2009 University of Michigan School of Public Health Graduation

Eligibility:

All School of Public Health students who will have completed their degree requirements before or during the Summer or Fall 2008 or Spring or Winter 2009 terms are welcome to participate in both the School of Public Health Graduation and the All-University Spring Commencement. *Students receiving a Ph.D. or M.S. also are invited to the University Graduate Exercises (Rackham).
*Note: December 2009 graduates will not receive their official diploma until after they have completed coursework in the fall.

All graduates must officially apply for graduation. Do this as soon as possible by visiting http://wolverineaccess.umich.edu/

Graduation Event Logistics

EVENT	LOCATION	DATE/TIME
University Graduate Exercises (Rackham)	Hill Auditorium	May 1, 1:00 p.m.
School of Public Health Graduation	Hill Auditorium	April 30, 5:30 p.m.
All-University Spring Commencement (speaker: Larry Page, co-founder of Google, and UM alum)	Michigan Stadium	May 2, 10:00 a.m.

Graduation Tickets for Guests

Graduation tickets are NOT required for guests attending SPH graduation this year. However, guests are required to RSVP to attend the SPH graduation reception. Please register the number of guests in your party that will be attending the reception.

Note to international students: Family members who are not the children or spouse of the F-1 student or J-1 exchange visitor must apply for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa to gain entry into the U.S. Family members from certain countries may be eligible to travel to the U.S. to visit for stays of up to 90 days without obtaining a B-1/B-2 visa through the U.S. Department of State Visa Waiver Program.

Diplomas

Master's Degree Graduates: Diplomas for Winter Term 2009 graduates will be mailed by the end of July to the address you specified on your diploma application. Diplomas for Spring/Summer graduates will be mailed in early November.
Doctoral Degree Recipients: Ph.D. graduates attending the University Graduate Exercises will receive their diplomas at the program. Those who do not attend the University Graduate Exercises may pick up their diplomas at the Office of the Registrar, Diploma Department in the LSA Building at 500 State Street during regular business hours in the week prior to, and the week after commencement. You must call 734-763-9066 in advance. Diplomas not picked up during that time will be mailed to the address you specified on your diploma card.

Announcements

Standard announcements may be ordered at Graduation Kick-Off (Monday March 9, 2:00-5:00). They may also be purchased at the Michigan Union Bookstore, 734-995-8877, at 530 South State Street. Personalized announcements take up to two weeks to print.

Accommodations/Transportation

Hotel arrangements for your guests should be made as soon as possible. Please visit the SPH website for a listing of accommodations, as well as information on directions, airport, and other transportation.

Academic Attire

General

Graduates participating in any University of Michigan graduation ceremonies must wear academic attire. Such attire can be purchased or rented (doctoral only) at Graduation Kick-Off on Monday, March 9. Graduates may also order their academic attire at the Michigan Union Bookstore, 530 South State Street (734-995-8877). Store hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday.

Master's Degree Graduates: If you do not purchase your academic attire at the Kick-Off, you may do so at the Michigan Union Bookstore. The purchase price for cap, gown, hood, and tassel is approximately $75.
Doctoral Degree Recipients: If you do not register for rental of your academic attire at the Kick-Off, you may do so at the Michigan Union Bookstore. Cap, gown, and hood rental is approximately $67. You may also purchase doctoral attire, and you should place your order at least seven weeks before it is needed. The cost of doctoral attire begins at approximately $850.

Hood Colors:

To ensure that you purchase or rent the correct hood, please note your hood color:

M.H.S.A.	public health	salmon
M.P.H.	public health	salmon
M.S.	science	gold
Ph.D.		blue
Dr.P.H.	public health	salmon

Graduation Day

Assembly

Graduates should assemble in their academic attire, in the lower level of Hill Auditorium. Upon arriving at Hill please enter via the WEST entrance (Thayer Street entrance) and go directly to the registration tables in the lower level to pick up your name card and to complete a card for the photographer. You will hand these cards to the marshal on stage when receiving your recognition. From there you will be directed to the appropriate location to prepare for the processional line-up.

For the procession, graduates will line up by degree earned. In the auditorium, graduates will sit next to individuals of the same degree. SPH staff will assist you in lining up for the procession and with seating. The procession into the auditorium will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m.

Please do not bring any valuables to Graduation. There is no safe place to store them.

Families and Guests

Hill Auditorium will open to guests at 4:45 p.m. Guests should enter through the front doors and be seated by 5:15 p.m. Seating for graduation is general seating; Please encourage your guests to arrive early for a good seat. Guests are requested to remain seated throughout the program.

Reception

All graduates, their family and their friends are invited to attend the School of Public Health graduation reception to be held on Ingalls Mall (adjacent to Hill Auditorium) immediately following the ceremony. An RSVP is required to attend the reception. Please remember to register your guests.

Photographer

A photographer will take a color photo of each graduate as he or she is recognized on stage. Graduates will receive a free color proof. There is no obligation to buy reprints.

Timeline for Graduation Day at Hill Auditorium


4:00 - 4:30 p.m.	Graduates arrive, visit the registration tables and are directed to the processional staging area.
4:45 - 5:15 p.m.	Guests are seated in the auditorium.
5:15 p.m.	Graduates line up to begin the procession.
5:30 p.m.	Graduation begins promptly with procession of graduating students.

Although there is no way to predict the exact end time of the ceremony, 7:15 should be a reasonable approximation and most guests appear to leave the reception by 8:00 or so.

Parking

Public parking will be available after 4:30 in the UM parking structures on Thayer and Fletcher Streets. These are the closest structures to Hill Auditorium and they provide handicapped parking. (The UM Parking Office will suspend enforcement for the Thayer and Fletcher street parking structure/ lots for graduates and their guests. Please avoid any specialty parking spaces like the reserved spots for UM vehicles only. If a parking attendant is at the gate, please tell them you are attending UM SPH Graduation.)

Paid parking is also available at the Maynard Street city parking structure which has entrances on Maynard and Thompson Streets. For more information on UM campus parking and Ann Arbor City parking please visit:

City Parking: http://www.a2dda.org/downloads/WalkMap.pdf (PDF)
Campus Parking: http://pts.umich.edu/maps/central_south.pdf (PDF)

Students and Guests with Disabilities

The University of Michigan wants to ensure that all graduates, candidates, and guests can participate fully in graduation. The following arrangements are made in cooperation with the Accessibility Task Force of the Council for Disability Concerns.

Ushers will be available to assist in locating wheelchair-accessible seating and restrooms for guests. Please contact SPHgraduationFAQs@umich.edu or (734) 764-5425, to make arrangements for special needs. A sign language interpreter will be present.

All requests for special arrangements should be made by April 1, 2009.

Important Contact Information


Important contacts that you need to know:	(Area code 734)
Michigan Union Bookstore Academic Attire Rental/Sales	995-8877
School of Public Health Office of Academic Affairs: http://www.sph.umich.edu/students/graduation.html	764-5425
University Commencement Hotline: http://www.umich.edu/~gradinfo/	647-6037
University Graduate Exercises: http://www.umich.edu/~gradinfo/	615-0520
Campus Information Centers: http://www.umich.edu/~info/	763-4636
Diploma and Transcript Office: https://umich-regoff.custhelp.com	763-9066

Graduation FAQs

Clicking on the first group of questions below will take you to the section of this page that answers that question.

When and how do I apply for graduation?

If I am graduating in December of 2009 can I participate in this spring’s graduation ceremony?

When should graduates arrive at Hill Auditorium for the graduation ceremony?

When should guests arrive at Hill Auditorium for the graduation ceremony?

When can we expect the graduation ceremony to conclude?

Do our guests need tickets to attend graduation?

What is the seating arrangement for guests at graduation?

How do family visitors get a VISA to attend graduation?

When is the university-wide graduation and who is the speaker this year?

Do you have suggestions of downtown Ann Arbor restaurants?
For a complete listing of Ann Arbor area restaurants visit www.annarbor.org.

Can we take photos during the graduation ceremony?
Guests are welcome to take photographs during the ceremony. We only ask that they do this discreetly from one of the side aisles so as not to obstruct other guests’ view of the stage. A professional photographer will also be on site to take a color photo of each graduate as he or she is recognized on stage. Graduates will receive a free color proof. There is no obligation to buy reprints.

Will the graduation ceremony be videotaped?
No, the ceremony will not be videotaped.

2009 Graduation Speaker

UM SPH Dean Ken Warner has announced that the school's 2009 graduation speaker will be Dr. Julio Frenk, a renowned expert on global health and three-time University of Michigan graduate. He is widely recognized for his intellectual and programmatic leadership in global health, and is universally regarded as an inspirational speaker.

Dr. Frenk is a Senior Fellow at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and President of the Carso Health Institute in Mexico. Prior to holding these positions, Dr. Frenk was the Minister of Health of Mexico. Dr. Frenk's bio.

Dr. Frenk holds a medical degree from the National University of Mexico and three degrees from the University of Michigan – an M.P.H., an M.A. in sociology, and a joint Ph.D. in medical care organization and sociology. In January 2009, Dr. Frenk will become dean of the Harvard School of Public Health.

grads outside

Summary Information

The School of Public Health graduation will be held at Hill Auditorium on Thursday, April 30, at 5:30 p.m. Graduation tickets are NOT required for guests attending graduation this year. However, guests are required to RSVP to attend the graduation reception. Please indicate the number of guests in your party that will be attending the reception. Students are asked to arrive for graduation between 4 and 4:30. More on the day's timetable.