Faculty

Academic college deans are members of the stage party and play an important role by briefly addressing graduates prior to degree conferral, participating in doctoral degree conferral (if applicable), and shaking degree candidates hands as they cross the stage. 

Associate deans are members of the stage party and primarily coordinate student speaker and banner carrier selection for their respective college. During the ceremony, the associate deans shake degree candidates’ hands as they cross the stage. 

Departmental chairpersons and program directors are members of the stage party. They represent academic leadership as well as the academic “home” of degree candidates. Chairpersons may also serve as VIP marshals, and grand marshals. On ceremony day, members of the stage party report to the TU Arena Multipurpose Room (located on third floor).

The grand marshal is a faculty member who is nominated by the college and then must be reviewed by the Provost for this role. This is typically a senior and well-respected faculty member within the college. This person may carry the mace and concludes the ceremony, being the first one to process in and out.

VIP marshals lead the stage party on and off the stage during the ceremonies. Frequently, deans select retiring or long-serving faculty for this role.

• A mandatory rehearsal for VIP marshals takes place the Tuesday prior to the ceremonies. 

Degree candidate marshals lead the undergraduate and graduate candidates into the ceremony, direct them on and off the stage to receive their scrolls and lead them out during the recessional. They are part of the faculty processional and work closely with the ceremony floor coordinators during the conferral of degrees.

• Degree candidate marshals can be included in the processing faculty count.

Faculty marshals will lead the faculty in and out of the ceremony and are members of the faculty processional. Typically, the Lead Marshal serves as one of the Faculty Marshals.

• Faculty marshals can be included in the processing faculty count.

Each academic college designates a lead marshal who typically serves for three to five years in this role. Lead marshals work collaboratively with the dean, associate dean, chairs, Commencement Committee, and Office of the Provost to coordinate and share information about faculty participation in Commencement. The lead marshal usually serves as a faculty marshal, but deans have previously selected lead marshals to serve as a VIP marshal. Additional aspects of the lead marshal position include:

• inviting and encouraging faculty to attend the ceremony as part of the processional

• distributing parking passes to members of the faculty processional

• being the college's point of contact in the faculty robing area in the Towson Center on ceremony day

• troubleshooting unforeseen issues on ceremony day and serving as a point of contact

• lead marshals may also serve as degree candidate marshals or faculty marshals

Backup name readers are members of the faculty processional who are on standby in the event that the automated reader voice cannot be accessed or utilized. The backup readers sit on opposite sides of the aisle for seamless access to either side of the stage if needed. 

Faculty marshals, degree candidate marshals and faculty members who march and sit on the arena floor (in front of or next to degree candidates) during the ceremony are members of the faculty processional. On ceremony day, members of the faculty processional report to Towson Center, Athletic Lounge (on the first floor).

• The target number of processing faculty participants per college is 50 in the spring. The target number of processing faculty participants per college is 25 in the winter (to accommodate both faculty from both colleges).
• The total number of processing faculty may include faculty marshals, degree candidate marshals and the backup name reader.

Specific details about your participation in Commencement are typically sent via email from your college's lead marshal, a member of the Commencement Committee, or a representative from the Office of the Provost prior to your college's ceremony. 

If you are a faculty member from another college who would like to join the processional in a different ceremony in order to participate in a ceremony where a family member is a degree candidate, please contact the lead marshal for the candidate's academic college.

Faculty members who participate in the ceremony as part of the stage party or the processional are required to wear academic regalia. Faculty may rent regalia from the university's vendor, or borrow regalia from the Commencement Closet, an initiative of the Office of the Provost.

Pricing is based on items that you rent. Please contact the U-Store, ustore AT_TOWSON, for pricing and delivery information. 

Lead Marshals will deliver parking passes for Lot 8 to processing faculty prior to the ceremony. The Office of the Provost will provide Lot 7 parking passes for faculty in the stage party.

Instructions for parking, arrival time, robing room locations and refreshments are shared approximately two weeks prior to your college's ceremony by the Office of the Provost. 

Parking permits are limited and cannot be replaced if lost. Please display your parking pass on your windshield when driving on campus so that you may park in the designated area. You will not be admitted to the lot without the designated parking pass. 

You may also carpool or take shuttle transportation from the Union Garage or Glen Garage stop..

Processing Faculty Arrival

Please arrive by 8:30 a.m. (for the 10 a.m. ceremony) and 1:30 p.m. (for the 3 p.m. ceremony) in the Towson Center and follow directional signage to the faculty robing area in the Athletic Lounge (on the first floor).

Please note: the faculty robing area is not secured during the ceremony to store belongings, so valuable items, as well as briefcases and handbags should be stored in your locked vehicle or left in another secure location. 

stage party arrival

Please arrive by 8:30 a.m. (for the 10 a.m. ceremony) and 1:30 p.m. (for the 3 p.m. ceremony) in the TU Arena Multipurpose Room (on the third floor).

hOODING FACULTY ARRIVAL

The Office of Graduate Studies will provide information about a meeting location and a short rehearsal the prior to the ceremony.

security screening

All ceremony participants are subject to security screening at the building entrance.

• Lead marshals and Commencement staff members will be available upon arrival to check faculty in and assist with robing and processional instructions.  
• Refreshments are provided for members of the faculty processional prior to each Commencement ceremony. 
• The Commencement procession will begin with the degree candidates at the stated ceremony start time. Faculty process in after the students and just before the stage party.

Processing faculty will spend approximately 20 minutes standing. We strongly recommended that you wear comfortable shoes that day. However, if you cannot walk long distances, stand for a period of time, or need another accommodation, please contact commencement AT_TOWSON to request alternate arrangements.

No. Only grand marshals and VIP marshals, are required to attend rehearsal the Tuesday prior to the ceremonies. Degree candidate marshals and faculty marshals will meet with the ceremony coordinator prior to the start of the ceremony to review the responsibilities of the role.