As we mentioned in the Commencement 2020 email on Friday, the Commencement Committee is working on a reimagined commencement and we would still like to offer these awards to our seniors.
The deadline to apply is extended to Friday, March 27, 2020! To learn more visit www.mmm.edu/commencement.
The deadline to register for an audition/interview for the Senior Class Speaker is extended to Friday, March 27, 2020! To learn more and to register for the 2020 Senior Class Speaker, please visit www.mmm.edu/commencement.
We write today to talk about commencement. As you know, our traditional commencement ceremony has had to be canceled this year in light of the global COVID-19 outbreak and the restrictions on large gatherings in NYC, effective for at least the next eight weeks.
We share in your devastation at the cancelation of this significant event, a milestone for which you have all been purposefully, diligently preparing for many years. Not only is it a joyous celebration of all that you've accomplished in your time at MMC, but we have also heard many students express what an important moment of closure it is for this chapter of your lives.
While we can all appreciate the necessity of canceling the ceremony given the current global and local circumstances, it is difficult to process the anger, sadness, and frustration that come with the loss of such an important occasion in your lives. Please know that you are not alone in how you are feeling—tens of thousands of college seniors across the country and the world are grappling with the loss of their long-awaited walk across the stage.
The College is deeply committed to providing a reimagined commencement that celebrates your momentous achievements in a meaningful way. We ask anyone who is interested to complete this survey about potential ideas for commencement, to help guide the College's decisions during this challenging time. The Commencement Committee has met several times in the past week and discussed numerous possibilities, but this celebration is for you and we need to hear your voices.
We each handle emotional and uncertain times like these in different ways, and accordingly, we have heard very many, very different, opinions about what should happen with commencement. There are those who have called for a rescheduled, in-person ceremony, whenever that might be able to happen. There are others who are offended that we would presume students and their families could bear the expense of coming back to campus several months from now. And there are those who are simply heartbroken at missing the opportunity to hug their friends and shake their professors' hands. Some feel receiving their caps and gowns is necessary and deserved, while others are stung by the thought of receiving the garb without being able to walk the stage. We hear and understand each of these perspectives, as well as the many others that have been shared with us over the past few days. We again ask that you please share your thoughts here.
Although there is perhaps no one answer that will satisfy all 400 members of the Class of 2020, we are committed to making alternative plans that celebrate your time at MMC while protecting your health and safety and the health and safety of your loved ones. Despite the challenging circumstances, we're in this together.
I hope your Spring semester is off to a great start! Below please find important information regarding Commencement 2020 as well as other exciting graduation-related activities! Check your MMC email account frequently as we will be communicating all graduation information via that email address.
COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY: Friday, May 22, 2020 at 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
United Palace Theatre, 4140 Broadway, New York, NY 11002 (at 175th Street)
Students check-in at 9:15 am. Guests will be admitted into the United Palace Theatre at 10:00 am.
GRADUATION APPLICATION
Application Due NOW
If you plan to graduate, complete the Graduation Application as soon as possible.
OUTSTANDING FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
Graduating students who have received Federal Stafford Student Loans or Parent Plus Loans must complete an Online Exit Counseling Session and clear outstanding balances and holds on their student accounts prior to the Commencement Packet Pickup event. If you have a hold on your student account, you will not be able to pick up your cap and gown or personalized code for guest tickets. If you have any questions regarding outstanding financial matters, please contact the Center for Student Services at 212-517-0500 or at css@mmm.edu.
SENIOR YEARBOOK PORTRAITS
To schedule an appointment, visit www.ouryear.com and enter our school code: 87196 or call 1-800-OUR-YEAR (1-800-687-9327). Senior Portraits will be included in the Yearbook and will also be available for purchase. Every Graduating Senior photographed will receive a complimentary copy of the 2020 Yearbook. There is no cost to have your portrait taken and photographs will be available for your personal portrait needs.
100 NIGHTS: Wednesday, February 12, 2020, 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Regina Peruggi Room
100 Nights marks the beginning of the 100-night countdown to commencement and the end of your time here at Marymount. Complete with a toast from President Kerry Walk, this event celebrates every graduating senior with strawberries, bubbly and a complimentary MMC champagne flute! An e-vite was emailed to all graduating students in December. For questions regarding the event or RSVP, please contact Ben Giuliana, Coordinator for Student Activities at bgiuliana@mmm.edu.
ALUMNI CAREER NIGHT: Thursday, February 13, 2020, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Regina Peruggi Room
The Office of Alumni Relations, in collaboration with Career Services, cordially invites the Class of 2020 to MMC's first Alumni Career Night. Take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions, exchange LinkedIn info, update your headshot, and submit your resume for review to Career Services! Learn more and RSVP here.
ORDERING CAPS AND GOWNS
To order your cap and gown visit https://mmmc.shopoakhalli.com/. The deadline to order your cap and gown is Friday, March 20, 2020. There is no charge for this order. The regalia will be shipped to the College and will be distributed during the Commencement Packet Pickup event.
SENIOR DAYS 2020: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 and Wednesday, March 4, 2020, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Hewitt Gallery of Art (both days)
Graduating students can stop by our tables to confirm that you are on track and cleared to graduate, obtain commencement ceremony information, nominate your favorite staff and faculty, and participate in other fun activities!
COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY GUEST TICKETS
Guest tickets are required for admission to the Commencement Ceremony. Graduating students do not need a ticket as they will be seated in a reserved section of the audience by their degree program.
This year MMC is using an online ticketing system. Students who are cleared by CSS to graduate will receive a personalized code at Commencement Packet Pickup on April 28 and 29, 2020. That code will be used to gain entry to the Online Seat Selection platform that opens on Thursday, April 30, 2020. Graduates with a code can select up to (7) seven guest seats. Tickets will be emailed, and guests can enter the United Palace Theatre via scanning on their mobile device or printing out the tickets beforehand.
Commencement Ticketing Timeline:
April 28 & 29: Receive a Personalized Code at Commencement Packet Pickup, if cleared for graduation
April 30: Online Seat Selection opens
May 7: Online Seat Selection closes
Late Ticket Requests: Graduating students who are cleared for graduation after April 29, 2020 may receive a reduced number of guest tickets. In addition, those seats may not be seated together.
LOTTERY FOR EXTRA GUEST TICKETS
If extra guest tickets become available, a lottery will be held beginning May 11, 2020. The availability of lottery tickets is not guaranteed as availability is based on the number of unreserved seats in the initial Online Seat Selection, thus lottery seat choices will likely be seated separately from your initial guest seat selections.
Lottery Ticketing Timeline:
April 13: Online form for extra guest tickets lottery opens
May 7: Online form for extra guest tickets lottery closes
May 11: Lottery winners receive a second personalized code, via their MMC email, to reserve additional seats won in lottery
May 12: Online seat selection for lottery winners opens
COMMENCEMENT PACKET PICKUP: Tuesday, April 28, 2020 and Wednesday, April 29, 2020, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Regina Peruggi Room (both days)
All cleared, graduating students must pick up their caps and gowns and their personalized code for guest tickets during Commencement Packet Pickup.
SENIOR AWARDS CEREMONY
The Senior Awards Ceremony and Luncheon will be held on Sunday, May 17, 2020 from 11:00 am to
1:00 pm in The Great Hall. This event is by invitation only. Celebrating the academic, leadership and service achievements of our graduating seniors, the following awards of excellence will be recognized at this event:
┬À Awards of Distinction (5 students recognized)
┬À Gold Keys (for academic excellence in majors)
┬À Certificates in the Minor (for academic excellence)
┬À College Honors Program graduates
┬À Silver M's (for leadership and service to MMC)
┬À Senior-Nominated Awards to Faculty and Staff
The Awards of Distinction Application including recommendation letters, the Silver M Award Nomination Form and the Senior-Nominated Awards for Staff & Faculty must be submitted by Friday, March 20, 2020. To learn more and apply, please visit the Commencement Ceremony website at www.mmm.edu/commencement.
RECEPTION IN HONOR OF THE CLASS OF 2020: Thursday, May 21, 2020, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm, The Great Hall
President Kerry Walk will host a special celebratory reception in honor of the Class of 2020. Graduating students, parents, and families are invited to attend. Information and the RSVP form will emailed to graduating students in late April.
CLASS RINGS: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 and Wednesday, March 4, 2020, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Hewitt Gallery - Black and White West (both days)
Herff Jones will be at the College to display various options and to take students' ring orders. Graduating students can also place their orders at www.herffjones.com/college/mmc.
GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Graduating students who wish to purchase graduation invitations may order them through CB Graduation Announcements at www.cbgrad.balfour.com.
DIPLOMA PLAQUES
A diploma plaque is an elegant way to display your degree. Graduating students can place their orders at www.herffjones.com/college/mmc.
DIRECTIONS
The United Palace Theatre is located at 4140 Broadway, New York, NY 10033 (at 175th Street). We recommend guests use public transportation to the United Palace Theatre. For directions by public transportation or by car as well as parking options visit www.unitedpalace.org/visit/directions-parking.
For information regarding the 2020 Commencement Ceremony and other exciting graduation-related activities, visit www.mmm.edu/commencement. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Student Affairs at 212-774-0750 or email us at graduation@mmm.edu.
Have a wonderful Spring semester! We look forward to celebrating with you at the 2020 Commencement Ceremony.
