Sunday, June 18, 2017
12:30-2:00pm
We are looking forward to celebrating commencement on Sunday, June 18. For more information about the University-wide commencement ceremony, please visit the main University commencement site. Below is information about what to expect at the departmental ceremony.
General Information
Location
The department ceremony will take place at the Merck Green, located between the Gilbert Building and the Herrin Laboratories. The entire seating area and ceremony will be tented for your convenience.
Time
Graduates and guests normally arrive from the main ceremony between 11:45am and 12:15pm. The ceremony will begin at 12:30pm, and will last until approximately 2:00pm.
Seating and Ticket Information
Tickets are not required, and there is no reserved seating for your guests. All seating is on a first come basis, but there will be plenty of seating and refreshments for all graduates and guests. Due to the weather, the ceremony will take place under a tent to shield guests from the sun.
Wheelchair Seating, Accessibility, and Other Services
The Biology Diploma Ceremony is about a 7-9 block walk from the Stadium. There is a lot of construction occurring in this area, so the closest drop-off is in front of the Sapp Center for Science Teaching and Learning (376 Lomita Drive). From there it is about a half block walk to the ceremony site. From the Stadium, you will exit the Varsity Lot via Sam McDonald Road onto El Camino Real. Make a u-turn at Serra Street and return the opposite direction on El Camino. Exit to the right (University Ave/Palm Drive) and turn left. Continue down Palm Drive to Roth Way and turn right on Roth. At the stop sign, turn left onto Lomita. You'll be able to pull up to a bollard and drop off your guest. They will walk straight ahead until they see signs for the Biology Diploma Ceremony, at which point they will turn right and continue on the pathway between Herrin Hall and Herrin Labs to arrive at the Merck Green, adjacent to the Biology Building. You can park on Roth Way, Lomita Drive, Museum Way, or in the Oval.
There will be a marked section of chairs for guests with wheelchairs and their families to sit directly behind the graduates on the right side, facing the stage. If you or your family need this seating, please RSVP to cbeer@stanford.edu and indicate how many seats you will need. For general information about disability resources, such as access and/or sign language interpretation throughout Commencement Weekend, please see the University's page on additional resources.
For Graduates
Attendance & Name Pronunciation
Whether or not you plan to confer your degree this Spring, you must RSVP if you intend to participate in the Biology Diploma Ceremony.
Undergrads: RSVP by Monday, May 22 using the webform below. Questions can be sent to Carolynn Beer, cbeer@stanford.edu or (650) 723-5060.
Coterm MS and PhDs: RSVP by Monday, May 22 using the appropriate webform below. Questions can be sent to Samantha Schwartz, skschwartz@stanford.edu or (650) 723-1826.
Coterm RSVP Form Ph.D. RSVP Form
Cap & Gown
You can now pre-order your cap and gown online. The deadline for ordering is May 8, 2017.
MS and PhD students – be sure that you get a gold hood with your regalia. At the ceremony, do not put your hood on – hold it on your left arm, so your advisor or the Chair can hood you on stage when your name is announced.
Arrival Time
Please be seated by 12:20pm, as the ceremony will begin at 12:30pm. You will have a reserved seat in front of the stage, so please be sure you're in the correct chair.
Procession
There is no procession at the beginning of the department ceremony. Graduates should be seated at the start of the program in the seat reserved with their name. Seats are arranged in alphabetical order according to degree plan (PhD, MS, BS). If you cannot find a chair with your name, find a staff member immediately and let them know.
Accessibility
Any graduate who needs special accommodations during the ceremony should contact Carolynn Beer as soon as possible.
For Guests
Location
The department ceremony will take place at the Merck Green, located between the Gilbert Building and the Herrin Laboratories. The entire seating area and ceremony will be tented for your convenience.
Time
Graduates and guests normally arrive from the main ceremony starting at 11:45am. Everyone should be seated by 12:20pm. The ceremony will begin at 12:30pm and end around 2:00pm.
Seating and Ticket Information
Tickets are not required, and there is no reserved seating for your guests. All seating is on a first come basis, but there will be plenty of seating and refreshments for all graduates and guests. Due to the weather, the ceremony will take place under a tent to shield guests from the sun.
Photography
There will be no professional photography at the event, but there will be a photography area to the right of the stage. We politely ask that you leave the photography area once your graduate has walked across the stage so other guests may have the opportunity to take pictures and/or videos.
Food
The department will provide hors d’oeuvres, water, and iced tea before the ceremony begins.
Wheelchair Seating, Accessibility, and Other Services
The Biology Diploma Ceremony is about a 7-9 block walk from the Stadium. There is a lot of construction occurring in this area, so the closest drop-off is in front of the Sapp Center for Science Teaching and Learning (376 Lomita Drive). From there it is about a half block walk to the ceremony site. From the Stadium, you will exit the Varsity Lot via Sam McDonald Road onto El Camino Real. Make a u-turn at Serra Street and return the opposite direction on El Camino. Exit to the right (University Ave/Palm Drive) and turn left. Continue down Palm Drive to Roth Way and turn right on Roth. At the stop sign, turn left onto Lomita. You'll be able to pull up to a bollard and drop off your guest. They will walk straight ahead until they see signs for the Biology Diploma Ceremony, at which point they will turn right and continue on the pathway between Herrin Hall and Herrin Labs to arrive at the Merck Green, adjacent to the Biology Building. You can park on Roth Way, Lomita Drive, Museum Way, or in the Oval.
There will be a marked section of chairs for guests with wheelchairs and their families to sit directly behind the graduates on the right side, facing the stage. If you or your family need this seating, please RSVP to cbeer@stanford.edu and indicate how many seats you will need. For general information about disability resources, such as access and/or sign language interpretation throughout Commencement Weekend, please see the University's page on additional resources.
Parking
Parking for the main Commencement ceremony is available in the parking lots surrounding the Stadium. Please note that some lots require a permit. Parking for guests with state-issued or temporary disabled parking permits is available in the Varsity Lot. Due to road closures and limited parking near Gilbert, we recommend leaving your car near the stadium and walking to the department ceremony. There will be an hour between the two events to allow guests and graduates to walk between sites.
