Commencement Planning

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. Additional aspects of the deans’ role include:

• consulting with the Office of the Provost regarding the unique needs of their unit
• review of college information in the ceremony program draft
• review of college and name information in the ceremony script
• preparing a one to two sentence congratulatory statement to give prior to introducing the college’s student speaker(s)
• the dean of Graduate Studies plays an important role in coordinating and training the doctoral advisors and doctoral degree candidates

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. Additional aspects of the associate deans’ role include:

• meeting with the Office of the Provost team
• review of college information in the ceremony program draft
• review of college and program information in the ceremony script

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, Room 117.

• 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
• The Office of the Provost has created online sign-up forms for each college to use, if desired, to collect processing faculty RSVPs ('yes' responses only). The form will automatically close when 50 'yes' responses have been submitted. Each Monday, the associate/assistant dean and lead marshal (if applicable) will receive a spreadsheet containing faculty RSVPs.
  • CBE Processing Participant Form
  • COE Processing Participant Form
  • CHP Processing Participant Form
  • CLA Processing Participant Form
  • COFAC Processing Participant Form
  • FCSM Processing Participant Form

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.

• The submission is reviewed in the Office of the Provost and a congratulatory letter of confirmation is sent to the grand marshal.

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

• For spring ceremonies, each college selects a grand marshal.

• For shared winter ceremonies, colleges rotate grand marshal selection.

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.

Name card presenters are members of the faculty processional who stand on stage during the degree conferral process and scan candidate names cards so that the automated voice will read the candidate's name. The name card presenters are part of the stage party.  

The following special roles are designated for students as an honor or in special recognition of their accomplishments.

• Undergraduate student speaker
  • Must be a current degree candidate; 1 per college in the spring, rotates in the winter
• Graduate student speaker
  • Must be a current degree candidate; 1 per college in the spring; rotates in the winter.
• Undergraduate banner carrier
  • Must be a current degree candidate; 1 per college in the spring; rotates in the winter.
• Graduate banner carrier
  • Must be a current degree candidate; 1 per college in the spring; rotates in the winter. 
• Honors College banner carrier
  • Must be a current degree candidate; 1 per ceremony each spring (6) and winter (3); selected by Honors College.
• Soloist
  • Performs the national anthem and the alma mater; recieves $100 honorarium
  • Selected by the Music Department; current degree candidate preferred but not required and may perform in more than one ceremony; 1 per ceremony.
• Signer
  • Signs the national anthem and the alma mater; recieves $100 honorarium
  • Selected by the Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Department, current degree candidate preferred but not required and may sign in more than one ceremony; 1 per ceremony. 

Led by the associate dean, each college determines their own inclusive and equitable student participant selection process. The Office of the Provost provides the following optional additional resources that colleges may use if desired:

graduation office data

Degree candidate data for the top 100 graduate students and top 100 undergraduates per college.

speaker nomination form

Any university community member, including students who wish to nominate themselves, may complete the Speaker Nomination Form.

• The nomination form will open in mid-February for spring ceremonies and in mid-September for winter ceremonies.
• The nomination deadline is early March for spring ceremonies, and early October for winter ceremonies.
• College representatives may click here to access real time results.  

Once the student has accepted a special role, please submit their name to the online participant portal. Only add confirmed names to the portal.

An Office of the Provost representative will communicate directly with student participants regarding preparations for Commencement, rehearsal, regalia, parking, guest tickets, etc. College and unit representatives will be copied on any correspondence with student participants.

Members of the stage party include:

• Board of Regent representative
• President
• Provost
• Vice-Provost
• Vice-President of Student Affairs
• Dean
• Associate Dean(s)
• Department chairpersons and program directors
• Grand Marshal
• VIP Marshals
• Academic Senate representative
• TU Staff Senate representative
• GSA and SGA representatives

The Office of the Provost coordinates information and resources such as parking passes and refreshments for the stage party.

On ceremony day, members of the stage party enter SECU Arena through the Lot 20 (Gate 3 door) and report to the Multipurpose Room on third floor.