Commencement ceremonies would not be possible without the institution's extraordinary faculty.
Commencement ceremonies would not be possible without the institution's extraordinary faculty.
The Office of the Provost works collaboratively with the dean, associate deans, chairpersons, and lead marshal of each academic college to coordinate through nomination or expressed interest, faculty participation in Commencement.
Faculty and the administration of each academic college play an important role in the planning and execution of Commencement. Both degree candidates and the Office of the Provost highly value the participation of faculty and staff of academic colleges.
Each academic college designates a lead marshal to 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. Please contact your college's lead marshal to participate in the faculty processional at Commencement (click here for ceremony dates and times).
| College | name |
|---|---|
| College of Business & Economics | Neeraj Parolia, Ph.D. |
| College of Education | Gilda Martinez-Alba, Ph.D. |
| College of Fine Arts & Communication | Tom Cascella, M.F.A. |
| College of Health Professions | Mary Lashley, Ph.D. |
| College of Liberal Arts | Bethany Willis, Ph.D. |
| Fisher College of Science & Mathematics | Jay Zimmerman, Ph.D. |
On Commencement day, degree candidates appreciate seeing the faces of the professors and mentors who have supported them along the way. There are several opportunties for faculty to participate in their college's ceremony. Review the sections below for detailed descriptions.
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 SECU Arena Multipurpose Room (located on third floor).
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 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 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 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 opposide sides of the aisle for seamless access to either side of the stage if needed.
Below you'll find commonly asked questions about where to go, where to park, and what to wear. Some answers vary based upon whether you are a processing faculty member or a member of the stage party, and all faculty are an important part of the day.
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 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.
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..
Lead Marshals will deliver parking passes for Lot 8 to processing faculty prior to the ceremony. The Office of the Provost will provide Lot 7parking passes for faculty in the stage party.
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.
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 SECU Arena Multipurpose Room (on the third floor).
All ceremony participants are subject to security screening at the building entrance.
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.
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