Spring commencement is Sunday at Ohio Stadium - 06/06/05

The Ohio State University will award degrees to nearly 7,500 graduates during spring commencement exercises, which begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday (6/12) in Ohio Stadium. The ceremony will last approximately 2½ hours. No tickets are required.

William H. Hall, the university's vice president for student affairs, will deliver the commencement address.

Hall also will be one of five individuals to receive special honors during the ceremony. He will be presented with an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from the university. Honorary doctorates also will be presented to Glen H. Elder, Jr., the Howard W. Odum Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Research Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who is widely credited with founding the sociological field of lifecourse studies; and Carl E. Wieman, Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2001 for his contributions to the discovery of a new form of matter, the Bose-Einstein condensate.

The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Daniel L. Heinlen, who led the Ohio State University Alumni Association for 30 years; and Ronald L. St. Pierre, who for 35 years taught at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, where he also served in many leadership roles.

The Ceremony

Graduates are to assemble in the French Field House by 12:15 p.m. The Class Processional leaves French Field House at 12:40 p.m. and moves into Ohio Stadium at 1 p.m. The procession of graduates to their seats will last approximately 30 minutes. After graduates reach their seats, faculty, university officials and special guests will march to the stage, and the ceremony will begin. The commencement address will be delivered approximately 15 minutes after the start of the ceremony.

Guests must remain in the stands and off of the field throughout the ceremony.

Following the commencement address and conferring of honors, diplomas will be awarded. It is a long-standing tradition at Ohio State for graduates to personally receive their diplomas from their deans. Ph.D. candidates are first, and their names are announced as they are hooded and presented with their degrees. After the singing of Carmen Ohio, all other graduates will move in lines to the diploma boxes on the field and receive their diplomas. Graduates do not return to their seats after receiving their diploma; they remain in line and proceed to the south end of Ohio Stadium and disperse outside. Graduates and guests should prearrange a meeting place outside of the stadium.

Parking

Parking is available in any of the permit zones near Ohio Stadium and the student residence halls. Parking garages are available at no charge.

• Traffic Restrictions

Traffic on Woody Hayes Drive and Cannon Drive (near the stadium) will be restricted from approximately 12:30 to 1 p.m. to allow for the graduates' procession from French Field House to Ohio Stadium.

• Commencement shuttles

Free shuttle buses will run from West Campus parking lots to the Sisson Hall footbridge beginning at 10 a.m. until one hour after the ceremony.

• Disability Parking

Disability parking is located in the East and West Stadium lots. An Ohio handicap placard or a Commencement disability permit is required.

Security

• Certain items are prohibited in Ohio Stadium

Neither graduates nor guests are permitted to bring coolers, backpacks, large handbags, chair-back seats, mace or similar substances, or weapons of any type. Items that are permitted include cameras, video recorders, uncased binoculars, small handbags, pagers, cell phones, seat cushions, and clothes for weather conditions.

Commencement broadcasts

• Live video stream on Internet, excerpts on TV.

For family members and friends of graduates who are unable to attend commencement, the university is offering a live web streaming of the ceremony at http://www.wosu.org/tv/commencement.php beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, (6/12). The web broadcast will be archived for later viewing. Excerpts from the ceremony will also be broadcast on WOSU-TV, Channel 34, on Monday, June 13, at 5:30 p.m.

Stadium facilities

Ohio Stadium opens at 11 a.m. on commencement day. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Disability Seating

Ohio Stadium provides easy access for guests with permanent or temporary disabilities. Seating for those guests is located at entry level and throughout the stadium. Guests in wheelchairs, as well as those unable to climb stairs, and one companion are permitted in these areas. A permit is required.

An American Sign Language interpreter will be present during the ceremony. Live captioning on the scoreboard is also provided.

Inclement Weather

• Rain in the forecast

If it is raining or rain is forecast on commencement day, graduates and guests should come prepared with appropriate rain gear. Ponchos, raincoats, and something to sit on wet bleachers are advised for guests. If weather conditions are uncertain on commencement morning, listen to WOSU-AM (820 AM) for updates.

• Severe weather

If there is heavy rain, thunderstorms, tornado watch/warning, or other weather severe enough to delay or cancel the ceremony, instructions will be announced on-site to graduates and guests. If cancellation is required, diplomas will be distributed from various campus locations, as noted in the commencement program.

If commencement cannot be held in Ohio Stadium due to inclement weather, the ceremony will be canceled and diplomas will be made available for pick up by the graduates. No indoor facility on campus is large enough to accommodate the graduating class and 35,000 guests. Graduates and guests should prearrange a meeting place in case the ceremony is cancelled. Suggested meeting sites include St. John Arena, Larkins Hall, Drake Union, and various locations on West Lane Avenue.