May 2008 MBA Commencement

Friday, May 16, 2008

Ceremony
10:00 a.m.
Hancher Auditorium		 Brunch
Immediately following Commencement
Iowa Memorial Union Ballroom

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation from the Henry B. Tippie School of Management! This is truly a notable accomplishment, and we hope you will join us in celebrating your success. You will receive an invitation to the Commencement Ceremony and Brunch in mid-April. Use the RSVP form to reply by April 28, so that we may be expecting you!

Apply for Your Degree

In order to receive your diploma and have your degree officially conferred, you must complete the "Application for Degree" which can be found at this secure site:
https://www.biz.uiowa.edu/mba/degree/degree_app.cfm
You will need to log in with your HawkID and password.

Admission

The MBA Commencement Ceremony is open to the public. Doors to Hancher Auditorium will open at 9:00 a.m. Guest seats are not reserved and tickets are not required for the ceremony. No backpacks or large bags are allowed. Hancher reserves the right to inspect any bag or package brought into the building. RSVP now to let us know whether you will participate in the ceremony.

Graduates planning to participate in the ceremony who need special accommodations, or who may have guests requiring special accommodations, should call Commencements (319-335-0296) by May 5th to arrange for special parking and/or reserved seating.

Apparel

Caps and Gowns
All graduates who participate in the Commencement Ceremony are required to wear a cap, MBA gown and black tassel. MBA gowns are easily distinguished by their long draping sleeves (see photos).

Caps and gowns may be purchased in person, or ordered via telephone or mail order from the Iowa Memorial Union (IMU) Book Store. Please be sure to emphasize that you wish to order the MBA (not undergraduate) gown and tassel (black). Do not purchase cords.

The price of the cap, gown and tassel for MBA students is $17.50. The cost for these items separately is as follows: gown $13.00, cap $3.00, tassel $ 1.50. These items are yours to keep.

The IMU Book Store accepts cash, check, Visa and MasterCard.

The IMU Book Store (www.book.uiowa.edu) is located on the lower level of the Iowa Memorial Union at the corner of Madison and Jefferson streets in Iowa City, Iowa. Academic attire may be purchased and picked up in person between April 28 and May 11. The hours of operation are:

Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday, Noon - 4 p.m.

Phone or Mail Orders
Graduates may choose to place an apparel order via phone or mail between April 28 and May 11. Caps and gowns may be shipped directly to the graduate for an additional $7.50 shipping fee. Those who choose not to have their academic apparel shipped to them must pick up their order at Hancher Auditorium prior to the start of the ceremony. (Please note that it is often necessary for graduates to press their gowns and that those who pick up gowns on the morning of the event will not have time to press the garnment.)

Phone orders may be placed by calling 319-335-3043.

To order by mail, please send a personal check (payable to "University Book Store") to:

University Book Store
63 Iowa Memorial Union
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242-1317

If you are an Iowa resident, please add 6% sales tax. Include a note stating your height and degree to be received (MBA), as well as whether you would like your apparel shipped, or you plan on picking it up the day of the event.

Other Apparel
Candidates planning to wear academic apparel obtained from another source should contact Commencements (319-335-0296) by May 4 as seating is initially planned on the basis of apparel sales. If you do not notify Commencements, you will not have a seat assigned for the ceremony.

Celebration Details

Dress At Commencement
Graduates should plan to obtain their academic apparel early so that the gown can be pressed with a cool iron or allowed to hang in order to remove wrinkles.

Men are expected to wear ties, although jackets are not required. Flowers are not worn on gowns. No backpacks or purses are to be taken on stage. Graduates are encouraged to leave any jackets, purses, or other personal items with their family members prior to checking in, as the check-in area will not be staffed during the ceremony.

All cell phones/pagers should be turned off. Caps are to be worn with the mortarboard horizontal and the tassel on the left. They should be worn during the Processional, while degrees are being conferred, and during the Recessional. They may be removed at other times.

Arrival Time
Please arrive at the ceremony with cap and gown in hand. All candidates for degree should be assembled on the upper level of Hancher Auditorium by 9:15 a.m. Arriving earlier will give you time for photos with family and friends and there also will be less traffic congestion.

Upon Arrival
Check-in will be arranged alphabetically, by last name, at tables on the upper level of Hancher Auditorium for Full-time MBA, MBA-PM, and IEMBA candidates. Executive MBA candidates will have a designated check-in area on the upper level. At check-in you will be given a nametag and your Name Card. Please wear the nametag on your clothing (not the graduation robe) and prepare to line up in alphabetical order.

Candidates for degree will be seated in alphabetical order to facilitate the distribution of diplomas. To assist with the announcement of names, please see that your name is spelled phonetically on the Name Card. Keep the Name Card with you until you hand it to the announcer as you are recognized onstage.

Program
An event marshal will escort you to the stage area. You should be seated as soon as
all seats in your row are filled. Commencement programs will be available on your
chair; therefore you do not need to carry one with you to the ceremony.
The ceremony will begin with a welcome from Dean Gary Gaeth, followed by the
Commencement Address, the Conferral of Degrees, and the Presentation of
Graduates.

For the Presentation of Graduates, the candidates will be invited to come to the front of the stage to be recognized individually. Take your Name Card with you, hand it to the person reading names at the microphone, and walk briskly to the center stage to shake hands with the University official and Dean Hunter. Continue across the stage to receive your diploma from Dean Gaeth. You will then walk completely backstage to have your posed graduation photo taken. Following the posed photo, you will return to the opposite end of your original row of seats, cross to your chair and be seated.

Following the closing remarks, graduates will be asked to stand. The marshal will then lead the recessional to the Hancher lobby. The ceremony is expected to last one hour.

Diplomas
Diplomas, with covers, will be distributed during the ceremony to May graduates. December 2007 and Summer 2008 graduates will receive only a diploma cover. If you are unable to attend the ceremony, your diploma will be mailed to you after final grades have been recorded — approximately three weeks after the ceremony.

Students who have incomplete coursework or who have not met other requirements for degree will not receive their diploma until the deficient coursework has been completed.

The final academic or credentialing document (i.e. official transcript), will not be released if there is any financial indebtedness to The University of Iowa.

Ceremony Broadcast
Family and friends who are not able to attend the event at Hancher will have an opportunity to view the ceremony via webcast at www.biz.uiowa.edu/webcasts. The ceremony will be archived so that graduates may watch the event again at their leisure.

The ceremony will also be aired on UITV on the following dates and times:

  • Friday, May 16, 10:00 am (Live!)
  • Friday, May 16, 6:00 pm
  • Saturday, May 17, 12:00 am
  • Saturday, May 17, 6:00 am
  • Tuesday, May 20, 10:00 am

If you would like to purchase a DVD copy of any commencement ceremony, please send your name, address, the ceremony you'd like to purchase (School of Management MBA), and a check payable to "The University of Iowa" for $25.00 to:

ITS-Video Services
23-Lindquist Center
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Attention: Rich Adams

Allow 4 to 6 weeks for processing. VHS tapes are no longer available.  Further UITV details can be found here:  http://www.its.uiowa.edu/tns/uitvschedule/Commencement.htm#buy

Announcements and Photographs

Announcements
Henry B. Tippie School of Management commencement announcements are available from CB Announcements. You may order by phone (800-433-0296) or through their website (www.cbgrad.com). Be sure to indicate your interest in ordering School of Management (MBA) announcements, not "Graduate College" or "College of Business" announcements. Please plan on a two-week delivery and order accordingly.

General University announcements, which require you to insert information about the degree and graduation ceremony, are available from the UI Alumni Association (319-335-3294).

Newspaper Announcement
On the Sunday prior to graduation, the Tippie School of Management will place an announcement listing all December '07, May '08 and Summer '08 graduates in the local newspapers. If you do not wish to have your name included in these listings, please contact Shawn Pitton at shawn-pitton@uiowa.edu prior to April 18.

Photographs
Professional photographers will take two photos of each candidate: a candid photo taken while shaking hands with a University official and a more formal, posed photo taken after being recognized onstage. To receive a complimentary proof (with no obligation to purchase), please be sure to complete the address information on the back of the Name Card. You will receive your Name Card when you check in upon your arrival at Hancher Auditorium. Keep the Name Card with you to hand to the announcer as you are recognized onstage. Name Cards can be completed at the time you order your cap/gown or at check-in on the day of the ceremony.

Brunch

A brunch to honor the graduates will be held in the Iowa Memorial Union immediately following the commencement ceremony. The brunch is complimentary for the graduate and up to two guests. Additional guests may attend at a cost of $20.00 per person. Brunch for children ages 12 and under is complimentary. Tickets are required. Formal invitations and detailed directions to the event will be mailed in mid-to-late April. RSVP now

Graduation Gifts

The Tippie School of Management will present May and expected July graduates with a gift! At check-in, these individuals will receive a gift redemption card. Bring this card to the gift table at the brunch in the Iowa Memorial Union after the ceremony to claim your gift. Gifts not picked up at the brunch will be mailed to the graduate in mid-to-late June.

Directions

Directions to Hancher Auditorium
Hancher Auditorium is located on Park Road, across from City Park. From I-80, exit at Dubuque Street (exit 244) and drive toward Iowa City. At the second stoplight (Park Road), turn right and cross the Iowa River. Hancher Auditorium will be on the left, along the riverbank. The second left, once you cross the river, is the entrance to the Hancher Auditorium complex.
Upon entering the complex, parking is to the right of the main driveway. Please plan to arrive early, as traffic and parking may be congested. For those who will be attending the post-commencement brunch, maps and other parking information will be mailed with brunch tickets at a later date.

Directions to Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)
Those attending the commencement brunch after the program may find it more convenient to walk to the Iowa Memorial Union for the graduation brunch. Hancher Auditorium is located along the river. There is a sidewalk that follows the river and two separate footbridges you will be able to cross over to get to the IMU. Expect a 5 -10 minute walk. If you choose to drive, traffic officials may direct you in different directions.

From Park Road:
If you are directed by traffic officials to turn right onto Park Road: From Park Road take a right onto Dubuque Street. Continue on Dubuque Street until you come to Market Street (one-way) and turn right on Market Street. Market Street passes right by the Pappajohn Business Building and ends down the hill in a T-section at Madison Street. You may go left to the IMU Parking Ramp or right to the North Parking Ramp at the Madison Street intersection. As you proceed down the Market Street hill, a sign will tell you if either ramp is full.

From N. Riverside Drive:
If you are directed by traffic officials to turn left onto N. Riverside Drive: From N. Riverside Drive you will come up on Hwy 6/Riverside Drive. Cross traffic and turn left onto Hwy 6/Riverside Drive. You will need to immediately get in the left hand turning lane to cross the river on Iowa Avenue. Iowa Avenue will end in a T-intersection at Madison St. Turn left on Madison St. The IMU is on the left hand side just a block down. Across from the IMU (on your right) will be the IMU Parking Ramp. If the IMU Ramp is full, you may continue down Madison St. to the North Parking Ramp (also on your right).

Additional campus maps are online at http://www.uiowa.edu/~maps/areas/index.htm.