PHHP-Related Spring Ceremonies: May 1 and 2, 2025
Commencement season marks a significant milestone for graduates, symbolizing the culmination of their hard work and dedication, and the beginning of new opportunities and adventures in their personal and professional lives. Here you’ll find the information you need as you prepare to participate in the week’s events.
Having maximum faculty and staff participate in a ceremony is a priority for the college, in particular:
PHHP College Recognition Ceremony: Deans, chairs, program directors, key teaching faculty are in platform party, 30 volunteer marshals needed
UF Doctoral Ceremony: Dean Virnig, faculty hooding graduates, seven volunteer marshals needed
University-wide commencement: Dean Virnig attends, five volunteer marshals needed
Important Dates
March 20: Deadline for Platform Party Registration and ordering regalia*
March 26: Deadline for Marshal registration
April: Marshal rehearsal (date TBD)
May 1: UF Doctoral Ceremony (9 a.m.)
- Honors PhD, AuD, OTD and DPT Graduates
May 1: Delta Omega Ceremony (12:30 p.m)
May 1: PHHP College Recognition Ceremony (7 p.m.)
- Honors Master’s and Bachelor’s Graduates
- PhD, AuD, OTD and DPT Graduates are welcome to attend, names will be read but graduates will not be hooded.
May 2: University Wide Commencement Ceremony (7 p.m.)
- Honors all graduates but Master’s and Bachelor’s Graduates in particular
* Marshals do not need to order regalia
Participant Registration
Doctoral Ceremony
Faculty participants: Dean Virnig, faculty who are hooding graduates
Marshals: All faculty and staff who regularly interact with graduating students including PhD, doctoral, master’s and undergraduate programs
Date, Time and Location: May 1, 2025 at 9 a.m. (Stephen C. O’Connell Center)
College Recognition Ceremony
Platform Party Participants: Deans, department chairs, program directors, faculty who teach in our undergraduate and master’s programs
Marshals: Staff who regularly interact with graduating students, faculty who are not part of the platform party
Date, Time and Location: May 1, 2025 at 7 p.m. (Stephen C. O’Connell Center)
- Platform party arrive 5:30 p.m.
- Marshals arrive 5 p.m.
Deadline to register: March 20, 2025
University Wide Ceremony
Faculty participants: Dean Virnig
Marshals: All faculty and staff who regularly interact with graduating students including PhD, doctoral, master’s and undergraduate programs
Date, Time and Location: May 2, 2025 at 7 p.m. (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium)
Deadline to register: March 26, 2025
FAQs
What are the differences between the ceremonies?
How do I know which event to sign up for?
Can I marshal if I’m also hooding a graduate?
I signed up to marshal. What will be my responsibilities?
I have a marshal assignment I’m not familiar with. How should I prepare?
What are the differences between the ceremonies?
The Doctoral Ceremony recognizes doctoral candidates from all colleges. PhD, AuD, OTD and DPT graduates will be recognized. The Dean and student advisors attend this event as well as seven marshals from PHHP.
The College Recognition Ceremony is open to all PHHP graduates but is typically attended by master’s and bachelor’s graduates. Each graduate is individually recognized during this ceremony. Last year, we welcomed 475 graduates and their guests to the O’Connell Center. We expect all deans, chairs, program directors, concentration coordinators and key teaching faculty to participate as a member of the platform party. Staff and other faculty are asked to serve as marshals during this event.
The University Wide Commencement Ceremony is where bachelor’s, master’s and specialist’s degrees will be conferred at the end of the Spring semester. This event also includes the symbolic “Turning of the Tassel,” where graduates of bachelor’s programs move their tassel from the right to the left to signify the completion of a degree program (master’s students have already completed a degree program so their tassel should be worn on the left at the start of the ceremony). The Dean attends this event as well as five marshals from PHHP. This event is optional for all others.
How do I know which event(s) to sign up for?
For the UF Doctoral Ceremony, faculty members who have taught doctoral graduates and will not be hooding a graduate(s) are asked to marshal.
For the Recognition Ceremony, deans, chairs, program directors and concentration coordinators are expected to be part of the platform party.
Faculty and staff who regularly interact with undergraduate and master’s students are expected to serve as marshals at either the College Recognition Ceremony or the University Wide Commencement Ceremony.
Can I marshal at the Doctoral Ceremony if I’m also hooding a graduate?
The ceremonial hooding of graduates is a special moment for both the graduate and the escort. As such, those who are hooding graduates during the Doctoral Ceremony may not serve as marshals simultaneously. However it would be greatly appreciated if you served as a marshal during another ceremony.
What time should I arrive?
Doctoral Ceremony
Faculty and staff working the doctoral ceremony should arrive in the O’Connell Center parking lot at 6:45am, then enter the O’Connell Center through Gate 4. For more information on working the Doctoral Ceremony, please visit the UF Commencement website.
College Recognition Ceremony
Doors will open 90 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony and the processional begins 30 minutes prior to the start of ceremony.
Marshals need to arrive 2 hours before the start of the ceremony (5 p.m.) to get settled and ready to receive graduates when the doors open.
Members of the platform party need to arrive 90 minutes before the ceremony (5:30) to get settled and ready for the processional.
University Wide Ceremony
Faculty and staff working at this ceremony should arrive at the designated check-in space (TBD). For more information on working the University Wide Ceremony, please visit the UF Commencement website.
Where should I park?
Parking during graduation week is challenging because there are multiple events happening. Please give yourself enough time to arrive and find parking.
Doctoral Ceremony
Employee parking for the Doctoral Ceremony is in the O’Connell Center lot, in the spaces closest to University Avenue, allowing the garage and closer spaces to be available for our graduates and guests.
College Recognition Ceremony
Participants will be provided parking passes for the gated lot next to the Stephen C. O’Connell Center however, you are not required to park in that area. Parking restrictions throughout campus will be lifted incrementally.
If the gated lot becomes full, employee are encouraged to park in the O’Connell Center lot in the spaces closest to University Avenue allowing the garage and closer spaces to be available for our graduates and guests.
University Wide Ceremony
Faculty and staff working at the University Wide Ceremony will have a designated parking area. More details will become available as we get closer to the ceremony.
Where do I go once I arrive?
Doctoral Ceremony: Enter through Gate 4 of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center and check in with the event coordinators.
PHHP Recognition Ceremony: Enter through Gate 4 of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center and check in with the event coordinators.
University Wide Ceremony: The ceremony is held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, you will receive detailed instructions prior to the event.
What should I wear?
Marshals for all ceremonies will be provided marshal robes to wear over your business casual clothing. Comfortable shoes are recommended, as these roles require periods of standing and walking.
Members of the platform party for the College Recognition Ceremony and faculty hooding doctoral candidates wear regalia.
- Members of the platform party must register and order regalia by March 20, 2025.
- Faculty hooding doctoral candidates must order regalia through Herff Jones by March 21, 2025.
How long is the ceremony?
Most ceremonies last approximately 2 hours.
I signed up to marshal. What will I be doing?
Marshal assignments will be determined in the weeks leading up to the ceremonies and will be based on prior experience. You will be notified of your assignments in advance.
A training will be held prior to each ceremony to ensure you understand your marshal assignment. Training dates and times will be communicated once confirmed.
Contact
For more information, please contact events@phhp.ufl.edu.