Spring Graduate Ceremony

Date:
Thursday May 11, 2023

Ceremony Location:
Sanford Stadium

Ceremony Start Time:
9:30 a.m.

Charles S. Bullock III is University Professor of Public and International Affairs and holds the Richard B. Russell Chair in Political Science and is a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Georgia.  He has been at UGA since 1968 with the exception of two years when he was Professor of Political Science at the University of Houston. In 2005 and 2009 he was a senior fellow at Oxford University’s Rothermere American Institute.

Bullock is author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of more than 35 books and more than 250 articles and chapters. Recent publications include: the second edition of Redistricting:The Most Political Activity in America (2021), Special Elections: The Backdoor Entrance to Congress (2021), African American Statewide Candidates in the New South (2022), and the seventh edition of The New Politics of the Old South (2021). He is currently working on a book on runoff elections and ranked choice voting. He is the only three-time winner of the V. O. Key Award given annually for the best book on southern politics.

Bullock’s teaching and research specialties are legislative politics and southern politics. He has been recognized for outstanding teaching by the Department of Political Science, the Honors Program, and the Student Government Association. In 1993, Bullock was one of four professors in the College of Arts and Sciences to receive its highest teaching award. He was the first recipient of the School of Public and International Affairs’ outstanding professor award. In 2005 he won UGA’s highest teaching award.

He has received research grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Education, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, among others. His research has won awards from the Southern Political Science Association, the Southwest Political Science Association, and the Georgia Political Science Association. In 1991, Bullock received the William A. Owens Creative Research Award presented by UGA for outstanding research in social and behavioral sciences. 

Bullock has served as a consultant to the attorneys general in 11 states and to more than 100 state and local governments.

He is a past president of the Southern Political Science Association and the Georgia Political Science Association and a past chair of the Legislative Studies Group. Bullock has served on the editorial boards of the Social Science Quarterly, the American Journal of Political Science, and the Journal of Politics.

Tickets are not required for the graduate ceremony.

Graduate degree candidates will report to check-in at Gate 10 in Sanford Stadium by 8:45 a.m. At check-in you will receive your Marching Order card and then proceed directly to the field.  Graduates will be seated by degree. There will be no formal graduate processional.

Hooding professors will enter Gate 10 with their graduate.

Graduates are seated by degree.

Graduate Seating

For those attending the ceremony in person, please see seating locations on the graduate commencement map. In addition to watching the ceremony in person, the graduate ceremonies will be broadcast live on the Commencement homepage starting at 9:25 a.m.

Graduate Commencement ceremonies are held in May and December. Students completing graduate and doctoral degree requirements during summer must participate in the fall Graduate Commencement ceremony.

For general information regarding graduation requirements, consult the Graduate Bulletin. To ensure that all the requirements for graduation have been met, contact the Graduate Coordinator’s office in your academic department or email gradinfo@uga.edu.

All graduate degree candidates will cross the stage. 

Doctoral degree candidates will be hooded by their major professor. 

The information submitted through Marching Order will be used during the ceremony on the video boards in Stegeman Coliseum in recognition of the graduates’ achievements. Doctoral candidates sit in the doctoral graduate section along with their hooding professor.

The University of Georgia understands that not everyone will be able to attend the ceremony in person. Graduates who are not attending the ceremony will not have their name shown or read during the event. However, they will still be able to create and download the slide for personal use, and they may view the livestream of the ceremony.

In order for a graduate’s information to be included in the ceremony, they must remove their FERPA restrictions.

Graduates who submit their information to Marching Order by the deadline of Friday, April 14 will have their information displayed on the video boards. Recognitions will be grouped by degree.

For items believed lost at Sanford Stadium, please contact the University of Georgia Police Department at detectives@police.uga.edu.

First Aid and ambulance services will be on-site to assist with emergency needs. First Aid stations are located at Section 119 and on the Field Level at the East End Zone Lounge.

• Please follow the Clear Bag Policy.
• On-site wheelchairs are NOT available. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair. 
• Graduates should leave purses, coats, and other belongings with family members.
• Remain standing in front of your seat during the entire procession of the Platform Party. Do not stand in the aisles.
• In advance of the ceremony, graduates should pick a place to meet family and friends once the ceremony is completed.
• Please be respectful of those around you and the fact that this is a formal academic ceremony.  Beach balls, air horns, and other similar distractions may be confiscated.
• Alcoholic beverages are not permitted at any UGA Commencement ceremony.

Security has the right to inspect any item at any time for the purpose of safety.

Prohibited items must be returned to cars or disposed of before entering and will not be accepted by employees or stored at the gates.

The Graduate Commencement ceremony is held rain or shine and will only be rescheduled in the event of severe weather. Severe weather is defined as rain accompanied by high wind, thunder, and lightning. The alternate ceremony time is 9:30 a.m. the following day.

If it is raining on the morning of commencement, but not declared severe weather, the ceremony will be held as planned in the stadium. Each student will be provided a poncho to wear.

Any changes to the commencement ceremony will be announced by 10:00 a.m. the day before commencement, and the information will be placed on the UGA homepage by 10:30 a.m.

We will provide the information to major local radio stations, but please be aware that many stations rely on computerized programming and are not able to broadcast special announcements.

If weather is a concern for you or a member of your party, you may wish to consider a different viewing option.

Parking for commencement is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Suggested parking areas include, Hull Deck (W05), South Campus Deck (S11), East Campus Deck (E04), and Performing Arts Center Deck (E20).

The Tate Center Deck and lot E12 are reserved for designated participants by permit only.

For disability parking, see disability access.

If you have additional parking questions, please contact Parking Services at 706‑542‑7275.

Commencement Parking Map

Any graduates or guests needing any accommodations for a disability please email ADARSVP@uga.edu by May 1, 2023 so that we can best accommodate your needs the day of commencement.  Questions can also be directed to the Disability Resource Center by calling 706-542-8719.

Visitors with mobility concerns are strongly encouraged to arrive early and be prepared for the exertion required of the day. Stadium Gates open 2 hours prior to the start of the ceremony.

On-site wheelchairs are NOT available. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair. Wheelchairs are commonly available for short-term rental from medical supply stores and some pharmacies.

Please review the following for seating reservation information.

Disability Parking and Transportation

Parking for guests with disabilities is available at the East Campus Deck (E04). An ADA accessible shuttle will be available from those areas to the stadium. Please note that there is a slight incline when returning to the shuttle after the ceremony. Personal vehicle dropoffs are NOT permitted near the stadium, please plan accordingly.

Parking Map

Disability Seating Reservations

To better accommodate the various needs of our visitors at commencement, UGA is providing two options for wheelchair accessible seating which may be reserved online. Reservations may be made for one person in a wheelchair and one companion. Guests who do not have a reservation will be directed on-site to the section that has available space.

Field Level Wheelchair Section — East End Zone

• Allows access for one person in a wheelchair and one companion (two individuals per reservation).  Additional family members will need to sit separately in general seating. Please plan accordingly.
• This section is located near the East End Zone. This section faces the main stage and provides a direct view of the event; however, this seating area will not be covered or enclosed.
• Guests must access this section from the Will Call elevators located between Gate 5 and Gate 6 on East Campus Road.
• Guests must scan their general admission ticket for entrance at the Will Call lobby in order to enter.
• Vehicles are not allowed to drop-off and pick-up near the stadium. Shuttles will run from the East Campus Parking Deck. Parking Map. There will be a slight incline when returning to the shuttle.
• Please be advised that Sanford Stadium does NOT provide wheelchairs. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair.
• Please prepare appropriately for direct sun — sunscreen and hats are highly suggested. Umbrellas are permitted in the stadium.
• Water is available, and ADA accessible portable restrooms are located nearby.

Interior Covered Wheelchair Section — Level 200

• Allows access for one person in a wheelchair and one companion (two individuals per reservation). Additional family members will need to sit separately in general seating. Please plan accordingly.
• Level 200 wheelchair seating is open air but covered. It has televisions which display a live feed of the ceremony; however, there is no field view, so anticipate watching the ceremony on the television screens.
• This area is located on Level 200 in the East End of the stadium behind section 218.
• Guests must access this section from the Will Call elevators located between Gate 5 and Gate 6 on East Campus Road.
• Guests must scan their general admission ticket for entrance at the Will Call lobby in order to enter.
• Vehicles are not allowed to drop-off and pick-up near the stadium. Shuttles will run from the East Campus Parking Deck. Parking Map. There will be a slight incline when returning to the shuttle. 
• Please be advised that Sanford Stadium does NOT provide wheelchairs. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair.
• Water is available, and accessible restrooms are located nearby.

Disability Seating Reservations

Reserve Disability Seating

Disability seating is limited and requests will be processed as they are received. In addition to a reservation, all guests must have a general admission ticket to enter the stadium.

On-site wheelchairs are NOT available. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair.

Guests who do not have a reservation will be directed on-site to the section that has available space.

For more information or questions, please contact ADARSVP@uga.edu.

Captioning

The graduate ceremony will have open captioning in Sanford Stadium. A live streaming transcription of the audio portion of the ceremony will be displayed on the large reader boards for guests with difficulty hearing.

The Arch

For University of Georgia alumni with mobility impairments who choose to pass through the Arch after graduation, the University will have a temporary platform in place on Saturday, May 13 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

For related questions, contact Qiana Wilson, director of the Equal Opportunity Office, at 706-542‑7912 or ugaeoo@uga.edu.

Appropriate academic regalia must be worn to participate in the Graduate Commencement ceremony.

Candidates should wear their tassels on the right side prior to their degree being conferred and on the left side afterward. The mortarboard on the cap should be parallel to the ground.

Program-Specific Colors

The color of the velvet on the hoods worn by master’s and doctorate candidates are indicative of the academic subject area.

The colors associated with these subject areas are as follows:

Regalia Orders

Caps, gowns and hoods may be purchased online from Jostens.  Please click the button below for purchasing information. Announcements can be ordered online from Jostens.

Please note: If you order your academic regalia from someone other than Jostens, they will not be able to assist you with missing or replacement items.

Diplomas are mailed six to eight weeks after the official graduation date.

Please see the Registrar’s Office website for complete information regarding applying to graduate and diplomas.