Commencement 2024

General Information

Please note the following dates, times, and locations for our various Commencement events. Questions regarding graduation requirements should be directed to your academic advisor.

All bills must be paid in full in the Business Office by May 1, 2024, to participate in the Commencement ceremony.

If you have any questions, please contact Barb Gabel at 419-448-2183 or bgabel@heidelberg.edu.

Attire and Academic Regalia

Attire is cap, gown, and hood. Academic gowns are intended to be worn full length and should not be shortened by hemming, basting, etc. Approved medals and cords may be worn. See Academic Regalia Policy at inside.heidelberg.edu/commencement-2024.

Caps, gowns, and hoods have been ordered and will arrive in the Bookstore during the last week in April. Students will be notified through their Heidelberg email when they are ready to be picked up at the Bookstore. Candidates may keep the cap, gown, and hood. Contact Stacy Wheeler at 419-448-2013 or swheeler@heidelberg.edu with any questions.

Bookstore Hours

The Bookstore will be open during regular hours so that you may pick up the academic attire reserved for you:

Regular Hours
Monday-Friday | 9:00 AM-4:00 PM

Special Bookstore Hours, Commencement Weekend
Friday, May 10 | 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Saturday, May 11 | 12:00 PM-3:30 PM
Sunday, May 12 | 8:00 AM-10:00 AM & 12:00 PM-2:00 PM

Graduation Announcements, Diploma Frames, and Class Rings

Announcements, diploma frames, and class rings are available to order through Herff-Jones. Please visit the Heidelberg page on the Herff-Jones website at colleges.herffjones.com/college/heidelberg/ to order.

Tickets

Each graduate participating in the Commencement ceremony will receive 6 tickets. Commencement tickets may be picked up in the Business Office beginning May 1, 2024.

All bills must be paid in full by May 1, 2024, to receive your Commencement tickets.

If the ceremony is held in Hoernemann Stadium, tickets will not be necessary unless you are requesting Special Seating. (Please see Special Seating Requests section.) Guests may sit in the stadium or bring their own seating for the hill behind the Saurwein Health & Wellness Center.

In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to Seiberling Gymnasium, and no one will be admitted to Commencement without a ticket. A decision will be made by 7:00 AM and posted on the Heidelberg website. Students will be notified via SendWordNow.

Questions concerning Commencement should be directed to commencement-questions@heidelberg.edu.

Schedule of Events

Commencement Rehearsal | Friday, May 10, 2024
10:00 AM | Seiberling Gymnasium
(Undergraduate and Graduate)

ALL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS RECEIVING DEGREES MUST BE PRESENT AT REHEARSAL. GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND.

At rehearsal, the Class of ’24 will meet with Dr. Bryan Smith, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost; Dr. Courtney DeMayo Pugno, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Executive Director of the Owen Center for Teaching and Learning; Faculty Marshals Dr. Ryan Musgrave, Dr. Jena Suffel, Dr. Sarah Lazzari, and Dr. Brandon Van Ness; and Ms. Ashley Helmstetter, Associate Vice President for Advancement, Alumni, and Community Relations. Please be prepared to confirm the phonetic pronunciation of your name. You will complete a survey for the Alumni Office. The class will present its banner to President Rob Huntington. Each graduate will be assigned their position in the marching line, their seat in the correct order for receiving their diploma, and will be given final instructions for the ceremony.

Baccalaureate | Saturday, May 11, 2024
4:00 PM | Gundlach Theatre
Baccalaureate will be in Gundlach Theatre for degree candidates, families, and friends with open seating. This interfaith worship service will include readings from religious texts, prayers, special music, and a sermon. The heritage between the United Church of Christ and Heidelberg University is also celebrated in this gathering. Students from Religious Life will lead the service. No ticket is required.
Attire: No academic regalia for graduates unless a part of the Platform Party.

Commencement, Line Up | Sunday, May 12, 2024
9:15 AM | Various Locations
All degree candidates will line up promptly at 9:15 AM.
• Master’s degree candidates will line up in front of the Bryenton Center for Honors.
• Bachelor’s degree candidates will line up on the first floor of University Hall.
• Faculty members will line up in front of Pfleiderer Hall.
Each degree candidate will take the position that was assigned to them at rehearsal. In case of inclement weather, the assembly for students will be held in the Saurwein Health & Wellness Center.

Commencement Procession
9:50 AM | Greenfield Street
Rain site: Seiberling Gymnasium
The procession of degree candidates, faculty, Trustees, and the Platform Party begins on Greenfield Street, turns onto Rebecca Street, continues around the pond, and into Hoernemann Stadium.

Commencement Ceremony
10:00 AM | Hoernemann Stadium
Stadium gates will open at 8:30 AM.
Rain site: Seiberling Gymnasium
If in Seiberling, Special Seating ticket holders will be admitted at 9:15 AM. Doors will open for general admission at 9:30 AM. Special Seating will be held until 9:45 AM. (See Special Seating Requests for more information.)

Recessional
Following the ceremony, the faculty will process to the outer area of Hoernemann Stadium and form two lines facing each other. The graduates will recess through the faculty lines and continue off the field.

Parking

You may park in Lots B, C, E, F, G, and J. (See Online Campus Map at www.heidelberg.edu/map)

Greenfield Street and Rebecca Street will be closed from 9:15 AM to 10:00 AM for the academic procession.

Guests with health concerns or in a wheelchair should be driven to the small parking lot next to Hoernemann Stadium. A student ambassador will escort the person into the stadium.

Photographer

Heidelberg University has made arrangements with the staff of a local photography company, Keith Hodkinson Photography, to take portraits of all graduates as they receive their diploma during the ceremony. Professional photographer Rob Ledwedge will take a picture at the moment the diploma is presented to each graduate. An order form is enclosed for your convenience. Please return the form to the photographer.

This form is also available on the Heidelberg website at inside.heidelberg.edu/commencement/order.

Security

Guests are subject to visual inspection of persons, bags, and clothing capable of concealing prohibited items. Details can be found at www.heidelberg.edu/commencement-2024.

Special Seating Requests

Special seating at Commencement for those with health concerns:
If there is a member of your family who requires special seating because of health reasons or accessibility concerns, please notify Barb Gabel with the individual’s name by emailing bgabel@heidelberg.edu. There will be seats reserved for this person and one escort in the Special Seating section. It is the responsibility of the graduate to make this reservation by
May 1, 2024.

In addition, if one of your guests requires the use of a wheelchair or scooter, space will be provided in the Special Seating area on the football field or gym floor for the wheelchair or scooter and one escort, if you inform Barb Gabel by emailing bgabel@heidelberg.edu. It is the responsibility of the graduate to make this reservation by May 1, 2024.

If the ceremony is held in Seiberling Gymnasium because of inclement weather, guests with Special Seating tickets will be admitted to Seiberling Gymnasium at 9:15 AM. Doors will open for general seating at 9:30 AM. The Special Seating area will be held until 9:45 AM. At that time, seats will be released for general admission.

Viewing Sites

The Commencement ceremony will be live-streamed in two locations on campus: Frost Lecture Hall (inside Bareis Hall of Science) and The University Commons. If you would like to view Commencement remotely, register here for the Zoom event. After you register, you will receive instructions to join the Zoom on Sunday, May 12.

Questions regarding graduation requirements should be directed to your academic advisor. All bills must be paid in full in the Business Office by May 1, 2024, to participate in the Commencement ceremony. If you have billing questions, please contact Barb Gabel at 419-448-2183 or bgabel@heidelberg.edu.