Platform Parties for the Fall Commencement

David R. Colburn, Provost and Senior Vice President

Everyone seemed quite pleased with the additional college commencement ceremonies this past spring. From what you have told me and what we observed, the changes helped to make the ceremonies even more meaningful for our graduates, their families, and friends.

This memorandum is intended to clarify the composition of the platform parties for the Fall 2002 Commencement Convocations in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. It will not be necessary for deans or their representatives to attend additional commencement ceremonies unless they wish to participate in ceremonies other than their own. I ask that you read carefully the following:

1) Multi-College Ceremonies

Deans of the colleges participating in the following large multi-college graduations are encouraged to invite one other individual from the college to be on the platform with them (for example, the associate dean who oversees undergraduate advising for the college).

Saturday Morning Ceremony (9:00 a.m.)

Deans and/or directors from the College of Design, Construction and Planning, M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Building Construction, College of Education, College of Fine Arts, College of Health Professions, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Natural Resources and Environment, and the College of Nursing are asked to be present at this event.

AND

Saturday Afternoon Ceremony (2:00 p.m.)

Deans and/or directors from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, School of Forest, Resources and Conservation, Warrington College of Business Administration, Fisher School of Accounting, College of Health and Human Performance, College of Journalism and Communications, College of Pharmacy, and the Physician Assistant Program are asked to be present at this event.

Deans or directors who do not have students graduating at the above ceremonies are warmly encouraged to attend, but are not required to do so. If you plan to attend either of these ceremonies and still need to make the necessary arrangements, such as ordering commencement regalia, please contact Vera Hartsuch by Friday, December 6, 2002. You may reach her at 392-1311 or hartsuc@ufl.edu.

2) College of Engineering Ceremony

Friday Evening Ceremony (7:00 p.m.)

Deans and other individuals requested to be in the platform party for the College of Engineering will receive instructions directly from the College of Engineering. However, if you would like to be on the platform party for the College of Engineering, please contact Dean Jonathan Earle at 392-2177 or jearl@eng.ufl.edu.

Questions about the platform parties can also be addressed to Steve Pritz, Commencement Coordinator, at 392-9163 or spritz@ufl.edu.