and back up through the center aisles.

Seating: Per the diagram, the Faculty Marshals will lead their lines into the proper sections. Once you are at your seat, REMAIN STANDING throughout the Alumni Processional and the Faculty Processional.

Ceremony

REMAIN STANDING until Jay Dearborn, WGA President, steps to the podium and instructs the class to be seated. REMAIN SEATED throughout the Ceremony except during the Recognition of Graduates.

Recognition of Graduates: The Marshals will approach each row- from the left side for sections 1 & 2 and from the right side for sections 3 & 4 - and will signal the row to rise (leaving programs on the seats). As the Marshal directs you, each row will walk up the ramp at the left side of the stage, remaining in single file.

During the line-up process, you will be given a card with a number on it. These cards are necessary to make sure all students cross the stage in the proper alphabetic order. As you approach the stage, your card will be collected by an usher. Wait at the top of the ramp for Vice Dean Anjani Jain to call your name.

After your name is called, walk quickly across the stage to Dean Robertson, who will shake your hand. A photographer will snap a photo at this time.

Continue across the stage, down the left ramps and return directly to your seat, as directed by a Marshall or staff. STAND until all members of your row have returned, then SIT DOWN TOGETHER as a row. Returning to your seat is crucial, since standing in the aisles prevents the smooth, speedy flow of the process, and it’s unfair to your classmates with names late in the alphabet.

Special Note Regarding Photography: Please explain to your family that the setup of the stadium (and the ushers) will prevent them from getting close to the stage or graduate sections to take your picture. All guest seating is in the east section of Franklin Field, separated from the students. We have arranged professional photographers to take pictures of each graduate as he/she shakes hands with the Dean. Each graduate will then be mailed a proof, and will have the opportunity to place an order.

Children: We appreciate that for most of you your family, including your partners and children, have been your constant support and inspiration throughout your last 2 years. In the past, students have wanted to honor this fact by bringing their children on to the field and/or up on stage with them as they are recognized as a graduate.  Although we would love to be able to accommodate this, the briskness of the process (15 names per minute) makes this impossible. In order to make certain that each of you receive the same time and attention as you cross the stage, we ask that you DO NOT bring your children on to the field and/or stage with you. If you should try to bring your child/children with you on stage, the ushers on Franklin Field will be instructed to have you wait until a family member can take the child from you, which may prevent you from getting any time on stage at all.

Cell Phones: Please do not carry cell phones with you during the graduation ceremony. As per the University's graduation instructions: "Cellular phones must be turned off prior to entering Franklin Field. Use of cellular phones during Commencement is disruptive to other students and to guests."

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Recessional/End of Ceremony: At the end of Vice Dean Jain’s closing remarks, he will ask all graduates to stand. REMAIN STANDING for the Faculty and Alumni Recessional. The Faculty Recessional will leave the stadium.

Once the faculty have recessed, the faculty marshals will lead their sections out of the back-left corners. All will spill into center aisle. EACH MARSHAL WILL INSTRUCT THE BACK ROW TO EMPTY AND THEN MOVE TO THE NEXT ROW. CONTINUE UNTIL ALL ROWS ARE CLEARED. Students should move quickly. Ushers will be there to help this process. Please see diagram.

PLEASE ASK YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO MEET YOU OUTSIDE OF THE STADIUM.

Reception: The graduation reception will immediately follow the ceremony in Jon M. Huntsman Hall from 3:30pm- 5:30pm . Food will be available in the Baker Forum and Koo Plaza. However, those areas will get congested, so we recommend that you and your families take advantage of a last opportunity to be with your cohorts.  Rooms will be designated for each Cohort to meet with families and have a place to sit while eating.

Rain: While we wait anxiously for the weather forecast, many of you have already wondered what we will do if there is rain on Sunday, May 18. If there is a light drizzle through a steady downpour - WE WILL STILL hold the ceremony in Franklin Field. Bring umbrellas and dress appropriately under your cap & gown (i.e., don't wear white as the gowns may bleed a bit, don't wear heels, etc.) Trust us – some of the most fun graduations have been held in the rain! If there is severe weather, meaning uncommonly high winds and/or thunder and lightning - we will move to the Palestra - located adjacent to Franklin Field. You will be notified of this move upon your arrival at Franklin Field.