Class of 2018
Graduation Newsletter: Fifth Edition
Dear Class of 2018,
Commencement is ten short weeks away!
As we look ahead to Commencement, this newsletter will provide you with details about Commencement and the exciting upcoming graduation events.
If you have any questions about Commencement or the upcoming events, please let me know.
Best,
Dean DeBoer
Graduation Events & Important Dates
- March 15, 2018: Graduation Announcement Ordering Deadline
- March 16, 2018: Graduation Application Deadline
- April 1, 2018: Class of 2018 Slideshow Deadline
- April 10, 2018: Exit Interviews - May Grads
- April 13, 2018: Class of 2018 Luncheon and Grad Fair
- May 12, 2018: Commencement
Commencement Speaker
Justice Glenn Murdock
We are pleased to announce that the speaker for our graduation
ceremony on May 12 will be Associate Justice (Ret) Glenn Murdock.
Justice Murdock resigned from the court on January 16, 2018.
Justice Murdock graduated from the University of Alabama in 1978 summa
cum laude. He received his J.D. in 1981 from the University of
Virginia School of Law. He then clerked for Judge Clarence Allgood of
the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
He was in private practice until 2000 when he was elected to the
Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. He was elected to the Alabama Supreme
Court in 2006.
We look forward to having Justice Murdock with us on graduation day.
-Dean Nelson
Faculty and Student Speakers
Regalia
Regalia will be available for pick up at the Grad Fair on April 13th. The Grad Fair will be held in the Rotunda Lobby immediately following the Class of 2018 Luncheon.
At the Grad Fair, Jostens will also have class rings and diploma frames available for ordering.
Additional Items to Take Note Of
Immediately following Commencement, a Jostens representative will be available at the MPAC Foyer near the box office to collect all rented regalia. All rental regalia must be returned to the Jostens representative following the Commencement ceremony.
For all Students
Graduates are not allowed to wear adornments (awards/medallions/drapes/etc.) unless they are given to the graduate by a law school representative either at check in just prior to Commencement or during the ceremony.
Honors Students
Graduates receiving Honors (Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude) will receive honors cords at Commencement Check In on the morning of graduation.
LL.M. Students
For those graduates earning the joint J.D./LL.M., please select the J.D. regalia. An adornment stole designating the LL.M. degree will be awarded during the Commencement Ceremony.
Graduation Applications
Law School graduation applications have been sent out to students via email from Ms. Clements.
May 2018 Grads: The applications were emailed to May graduates in February. Graduation applications are due on Friday, March 16, 2018.
The deadline to order these announcements is March 15th.
If you ordered announcements, they will be available for pick up at the Grad Fair on April 13th.
Class of 2018 Slideshow
Congratulations, Class of 2018!
Prior to the Commencement processional, a Class of 2018 slideshow will be played. Graduates are encouraged to send photos to be included in the slideshow. Please submit your photos (jpgs) here no later than Sunday, April 1, 2018.
Each graduate may submit up to a maximum of 3 photos. Photos taken throughout law school (e.g. 1L, 2L, and 3L years) would be ideal. Keep in mind that this slideshow will be seen by graduates’ classmates, family, and friends. Feel free to send both candid and/or posed shots, but keep them professional in nature.
No copies of the slideshow or the photos contained therein will be released.
Exit Interviews
Exit Interviews are mandatory for each law school graduate.
Prior to the Exit Interviews, students will complete their financial aid exit interview and take a law school survey. Watch for an email with these links.
During the Exit Interview, the law school administration will provide information about graduation and alumni resources. The law school's financial aid counselor and a representative from Sallie Mae will also present information about student loan repayment.
The Exit Interviews for May graduates will be held on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at 11:30 a.m. in Room 208. Lunch will be served.
Class of 2018 Celebration Luncheon
Commencement
The ceremony will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.
Graduates MUST arrive 1 hour prior to the ceremony for preparation and instructions.
No Tickets Needed
There is plenty of seating at the venue; guests do not need tickets to attend, and there is no fee to enter, but seating is first come-first served. Auditorium doors will open promptly at 9:00 a.m.
Hooder Selection Information
Prior to the Commencement ceremony, each graduate should choose a person to perform the “hooding.” This person will hold the graduate’s hood and sit directly behind the graduate during the Commencement ceremony. At the appropriate time during the ceremony, as indicated by the Dean, the designated hooders will stand and “hood” the graduates by placing the hood over the graduate’s head.
We discourage young children from hooding as they will have to sit unaccompanied during the entire ceremony. However, if a graduate is considering a younger hooder (under 10 years old), please discuss this with Dean DeBoer no later than April 1st to see if special arrangements can be made.
If a graduate’s designated hooder is disabled, please discuss this with Dean DeBoer no later than April 1st so that appropriate seating arrangements can be made.
Please note that graduates may NOT hood each other.
There will only be one reserved hooding seat designated for each graduate. Each graduate’s additional guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis within the auditorium.
If a graduate does not have a designated hooder, please let Dean DeBoer know by April 1st.
Thinking Ahead--Ceremony Details
Guests
Faulkner Law graduates are encouraged to bring their family members to attend Commencement. No tickets are required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Appropriate Attire at the Ceremony
Graduates
Men: Regalia. The tassel on the tam should be worn on the left. Dark pants and light shirt with tie. Dark dress shoes. A suit jacket is not required as the robes are warm.
Women: Regalia. The tassel on the tam should be worn on the left. Dark pants, dress, or skirt. Dark closed-toe dress shoes. (No flip-flops or sandals allowed.)
Hair Styles: Hair styles shall be kept simple to allow tams to be worn flat on top of the head.
Guests
Hooders and Guests: Business casual
Personal Belongings
Please note that we do not have facilities to check personal items. Women should not bring purses. If a graduate must bring a purse, however, we suggest leaving it with a guest. Please do not bring other valuables (cameras, phones, purses, etc.) to the line-up. The law school is not responsible for valuables left behind.
Parking
Parking is located either on the street, in the MPAC/Renaissance Parking Garage, or via valet. Fees are charged for parking.
Commencement Day Schedule
8:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. -- Initial Check In (Graduates and Hooders)
On Saturday, May 12, graduates and their designated hooder will first check in at the table set up inside the foyer entrance to the MPAC theater.
When the graduate and the designated hooder arrive at the check in table, each graduate should be wearing a tam and gown. The tassel on the tam should be worn on the left. Graduates, please do not bring anything additional to check in. The designated hooder should be holding the graduate’s hood.
If the graduate has earned honors, he/she will receive honors cords at check in. During check in, the designated hooder will be provided with his/her seat assignment.
9:00 a.m. – Theater Opened
The theater doors to the seating area will open at exactly 9:00 a.m. Guests and graduates will not be granted access to the theater before this time.
Graduates will have reserved seating. Each graduate’s designated hooder will have one reserved hooding seat. Seating for other guests is not reserved. Tickets are not needed.
Hooder Details: Graduates – Please share these important details with hooders. When the theater opens, the designated hooder will proceed to his/her designated seat in the auditorium. Each designated hooder will have a reserved seat with the graduate’s name on it. (For instance, the sign will say “Jennifer DeBoer’s hooder”). Each designated hooder will be seated behind his/her graduate. The designated hooder should be holding the graduate’s hood at this time. Graduates will NOT sit with the hooder at this time. Instead, the graduates shall proceed to the backstage check in.
9:30 a.m. – Graduate Backstage Check In
Following initial check in, graduates should proceed into the MPAC after the theater doors have opened. Graduates will NOT need to pick up a program, as programs will already be pre-set at each graduate’s seat.
Once inside the theater, graduates should walk down to the center aisle, then turn left and proceed through the doorway on the left side of the theater. This doorway will lead to the backstage area.
At 9:30 a.m., the graduates will meet backstage with Dean DeBoer to outline the order of march, seating, graduation protocol, and other aspects of the ceremony. PLEASE do not be late for this important meeting.
9:40 a.m. – Graduate Line Up
Graduates will line up in alphabetical order in the interior hallway backstage in the MPAC at approximately 9:40 a.m. The processional will begin shortly thereafter.
9:45 a.m. – Late Seating
Guests arriving after 9:45 a.m. will be asked to wait until after the processional march before being seated, or they will be directed to the balcony if they prefer.
10:00 a.m. – Commencement Ceremony Begins
The ceremony will start at 10:00 a.m. The ceremony typically lasts 1.5 - 2 hours.
Commencement Photos
Stan Foster Photography will take pictures of each graduate receiving his or her diploma. Each graduate will receive a photo following Commencement.
Etiquette Reminders
As this is a formal ceremony, we ask that graduates and guests use proper decorum throughout the ceremony. Men are required to remove their tams (caps) during prayer, while women are not required to do so. Please refrain from chewing gum or tobacco at this occasion. Cell phones should be turned off. Also, please remember that fellow graduates and their families may not be able to hear well if young babies or small children are attending and being disruptive. There is a lobby area where a television and some seating areas are set up for viewing the stage for anyone who needs to leave the auditorium.
Diplomas
Diplomas for Spring graduates are ordered after the exam review period is over for the Spring. Diplomas will be mailed to the address provided on the completed graduation forms. The diplomas will ship approximately four to six weeks after the order is submitted.