Marshals will be sent their specific assignments by the CHHS Office of Student Affairs.
12:45 pm Marshal Check-In: Marshals should arrive at the Hospitality Room on the ground floor of EagleBank Arena, outside of the Green Room. Marshals should check-in with a college staff member by the “Marshal Check-In” sign. You will be given an instruction sheet and a program seating chart for the arena.
1:30 pm Student Line-Up: There will be two lines of students in Parking Lot A on the east side of EagleBank Arena, a bachelor’s degree line and a master’s degree line. Please assist students to line-up in single file in alphabetical order behind the sign listing their major.
Reader Cards: Help staff distribute a reader card to each student. Ensure that students in your group have filled out the card which they will hand to the reader before they cross the stage.
How to fill out a reader card:
- Write full name legibly on the card.
- Include a phonetic spelling of the name if it may be difficult for the reader to pronounce.
- Readers are instructed to read only the name of the student (not a double major, minor, nickname, or messages to friends and family).
Major Card: Staff will distribute one bright-colored “major card” to the first person in the line for each major. Please instruct this student to remain at the beginning of the line for the major since this card informs the readers that students in a new major are about to cross the stage. The student should present the major card first and his or her name card second.
1:50 pm: Events Management staff will cue student lines to move closer to the loading dock door.
2 pm: The processional begins into EagleBank Arena. Please stay with your group and keep students in single file. The bachelor’s and master’s students will enter the arena in two parallel lines. Two faculty line-leaders will lead students into EagleBank arena and count-off the students for each row. Walk with your students into the arena and take a seat with your group at the end of a row.
The Presentation of Degrees
College staff will cue students to the stage at the appropriate time. When your students are cued to the stage, marshals should stand in the aisle to facilitate students returning to their rows. If students leave purses, umbrellas, or cell phones behind on the floor when they walk to the stage, please help clear the floor by pushing these items under the chairs or putting them on their seats. Students should be discouraged from leaving before the ceremony has ended out of respect for their fellow graduates. Students who need to use a restroom should be directed to the college staff in the back of the arena who will direct them to a restroom.
Recessional
At the end of the Degree Celebration, the platform party leaves first, followed by the faculty, the doctoral students, and the bachelor’s and master’s students. Please assist by having students ready to exit row-by-row to their right (when facing stage), beginning front row to back row. All will exit through the loading dock doors in the rear of the arena. There is a reception at Peterson Hall for students, friends, and families following the ceremony.
Questions
Contact Lesley Irminger at lirminge@gmu.edu or 703-993-6061