Overview of Ceremony

Frostburg State University presents two Commencement ceremonies each in the winter and the spring in order to accommodate the graduates' friends and families. As a result, the format of each Commencement is identical. To give you an idea of what the ceremony will entail, here's a brief overview.

• The Processional is led by the University's Grand Marshal, a faculty member recognized for his/her tenure at the institution. Students enter first, followed by faculty and then the stage party. Click here to view the seating arrangement.
  
  
• Greetings are brought to the graduates and guests by the President and a member of the Board of Regents.
  
  
• Frostburg State University feels strongly that Commencement should celebrate the achievements of its graduates. As a result, well-known personalities or leaders in a specific field are not invited to deliver a keynote speech. Instead, an outstanding student is selected from each College by faculty vote. These students then serve as the Commencement keynote speakers.
  
  
• After the students representing each College have spoken, the President of the University announces that the granting of degrees will begin. The Provost assumes the podium and directs the presentation of diplomas. The hooding of master's candidates is first (in this ceremony, each master's candidate is presented his/her academic hood by the Provost). Then candidates for the bachelor's degree are called individually and alphabetically by College. All candidates for the bachelor's degree graduating with honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) are further recognized when their name is called.
  
  
• After all diplomas have been awarded, the Grand Marshal offers congratulations and leads graduates in the traditional tassel switch, symbolically declaring the graduates' entrance into the Alumni Association.
  
  
• The Grand Marshal officially closes the ceremony and leads the stage party out of the auditorium, followed by the faculty and the students.

The Winter Commencements are approximately 1.5 hours in length, while the Spring Commencement usually runs approximately 2 hours (please use these times as a very general guide, however, because times will fluctuate depending on the number of students being presented for graduation).