With a possibility of rain in the forecast for Saturday, May 19, graduates and their families should pay special attention to details of the Commencement rain plan. Read this note for essential details you will need to know.
Elon University will make every attempt to hold the undergraduate Commencement ceremony outside on Scott Plaza on Saturday, May 19.
If rain makes an outdoor Commencement impossible, here are nine key things you need to know:
1. If possible, the decision to implement the rain plan will be announced at 8 p.m. Friday.
If the rain plan is implemented, it will be announced on E-Net, via social media, the Commencement website and on a pre-recorded message at 336-278-RAIN (7246). Since weather is unpredictable and the forecast can change overnight, the decision to implement the rain plan could be made at 6 a.m. Saturday and will be announced immediately. Remember to stay tuned to one of the information sources listed above.
2. Under the rain plan, Commencement will be divided into two separate ceremonies and held in Alumni Memorial Gymnasium in Koury Athletic Center.
The ceremony for students receiving Bachelor of Arts degrees will begin at 9:15 a.m. Koury Athletic Center will open for guests at 8:30 a.m. The ceremony for students receiving Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration will begin at 1:15 p.m. The ceremonies will be the same. If you are not sure which one you need to attend, check your rain tickets for the ceremony time.
Because of limited seating in Alumni Gym, graduates must attend the ceremony that corresponds with their degrees. There will be no exceptions to this policy — graduates who miss their assigned morning ceremony will not be included in the afternoon ceremony.
3. The check-in location for graduates the morning of Commencement will change under the rain plan.
If it rains and the ceremony is inside, graduates should check in at Campus Recreation in Koury Athletic Center and line up in Jordan Gym. For the morning ceremony, graduates should check in at 7:45 a.m. For the afternoon ceremony, graduates should check in at 11:45 a.m.
If the ceremony is held outside, students should check in on the west (Williamson Avenue) side of the Koury Athletic Center at 7:45 a.m. and then line up in Alumni Memorial Gymnasium.
4. Each graduate is allotted two rain location tickets that must be picked up in advance.
If the rain plan location is used, guests will need a ticket to enter Alumni Memorial Gymnasium. (Anyone can attend the ceremony if the ceremony is held outside on Scott Plaza.) It is the responsibility of graduates to pick up their two tickets in advance at Alamance 109 (Office of Student Life) and to give the tickets to those who will use them if the rain plan is necessary.
5. Rain tickets are available for pickup now.
Rain tickets, which have been available for pickup in Alamance 109 (Office of Student Life) since April 30, can be picked up until 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 17. The ticket for the 9:15 a.m. ceremony is white. The ticket for the 1:15 p.m. ceremony is maroon.
6. Guests without rain tickets will be able to watch the ceremony via closed-circuit television at several campus locations.
There are several locations on campus that will be set up for closed-circuit viewing, including Oaks 212 in McCoy Commons, McCrary Theatre and Yeager Hall at the Center for the Arts, the second floor of Lakeside Dining Hall, McKinnon Hall and the Student Center in Moseley Center, the Great Hall in Global Commons and various classrooms in McMichael Science Center.
Guests are encouraged to go to the suggested location designated for their graduate’s degree program. A complete list of additional viewing locations for the two ceremonies is available in the Commencement Pocket Guide and in the Elon University Guides app available for download to your mobile device.
A webcast can also be found on our live stream page and on the Elon University Facebook page. (If the ceremony is held outside, closed-circuit viewing will only be available in Alumni Memorial Gymnasium.)
7. When graduates cross the stage in Alumni Memorial Gymnasium, they will receive their diploma immediately after leaving the stage.
The university will hand out diplomas to graduates during the ceremony, even if the rain plan is implemented. If the ceremony is held in Alumni Gym, space is limited so graduates will cross the stage, shake President Book’s hand, and then receive their diploma from the Registrar’s Office immediately after leaving the stage.
8. There will be a continental breakfast for families and guests, but there won’t be a reception following Commencement under the rain plan.
Since there will be two Commencement ceremonies in Alumni Memorial Gymnasium, there will not be a reception for graduates. The continental breakfast planned for 7:30 a.m. will be held at the Center for the Arts, Great Hall in Global Commons and Moseley Center simultaneously.
9. Oak saplings will be given out to graduates rain or shine.
If it rains, graduates can pick up their oak saplings right outside of Koury Athletic Center on the east (Young Commons) side.
More information is available on the Commencement website and the Elon Guides app.