In the event of rain, Elon's undergraduate Commencement will be divided into two ceremonies to allow all students to receive their degrees in Alumni Gym. Read this note for details of the plan.
If rain forces Elon to move Commencement from Under the Oaks into Alumni Gym this spring, the Class of 2015 will be divided in two groups and identical ceremonies will be held at separate times.
According to the new rain plan, a ceremony for students receiving Bachelor of Arts degrees will begin in Alumni Gym at 9:15 a.m. on May 23, and a second ceremony will begin at 1:15 p.m. for students receiving Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degrees.
According to Jeffrey Clark, executive director of cultural and special programs, the two ceremonies will have about the same number of graduates and the commencement speaker will address students at both programs. Commencement exercises also will be broadcast via closed-circuit television to numerous campus locations, including McCrary Theatre and the Great Hall in the Global Neighborhood.
“Our rain plan will allow the full graduation ceremony to be held in Alumni Gym,” Clark said. “It will preserve the ceremony for graduates, family members in attendance in Alumni Gym and those viewing it on large screens across campus.”
The School of Law Commencement, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 23, will be held at the same time regardless of the weather.
While anyone may attend the Commencement ceremony Under the Oaks, graduates are allotted two rain location tickets, which they need to pick up in advance at Alamance 109 (Office of Student Life) in early May. It is the responsibility of each graduate to give the tickets to those who will use them if the rain plan is necessary.
Guests who do not have tickets for Alumni Gym will be asked to view the ceremony at other locations across campus. That information will be included in the 2015 Commencement Pocket Guide and on the Commencement website. In addition, the ceremony will be streamed online.
The decision to implement the rain plan may be made the evening before graduation, 15 minutes prior to the start of the 9:15 a.m. ceremony or during the ceremony, if the rain begins to fall after the event has begun. Information will be available via the E-Net website or on a prerecorded telephone message at (336) 278-RAIN.
Full Commencement details, including the new rain plan, are available on Elon’s Commencement website.