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Fall 2008 Commencement Exercises

The Fall 2008 commencements include the presentation of the doctoral degrees by The Graduate School in the Koger Center for the Arts; and in the Colonial Life Arena for all baccalaureate, master's, and professional degrees.

DOCTORAL HOODING COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES:   The Doctoral Hooding Commencement Exercises will be held in the Koger Center for the Arts at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, December 15. Faculty members wishing to attend the doctoral ceremony, in additional to dissertation advisors who will process with their students, should assemble in the Koger Center Large Rehearsal Hall no later than 1:00 p.m.

BACCALAUREATE, MASTER'S AND PROFESSIONAL COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES:    The University of South Carolina will honor our Fall 2008 graduating with Baccalaureate, Master's and Professional Commencement Exercises on Monday, December 15 at 3:30 p.m. in the Colonial Life Arena.

ACADEMIC PROCESSIONS

MACE PARTY:  The University Mace Party will assemble in the Green Room/Interview Room (Room E143) on the arena floor level at 3:00 p.m. This group should be ready to process at 3:20 p.m.

FACULTY PROCESSION:   Members of the faculty will enter the Colonial Life Arena through the College Street door onto the concourse. Walk straight ahead on the concourse until you come to a sign, "Elevator for Faculty & Platform Party Robing Areas." Take the elevator down to the event floor level. Signs will be posted to direct you to the robing area. Please plan to robe thirty minutes before the ceremony. The faculty should be ready to process ten minutes before the start of the ceremony. The Provost will lead the Faculty Procession.

PLATFORM PARTY:   The Platform Party will assemble in the Green Room/Interview Room (Room E143) on the arena floor level, no later than 3:00 p.m. This group should be lined up and prepared to step off at 3:20 p.m. This procession will consist of selected University administrators, deans of the schools and colleges of the Columbia campus, chancellors and deans of the regional campuses, members of the Board of Trustees, the honorary degree recipients, and University President. The Chair of the Faculty Senate; University Registrar; and Secretary, Board of Trustees will lead the various sections of these portions of the procession.

The Colonial Life Arena has advised that all bags may be searched, so please allow time for this security procedure. For up-to-date information on commencement activities, please visit the   Registrar's GraduationInformation web page  at Registrar's web site.

Handicapped parking spaces will be located in the parking lot located on the corner of Greene and Gadsden Streets. Only vehicles with handicapped license plates, disability placards or hangtags will be allowed to park in the handicapped parking area, and other designated handicapped areas around campus.

USC Vehicle Management & Parking Services will provide additional parking in the Bull Street Garage, Senate Street Garage and in the Pendleton Street Garage on the USC Columbia Campus. Commencement Shuttles will be available to transport riders to and from the Colonial Life Arena. The Bull Street Garage with 1200 spaces is located on the corner of Bull and Devine Streets. If you park in the Bull Street Garage and choose to ride the Commencement Shuttle, please walk to the corner of Bull and Greene Streets to catch the Commencement Shuttle; the Senate Street Garage with 600 spaces is located on the corner of Senate and Pickens Streets, please walk to the corner of Pendleton and Pickens Streets to catch the Commencement Shuttle; or in the metered parking spaces (free of charge) of the Pendleton Street Garage is located on the corner of Pendleton and Pickens Streets, please walk to the corner of Pendleton and Pickens Streets to catch the Commencement Shuttle. For information on parking and the commencement shuttles, you may contact the USC Vehicle Management & Parking Services Office at 803.777.5160.