Faculty Ceremony Details

Procession Directions

Faculty line-up will begin at 1:40 p.m. The procession will form in two lines and will come from behind the stage as described in the bullets below. Faculty participants will be lined up directly behind the mace bearer, on the right side of backstage. Promptly at 2 p.m., the mace bearer and flag marshals will begin the procession.

Line up behind stage - Moving left to right:
Line 1(Left side of back stage): Flag bearers and master’s degree candidates.
Line 2 (Right side of back stage): Mace bearer, faculty participants lined up behind mace, and doctoral degree candidates.

Flag Marshals

At 1:40 p.m. go to the left side of the stage for line up. At noon you will be cued to enter the arena from behind the stage.
 
The procession will proceed to the far end of the arena. Turn and meet the other faculty line led by the mace bearer at the center aisle. The mace bearer will lead both lines down the center aisle with the flag bearers directly behind them leading the faculty. March up the center stairs to the stage while the students fill in their designated seats on the floor. 

Once on stage, walk to the masking tape marks (“A”) on at the center of the stage. Stand near the edge of the stage, as the procession will march behind you. When the National Anthem is over, walk to the back of the stage, place the flags in the flag stands and be seated. Your seat in the back row will be marked.

You will not carry the flag out. When the ceremony ends, please wait for the mace bearer to exit. You and the other stage participants will follow him off stage.

Mace Bearer

At 1:40 p.m. go to the right side of the stage for line up. At noon you will be cued to enter the arena from behind the stage.

The procession will proceed to the far end of the arena. Turn and meet the other faculty line led by the flag marshals at the center aisle. The mace bearer will lead both lines down the center aisle with the flag bearers directly behind them leading the faculty. March up the center stairs to the stage. The faculty participants will fill in their seats on the stage. 

Once on stage, walk to the mace table; it has the red velvet mace cradle on it. Hold the mace until the graduates have entered their seats. The Dean will ask the audience to remain standing during the National Anthem. Hold the mace until the National Anthem is over (Note: If the mace becomes too heavy, place the mace in the cradle and stand behind it until the National Anthem is over). Please be seated after the National Anthem. Your seat will be marked.

At the end of the ceremony when the Dean has made their closing remarks, step up to the mace table, and stand at attention until Hail! Minnesota has been played. At the close of Hail! Minnesota and once the ensemble has begun to play the recessional music, pick up the mace and lead the stage participants off the stage to YOUR RIGHT (also called STAGE RIGHT). You will not leave the auditorium via the main aisle with the graduates.

Doctoral Hooding

There are two hooding stations at the center of stage, near the main aisle. They are marked by risers that faculty can use to hood taller students.  

There will be four primary Hooding Marshals, who will work in pairs, with each pair hooding a student to keep the flow moving. 

Holding the narrow end of the hood, the marshals will carefully place the hood over the student's head. Next, the back of the hood should be folded out to display the colors. This YouTube video shows the hooding process. 

If you would like to hood your own graduate student, please keep watch for them as they make their way to the stage. Shortly before their name is called, move into position and tap the shoulder of the primary Hooding Marshal to step in. 

Recessional

When the ceremony ends, please wait for the mace bearer to exit (stage right). Faculty will follow offstage.