NO REHEARSAL
There will NOT be a rehearsal for this year's commencement ceremony. Graduates only need to participate in the commencement exercises on Sunday, May 5. Any information that is needed about the ceremony is contained on this website. For questions, contact Janeen Hoffman at (937) 512-3508 or janeen.hoffman@sinclair.edu.

COMMENCEMENT ARRIVAL AND LINE-UP
The University of Dayton Arena will open at 4:30 p.m. Please be sure to arrive at the arena by 5:00 p.m. Security officers will direct graduates and guests on where to park upon arrival. Open seating is available for all guests.

You must bring your cap, gown, tassel (which should be worn on the right side of your cap) and graduation card to the ceremony. The line-up will begin promptly at 5:00 p.m. Faculty marshals, dressed in black caps and gowns, with gold marshal sashes will assist you in the line-up and Processional.

Graduates should report to their designated staging area, by division, and should remain in the staging area to expedite the line-up process. Click here for a downloadable version of the commencement floor plan. Directional signage will also be placed around the Arena to assist graduates.

THE CEREMONY
During the ceremony, which will last about two hours, the college’s president, senior vice president and provost, and faculty marshals will provide directions to the graduates. Please listen carefully to their directions. Graduates who have elected to participate in the ceremony must remain for the entire event.

1. The Processional into the arena begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. During the Processional, faculty marshals will lead the graduates to their seating area. Graduates will fill in rows of seats as directed by the faculty marshals. Graduates should remain standing until directed to be seated.
2. Graduates stand for the Invocation and remain standing through the singing of "America the Beautiful." Male graduates should remove their caps for the Invocation.
3. Graduates will take their seats following the singing of "America the Beautiful" and remain seated throughout the commencement address.
4. For the conferring of degrees, Dr. Dave Collins, Interim Senior Vice President and Provost, will ask the graduates to rise and he will present the class to the Board of Trustees and President Steven Johnson. The president will then confer the degrees, after which, all graduates will be seated.
5. Upon a signal from the faculty marshal, graduates will rise one row at a time. Graduates will proceed to the stage area and hand their graduation card to the division dean who will announce the graduate’s name. The graduate will proceed to the president to receive their diploma cover and also be greeted by a member of the Board of Trustees, proceed to the left of the presentation area for a professional photograph and then return to their seat – please remain standing.
6. Upon the faculty marshal’s signal, each row will be seated and remain seated until instructed to rise for the Recessional.
7. The Recessional will flow in the reverse order of the Processional. A faculty marshal will lead each group of graduates out the same aisle that the group used to enter the arena.