FAQs
What is the difference between Commencement & Convocation?
Commencement is a University-wide event where all graduates from the class of 2020 can gather to celebrate. Convocations are hosted by all colleges individually, and are where students will walk across the stage to receive their diploma cover. University Commencement will be held April 30th @ 6:30pm at the Huntsman Center and the College of Fine Arts Convocation ceremony will be held May 1st @ 6pm in Kingsbury Hall. Commencement does not require tickets, while a ticket is required for guests to attend the College of Fine Arts Convocation.
When will I receive my diploma?
During Convocation, graduating students will receive a cover for their diplomas. Diploma certificates will be mailed from the Office of the Registrar to student graduates within three months of graduation.
Is there any way to obtain additional guest tickets for the Convocation ceremony?
The number of tickets allocated for each student is dependent upon the number of candidates participating in the ceremony. Each student who RSVP’d before the deadline will be notified how many guest tickets they will receive. However, not every student will need all of their tickets. Graduating students are welcome to distribute their extra tickets to friends who might need additional tickets. Each department/school office will also have a small number of extra tickets for graduating students and will provide information on how to obtain those.
When will my tickets be available?
Tickets will be available for graduates to pick up from their department/school office during regular business hours between April 15th – 29th. Tickets will not be available after that time.
What if I forget my tickets on the day of graduation?
Tickets will not be available on the day of graduation, so we encourage you not to lose or forget your tickets. Anyone without a ticket is welcome to wait in the “stand-by” line for Kingsbury Hall, or to find a comfortable seat in our overflow venue, David Gardner Hall. Lost tickets cannot be replaced at any time.
What time should graduating students participating in Convocation arrive?
Graduates should arrive at Kingsbury Hall by 5:30pm on May 1st and gather in their assigned areas. The procession will begin at approximately 5:55pm.
Baccalaureate Candidates should enter through the "lower lobby" door at the southwest side of the building and will line up in the lower level of Kingsbury Hall.
Master's, DMA and PhD candidates should line up on the southwest side of Kingsbury Hall along the sidewalk between David Gardner Hall and Kingsbury Hall.
What time should guests arrive at Kingsbury Hall?
The doors to Kingsbury Hall will open a half-hour before the ceremony starts, and before that time guests will be asked to form a line in front of the venue. Convocation tickets will expire 10 minutes after the ceremony has started.
What if I am late?
If you are late and the ceremony has already started, please come into the front doors of Kingsbury Hall dressed in your regalia. A Convocation volunteer will direct you where to go so you can join your fellow graduates.
What if my guests are late?
Convocation Tickets will expire 10 minutes after the ceremony has started. At that point in time, those in the stand-by line will be let into Kingsbury Hall until all open seats have been filled. Anyone with an expired ticket will be welcome to watch the ceremony in our overflow area.
What if I have guests who don’t have tickets?
Tickets are required for every guest seated in Kingsbury Hall – including babes in arms. Guests without tickets are welcome to view a livestream of the ceremony in our overflow venue in David Gardner Hall. A livestream of the ceremony will also be available on our website for those who can’t come to campus in-person.
Can guests save seats in Kingsbury Hall?
No one will be allowed to save seats in the auditorium. Please have your guests come together if they wish to sit together.
How long will the ceremony last?
The program will go approximately two hours. It will start with the processional (where the graduates walk into the auditorium to Pomp & Circumstance), there will be some short remarks by various individuals, and then the graduates will be presented their degrees.
Will I be able to “walk” with my friend(s)?
Students in the College of Fine Arts will graduate with their fellow students according to their academic unit. Graduates don’t have to be arranged alphabetically, but they do need to stay within their department/school group.
Is there a required dress code for graduates?
All those graduating should wear their cap & gown, which can be purchased at the University Campus Store. There is no specific dress code for what is worn beneath the cap & gown, but graduates should dress appropriately for the weather and the occasion.
How can I RSVP for a guest with disabilities?
Students or guests with disabilities (including individuals in wheelchairs and those who have limited mobility) attending the College of Fine Arts' Convocation Ceremony can request accommodations by contacting Cami Rives at 801-581-6764. The College requests that guests give reasonable prior notice and, since space is limited and seats are first-come, first-seated, plan to arrive early.
Where should guests attending the ceremony park?
Campus parking lots may be used at no charge during Convocation and Commencement ceremonies. Families are encouraged to drop off guests who cannot walk long distances at Kingsbury Hall before parking their cars. Guests may also park in other lots and catch a University shuttle to Kingsbury Hall.
Other information
What about photographs?
A commercial photographer will be present to photograph all graduates. You will be asked to fill out name cards for the photographer, but you are under no obligation to purchase pictures. Family and friends may take additional photographs as desired.
Can I bring a bag or purse?
Graduates won’t have a place to keep a bag or purse, so it is generally best to leave these items with your guests in the audience unless you would like to carry them with you across the stage.
Will my name be pronounced correctly?
Each graduate will fill out a “reader card” that has your name on it. The announcer will read your name as it is listed on your reader card. If you have a difficult-to-pronounce name, please spell it phonetically so the announcers can tell how it is supposed to be pronounced.
Can I bring food/drink into the venue?
Only bottled water is allowed into the auditorium of Kingsbury Hall.
Where do I meet my guests after the ceremony is over?
At the end of the ceremony, the Dean will give instructions for how the graduates and guests should depart the auditorium. Graduates will leave through a side door, while guests will leave through the front doors. You can meet again outside of Kingsbury Hall, but we ask that you move from there to the open grassy area on President’s Circle in order to allow room for the next Convocation ceremony after ours.
What if I lose something?
Any lost-and-found items will be taken to the CFA Dean’s Office after the ceremony. You can contact us at 801-581-6764 if you have lost something and see if someone has turned it in.