Instructions for Students Participating in Summer Commencement
Additional information will be sent to degree candidates via their DU email address in July.
When and where to arrive
Graduates should report in cap and gown to Warrn Circle, just south of University Hall, no later than 8 a.m. on August 14.
Cap and gown
All graduates participating in Commencement are required to wear official University of Denver academic regalia.
Who can participate
Graduates of the summer 2009 quarter and graduates of the Sturm College of Law summer 2009 semester are eligible to participate in the Commencement exercises. Participation is optional.
Instructions for the ceremony
- Processional march—Candidates will be arranged alphabetically by the degree sought. The procession will begin at 8:30 a.m.
- Name cards—Candidates will each be given a card with their name, which they will later hand to the Reader as they step up onto the platform. Please indicate phonetic pronunciation of difficult names on the card. After handing their card to the Reader, candidates will walk across the platform to be greeted by the Chancellor and to receive a diploma case.
- Food and alcoholic beverages—Because Commencement is a formal affair in which the University honors its students, it is considered inappropriate for food or alcoholic beverages to be present. Therefore, the University will remove any graduates from the processional who bring alcoholic beverages of any kind. Please do not spoil the commencement exercises for others.
- For gentlemen—Gentlemen should remove their caps during the national anthem and invocation.
- Throwing caps—For the safety of all students and guests, graduates should please refrain from tossing their caps into the air after the ceremony.
- In case of rain—If rain is forecast for August 15, the ceremony will be held in Hamilton Gymnasium in the Ritchie Center.
Instructions for your guests
- Tickets—Tickets are not necessary. Note that seating for guests is not reserved and will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Arriving early—Members of the audience should be seated 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the ceremony. No seating will take place during the procession.
- Ceremony length—The ceremony will last approximately two hours.
- Photographs—In order to preserve the proper decorum of Commencement, and in order to comply with safety regulations, members of the audience are asked to refrain from taking photographs or videotaping from the aisles. A professional photographer and a professional videographer will capture the entire ceremony.
- Family photographs—Graduates will be asked to return their gowns and hoods to tables east of Penrose Library immediately after the ceremony. If family or friends would like to take personal photos with their graduate in a cap and gown, they should take the photos before the ceremony.
Diploma cases and diplomas
Diploma cases will be handed to degree candidates as they cross the stage during Commencement ceremonies. Doctoral degree recipients will receive their diplomas during commencement, provided graduation can be finalized and holds are cleared.
Diplomas and unofficial transcripts will be mailed to all other graduates within 8-10 weeks, provided graduation can be finalized and holds are cleared. Degree candidates should confirm their address in accordance with the graduation instructions provided to them by the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Graduate Studies.
Degree candidates not participating in Commencement may request a diploma case through the Office of the Registrar.
Oversized diplomas are available from the Office of the Registrar. Diploma frames are available from the University Bookstore. The bookstore also offers graduation announcements and class rings.
Graduates’ responsibilities
- Graduation requirements—Candidates for degrees are responsible for successful completion of work affecting graduation. Graduating students are not excused from classes or final examinations. All financial obligations to the University must be met before the diploma can be released.
- Financial aid and financial office exit interviews— Graduating students who have borrowed a federal Direct or Stafford loan while attending the University of Denver are required to complete exit counseling online. Graduating students who have borrowed a federal Perkins loan are required to schedule an exit interview with the Bursar’s Office. Call 303-871-4901 to schedule. Stafford loan exit counseling is separate from Perkins loan exit counseling and completing one exit interview does not satisfy the requirement of the other. Both the Office of Financial Aid and the Bursar’s Office will send detailed information.
Instruction letters
You can download and print copies of the instruction letters sent to graduating students. These letters contain the same information as this page.
Instructions for graduate students (PDF)
Instructions for undergraduates (PDF)
For more information
If you have questions or need additional information:
- Undergraduates, contact the Office of the Registrar, registrar@du.edu or 303-871-4095.
- Graduate students, contact Office of Graduate Studies, gststu@du.edu or 303-871-2305.