Commencement Details

Important information for staff and faculty members

Quick Links:Volunteer Assignments|Graduate FAQs|Venue Overview

Commencement Weekend Schedule

Here is the volunteer schedule for the entire weekend. All times listed below are in Eastern Time.

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Volunteer Information & Assignments

Understand volunteer expectations and assignments by reviewing the information in this section.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Taylor Ingles.

If you have any questions about hotel room assignments for commencement, please reach out to Taylor Ingles.

Volunteer Assignments

Find your volunteer group and assignment by consulting the dropdowns below.
For full details on each group’s responsibilities, please consult the volunteer training presentation.

Group Leads & Overview

Onesite Roles	Onsite Responsibilities	Group Lead
Platform/Stage Party	Oversees onsite and virtual run of show, scripts, stage rehearsal and day-of commencement activities; assists with doctoral hooding.	Jodi Feikema & Eric Klein
Announcers	Reads graduate names during each ceremony.	Natalie Pelham
Platform Party/Ceremony Support	Supports the platform party and coordinates feedback to stage party during ceremony.	Mike Cook
Marshals	Oversees the processional and helping students to the proper seats, on the stage and off the stage during the conferral of the names.	Tony Miller
Ushers	Oversees order and decorum throughout the ceremony as well as assisting students with disability seating access, regalia adjustments and addressing questions/concerns.	Stephie Guptill
Graduate Registration	Oversees graduate check-in, cord distribution and is a resource for graduate questions.	Sabrina Hill-Gadlin
Brand Booth	Oversees set-up, tear-down and manning of the brand booth, which severs as the hub for brand activations, alumni and field initiatives.	Taylor Ingles
Photo Booth	Oversees set-up, tear-down and manning of the photo booth, helping to take photos and maintaining an orderly line.	DJ Streat
Graduate Line-up	Oversees student line-up process and the transition to the auditorium area; works with ushers to ensure students are seated correctly.	Nicky Wiley & Victoria Brooks
Lobby Greeter	Oversees welcoming attendees upon arrival, providing venue directions and managing crowd flow in lobby area.	Jill Delcambre
Graduate Support and Questions	Oversees answering questions from students and family members about the venue, maintaining flow and order, and quickly addressing unplanned scenarios.	Monica Carson & Event Coordinator
Production Support	Oversees technical aspects of event, including set-up, tear-down and operation of video equipment and production of the commencement livestream.	Michael Wallace & Porch
Runners and Floaters	Provides support as needed to students and other volunteer groups, relaying messages and information, replenishing supplies, and taking care of various errands and tasks.	Event Coordinator

Individual Group Assignments

Platform Party

Announcers

Platform Party/Ceremony Support

Marshals

Ushers

Graduation Registration

Brand Booth

Photo Booth

Graduate Line-up

Lobby Greeter

Graduate Support and Questions

Production Support

Runners and Floaters

Graduate FAQs

Here are answers to some of the most common questions we get from graduates and their guests during commencement.
If you are unsure how to answer a question, defer to your team lead.

Where is the restroom, elevator, stairs, etc.?

Where is graduate registration/check-in?

How do I share my celebration on social media?

Where is graduate line-up?

Where should graduates leave their things?

Where can I get a program?

How do I wear my regalia?

Can I leave the ceremony early?

When will I receive my professional headshots?

Are there ADA accommodations?

What is the link to the livestream so I can share with family that could not be here?

What should graduates do before the ceremony starts?

Venue Overview and Maps

Commencement will once again be held at the Murat Theater at the Old National Centre located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It’s highly recommended that you familiarize yourself with the venue before commencement by taking a 3D venue tour.

3D Venue Tour

Outside View

This is an aerial view of the Old National Centre. The main entrance is highlighted, where graduates and their guests will enter. The volunteer limo bus that will run from the hotel to the venue will run against Michigan Street. View the larger map here.

Ground Floor

This is the overall floorplan for the ground floor of Old National Centre, where the lobby and the main Murat Theater entrance are located.

Second Floor

This is the overall floorplan for the second floor of Old National Centre, where the Egyptian Room and graduate registration are located.

Murat Theater & Dressing Rooms

This is a layout of the Murat Theater in relation to the Egyptian Room. This shows how graduates will transition from the graduate line-up area to the auditorium for each ceremony.

Murat Theater Seating

This is a layout of seating available in the Murat Theater, both ground (top half of image) and second (bottom half of image) floors, including the seat count for the first several rows.

Assignments

Find your volunteer group and assignment by consulting the dropdowns below. For full details on each group’s responsibilities, please consult the volunteer training presentation.

Thursday, July 27th

Friday, July 28th

Saturday, July 29th

Time (EST)	What Needs To Be Done	Location	Who is Responsible	Who Else Is Involved
6:45am	Bus pick up will begin in front of the Hilton	120 W. Market St.	Mike Cook	ACE Staff Volunteers
7:00am	Virtual Commencement Page Will Launch with Livestream Countdown	Online	Justin Arneson	N/A
7:00am	ACE Staff Arrives – Begin setup and preparation for Doctoral Hooding Ceremony	Old National Centre 502 N. New Jersey St.	Mike Cook	Platform Party and ACE Staff Volunteers
7:00am	Porch Film Crew Arrive		Mike Cook	Jon Erwin
7:00am	Photographer Arrives		Mike Cook	Stephanie Rounds
7:00am	Caterer Arrives		Mike Cook	Caterer
8:30-10:00am	Catering		Mike Cook	Caterer
9:00am	Check-in for Doctoral Students and Families Begin		Sabrina Hill-Gadlin	ACE Check-In Group
9:30am	Graduates line up for Doctoral Hooding Ceremony		Nicky Wiley	ACE Student Line-Up Group
10:00am	Start of Doctoral Hooding Ceremony Processional Introduction of the Procession Entrance of the Platform Party led by TBD Entrance of the Graduates led by Faculty Ushers		Geordie Hyland & Dr. Jodi Feikema	Platform Party Hooding Team Doctoral Students/Families
10:10am	Welcome and Introduction of the Platform Party and Graduates		Dr. Eric Klein	N/A
10:15am	Introduction of the President		Dr. Jodi Feikema	N/A
10:22am	President’s Remark		Geordie Hyland	N/A
10:27am	Conferring of Ed.D Degree		Dr. Jodi Feikema	N/A
10:30am	Hooding & Individual Recognition		Hooding Team	N/A
11:30am	Congratulations to the Doctoral Students and Final Comments		Dr. Eric Klein	N/A
11:40am	Recessional		Geordie Hyland / Dr. Jodi Feikema	Platform Party Doctoral Candidates
11:00am-1:00pm	Catering		Mike Cook	Caterer
11:45am	Lunch for Staff Volunteers		Mike Cook	ACE Staff Volunteer Leads
11:45am-12:45pm	Clean-up and turnaround of the Theatre		All	Old National Centre staff
12:00pm	Check-in for General Graduation		Sabrina Hill-Gadlin	ACE Check-In Group
12:30pm	Graduates line up for General Graduation		Nicky Wiley	ACE Student Line-Up Group
1:00pm	Start of General Graduation		Geordie Hyland / Dr. Jodi Feikema	Platform Party / Faculty Ushers / Students/Families
1:15pm	Welcome		Dr. Luster Fowler	N/A
1:17pm	National Anthem (Star Spangled Banner)		Ayn K. Engle	N/A
1:20pm	Introduction of the Platform Party and Graduates		Dr. Luster Fowler	N/A
1:25pm	Recognition of Military Service		Dr. Luster Fowler	N/A
1:27pm	Presentation of the Alumni Achievement Award		Dr. Scott Bailey	N/A
1:30pm	Alumni Achievement Award Recipient		Caitlyn Robinson	N/A
1:36pm	Recognition of All Honor Graduates (National Board Grads)		Dr. Crystal Neumann	N/A
1:38pm	Recognition of All Honor Graduates (Kappa Delta Pi Grads)		Dr. Crystal Neumann	N/A
1:40pm	Recognition of All Honor Graduates (Distinguished Graduate Honors Students)		Dr. Crystal Neumann	N/A
1:42pm	Introduction of the President		Dr. Jodi Feikema	N/A
1:45pm	President’s Remark		Geordie Hyland	N/A
1:50pm	Introduction of Keynote Speaker		Geordie Hyland	N/A
1:52pm	Commencement Address by Keynote Speaker		Kim Bearden	N/A
2:07pm	Presentation of the Keynote Speaker Gift		Geordie Hyland	N/A
2:10pm	Conferring of Degrees		Dr. Jodi Feikema / Geordie Hyland	N/A
2:15pm	Individual Recognition		Geordie Hyland / Dr. Jodi Feikema	Scott Murray
3:15pm	Presentation of the Graduating Class & Concluding Remarks		Dr. Jodi Feikema	N/A
12:30pm	President’s Remark		Geordie Hyland	N/A
3:20pm	Recessional		Geordie Hyland / Dr. Jodi Feikema	Platform Party / Faculty Ushers / Students/Families
3:15pm	Catering		Mike Cook	Caterer
3:30pm	Reception		All	All Attendees
4:50pm	Beverage Service Closes		All	All Attendees
5:00pm	Reception Concludes		All	All Attendees
5:00-6:00pm	Clean-up and Load Out		Mike Cook	ACE Staff Volunteers

Commencement Scripts

Below, you will find links to details and scripts for both the Morning Ed.D Ceremony and Afternoon Full Ceremony.
If you have any questions, please reach out to William Liu.

Ed.D Ceremony Script

Full Commencement Script

–

7:30 – 8:00 am	Shuttle from Hilton to Old National Centre
8:00 – 9:00 am	ACE employee breakfast and rundown in the Deco Lounge on the lower level of Old National Centre
9:00 am – 11:00 am	Event set up and preparation
11:00 am	ACE employee lunch in Deco Lounge
12:00 – 1:00 pm	Continued event preparation Sound check in Murat Theater
1:00 pm	All volunteers ready in assigned places Doors open to graduates and guests
1:30 pm	Graduates begin line up in Egyptian Room
1:50 pm	Processional begins
2:00 pm	Doctoral Hooding Ceremony begins in Murat Theater
2:00 – 4:00 pm	All available volunteers set Egyptian Room up for alumni reception
4:00 pm	Doctoral Hooding Ceremony ends Alumni reception begins in Egyptian Room
5:00 pm	Alumni reception ends
5:00 – 6:00 pm	Clean up and load out if necessary
6:00 pm	Venue access complete Dinner on your own

8:00 – 8:30 am	Shuttle from Hilton to Old National Centre
8:30 – 9:00 am	ACE employee breakfast and rundown in the Deco Lounge on the lower level of Old National Centre
9:00 am – 10:00 am	Load in and set up
10:00 am	All volunteers ready in assigned places Doors open to morning graduates and guests
10:30 am	Graduates begin line up in Egyptian Room
10:50 am	Processional begins
11:00 am	Morning Main Ceremony begins in Murat Theater
11:00 am – 1:00 pm	All available volunteers set Egyptian Room up for alumni reception
1:00 pm	Morning Main Ceremony ends Alumni reception begins in Egyptian Room
1:00 – 2:30 pm	ACE employee lunch available in Deco Lounge (eat as time allows)
2:00 pm	Alumni reception ends All volunteers work to clear the building of morning graduates and guests
2:00 – 3:00 pm	Re-set up venue as needed for afternoon ceremony Reset Egyptian Room for graduate line up
3:00 pm	All volunteers ready in assigned places Doors open to afternoon graduates and guests
3:30 pm	Graduates begin line up in Egyptian Room
3:50 pm	Processional begins
4:00 pm	Afternoon Main Ceremony begins in Murat Theater
4:00 – 6:00 pm	All available volunteers set Egyptian Room up for alumni reception
6:00 pm	Afternoon Main Ceremony ends Alumni reception begins in Egyptian Room
7:00 pm	Alumni reception ends All volunteers work to clear the building of graduates and guests
7:00 – 8:00 pm	Load out, clean up
8:00 pm	Venue access complete Dinner on your own