In the Event of Adverse Weather
In the event of adverse weather Graduation Exercises on May 15, 2009 will be held at McAlister Field House on The Citadel campus at 11:00 AM.

All candidates travel on their own, with their robes, to The Citadel campus. MUSC Public Safety will be on hand at the entrance gates to direct candidates to parking lots.

Robing/Line-Up
9:30 AM
Report with your regalia to the Deas Gymnasium. Staff will give you a card showing your line-up number. Robe yourself and assume your position in line (overhead signs will indicate number).

Processional
10:30 AM
Candidates are escorted by marshals in two continuous lines from the gym into McAlister Field House. It is essential that candidates remain in their assigned positions to manage seating and crossing the stage.

11:00 AM
The Grand Marshal will appear on the platform in front of the candidate seating area, signal the musicians for the fanfare, and then announce with vigor, "Let the procession begin."

Candidates, led by marshals in two columns, will enter after the Golden Grads.

Once in their proper row and seat, candidates should be seated. Candidates rise when faculty process.

Program
President introduces minister and requests invocation.

All males remove hats during the invocation. Hats are replaced after the invocation.

President directs assemblage to be seated. President welcomes audience, introduces platform guests, and makes announcements.

President introduces the speaker. The address follows.

Conferring of Degrees
The Vice-President for Academic Affairs (AAVP) announces the honorary degrees, which are conferred by the President.

The AAVP introduces the Dean of the College of Health Professions.

As the Dean rises, the first row of B.S. candidates from the College of Health Professions rises and moves toward the steps (on their right) which leads to the platform. Candidates pass their name card to the reader and ascend the steps in order and wait at the top until their name is read. As the name is being read, the candidate walks across the stage, receives a congratulatory handshake from the Dean, the President (in the center of the platform), walks across to the Chairman of the Board, receives a congratulatory folder, and shakes hands with the Chairman. The candidate walks ahead, down the second set of steps and back along the proper row to his/her seat (and sits immediately). A marshal will direct graduates into the proper row. (Note: candidates claim their diplomas after the ceremony at their robing sites, except for Nursing which will be Nursing building room 220.)

After all candidates within the degree group have crossed the stage, the President goes to the microphone and requests that the candidates rise and then confers the degrees. The President signals the graduates to be seated.

Next, the same procedure is repeated for each group.

President introduces the president of the Joint Alumni Association.

President congratulates graduates, thanks the speaker, and expresses appreciation to the audience for attending. Minister gives benediction. (All males remove their hats. Hats are then replaced.) Graduates and faculty remain standing.

Recessional
Recessional music begins. Presidential party exits first, then the faculty, and then the graduates. Those who entered last are the first to leave.

After the faculty pass, the person nearest the aisle on the last two rows falls in immediately behind the faculty. The first person to enter the row during the processional is the first to leave. Those who entered on the right aisle should exit on the left and those who entered on the left should exit on the right.

All return to MUSC robing rooms to claim diploma. Rooms will be open until 2:00 PM. Pick up your diploma in these areas on the MUSC campus:

Designated rooms will remain open until 2:00 PM in the event of adverse weather.