Commencement Ceremony: Day-Of Guide
Purdue Northwest will host an outdoor Commencement ceremony at 12:00 P.M. (noon) on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the Hammond campus for Spring 2024 graduates.
Inclement Weather Date: Sunday, May 5, 2024
Location
Purdue University Northwest – Hammond Campus
173rd Street North Parking Lot
Hammond, IN 46323
General Information for Graduates and Their Guests
The ceremony will last approximately 2 1/2 hours. Participants will not be permitted to leave the commencement venue until the ceremony is concluded.
Parking
Graduates and guests may park in the 169th Street lot and adjacent parking garage, which are accessible from both 169th Street and Wicker Avenue.
COVID-19 Precautions
All PNW COVID-19 protocols must be followed while on campus.
Live Stream of Commencement Ceremony
The commencement ceremony will be streamed live on the PNW website for those guests who could not obtain a ticket.
Live stream of Commencement Ceremony
Campus Bookstore
Hours for the campus Bookstore located in the Student Union Library Building are 12:30 to 4:30 P.M. on the day of Commencement.
Photo Opportunities
Graduates and their guests are welcome to take photos following the commencement ceremony with the PNW lions sporting their black mortarboards at the PNW bell tower or use the PNW-themed backdrops located on the first-floor concourse of the Student Union Library Building.
Have commencement questions? Feel free to contact the Graduation Coordinator at (219) 989-2334 or at graduation@pnw.edu.
Ceremony
Candidates should report to outside of Lawshe Hall (Woodmar Avenue side of the building) starting at 10:00 A.M. and no later than 11:15 A.M. Candidates will check in at their college’s table to receive a card showing their name as it will be announced on stage. If there are any changes, make sure they are clearly marked on the card. You must arrive wearing your cap and gown. Please leave all personal belongings (such as coats, purses or bags) with your guests prior to the ceremony. The processional will start promptly at 12:00 PM (noon).
Grad Images will be available for photos during check-in between 10:00 A.M. and 11:15 A.M. They will also take pictures as candidates cross the stage to receive their degrees. There is no obligation to purchase.
Additional Information
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), any candidate who might require special accommodations to participate in the commencement ceremony should call Noemi Elizalde, the Graduation Coordinator, at (219) 989-2334 or email graduation@pnw.edu no later than [Date: TBA], to make appropriate arrangements.
Honor cords will be presented to participants who qualify for graduation “with Distinction” or “with Highest Distinction” upon check-in. Please note that only those receiving an undergraduate degree are eligible to graduate with honors. A candidate for the baccalaureate degree with distinction must have a minimum of 65 hours of credit earned at Purdue University included in the computation of the overall GPA. The minimum cumulative GPA for graduation with distinction in each college is determined by the top 10% of its graduating class each fall.
Keep the diploma cover that is given to you during the commencement exercises. Once you receive your diploma from the Office of the Registrar, you may insert it into the diploma cover.
All guests wishing to view the commencement ceremony in person must have an electronic ticket supplied by the candidate for graduation. To comply with fire codes, every person, including children, must have a ticket.
Entry doors for guest seating will open at 10:30 A.M. for the commencement ceremony. Guests should be seated no later than 11:45 A.M. to view the entire processional and ceremony. The processional will start promptly at 12:00 P.M. (noon).
Additional Information
Strollers must be checked at the entry gate of the venue and will not be allowed into the seating area. Do not bring backpacks or other large bags. Small purses are permitted. The University Police will inspect all bags.
Balloons, horns or other loud noisemakers are not allowed in the Commencement venue.
Guests may bring a sealed plastic bottled water or other non-alcoholic beverage, as no concessions will be available on site. Alcohol is prohibited.
Limited mobility seating will be available in the venue for individuals requiring special accommodations and one additional guest. All other guests must utilize general seating. Please see any staff member in a gold robe for assistance on the day of the commencement ceremony. All specially seated guests must have an admission ticket supplied by the candidate.
A sign language interpreter will be provided for those with hearing impairments.
Camera and video equipment are allowed as long as they do not distract other guests. Tripods are not allowed in the Commencement venue. An independent professional photographer will take pictures of each graduate as they receive their degree. Photos will be available for purchase a few weeks following Commencement.
Conferring of Degrees
The order of commencement exercises will be as follows:
- Academic Procession – Candidates for Graduation, Faculty, and Platform Party
- Address to the Candidates
- Conferring of Degrees
- Recessional – Platform Party, Faculty, and Graduates
Master’s candidates will have their degrees conferred while standing at their seats. When the signal is given, you will follow your marshal to the stage. As you come to the stage-right lectern, the presenter marshal will call your name. Proceed across the stage to receive your diploma. When you return to your seat, please be seated.
Undergraduate candidates will be presented to the Board of Trustees by school. The dean for each college will call for their baccalaureate candidates to stand. Once candidates in all colleges have been presented, degrees are conferred.
The presenter marshal will call the graduates to come forward as he asks the marshals to escort them to the platform to receive their diplomas. The marshals will lead the graduates, by college, from the seating area in single-file procession order to the stage. When you come to the stage-right lectern on stage, hand your reader card to the presenter marshal. Once your name is called, you will proceed across the stage and receive your diploma. When you return to your seat, please be seated.
When all diplomas have been awarded and the graduates are back in their seats, representatives of the PNW Alumni Community and the senior class will speak. There will be a recessional for the platform party and faculty, followed by the graduates.