2016 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony

Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 9:30 a.m.
Dean E. Smith Center

Watch the video of the 2016 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony »


Letter from the Dean

Dean Steve Matson

Dear Graduates:

Through your years of hard work, your creativity and your determination, you've achieved something truly remarkable: the completion of your graduate studies. Congratulations! The Doctoral Hooding Ceremony is focused on recognizing your accomplishment. We hope you will take part in this ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, May 7, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. at the Dean E. Smith Center. We welcome family members, friends and anyone else you would like to invite.

Each doctoral graduate student who participates in the ceremony will be called to the stage to have the hood of the commencement regalia conferred by his or her adviser or other departmental faculty member.

Please review the rest of our site for answers to frequently asked questions and other important information you'll need to know about participating in the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony. Graduate students are also encouraged to attend the University-wide Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 8, 2016.

Please accept my sincere thanks for what you've given your University — through your teaching, research and service — while pursuing your own ambitious academic goals. You've enriched Carolina during your years here, and I wish you abundant success in your careers.

Steve Matson, Ph.D.
Dean of The Graduate School
Professor of Biology

Hooding Ceremony Speaker: Dr. Samantha Joye

Dr. Samantha Joye

Dr. Samantha Joye is the Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Arts and Sciences in the University of Georgia's marine sciences department. Her multidisciplinary research into factors affecting the health and sustainability of marine environments focuses on lakes, wetlands, oceans and Arctic environments.

A leading researcher on the impact of oil and gas seepage in deep ocean environments, she has spent 20 years studying the Gulf of Mexico. These investigations have taken her twice to the site of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon platform blowout, during which an estimated 206 million gallons of oil spilled into the sea. Dr. Joye was the chief scientist on trips in 2010 and in a 2014 return to the site. On both expeditions, she traveled to the sea floor in a submarine to observe the continuing impact of the discharge.

Dr. Joye received her bachelor's degree in biology, and her master's and doctoral degrees in marine sciences from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Read more about Dr. Samantha Joye

Student Information

In March, all May 2016 doctoral candidates, and the 2015 August and December graduates, will receive an electronic invitation to the Hooding Ceremony. Please RSVP by the deadline posted within that e-mail.

Specific Information for the Day of the Hooding

Caps and Gowns

Students at Hooding ceremonyRegalia for the Ph.D. graduates will be available to purchase through the UNC Student Stores. Contact the graduation department at Student Stores at graduation@store.unc.edu

Click here for more information and deadlines for regalia sales.

Commencement announcements can be purchased through Herff Jones.

Questions about generic announcements should be directed to UNC Student Stores, (919) 962-2427.

Diplomas

Doctoral diplomas will be available for distribution in the Registrar's Office, located at the Student Academic Services Building, immediately following general Commencement, on Sunday, May 8, until 2 p.m. unless your department is having a departmental ceremony on Sunday. Check with your department to determine whether or not they intend to distribute diplomas at their ceremony.

Accessibility Resources & Services, Seating and Parking

Services for guests with disabilities are available. If you require accommodations, special seating, parking, interpreter services, etc., please contact Accessibility Resources and Service, SASB – Suite 2126, Campus Box 7214, (919) 962-8300 (TDD).

Faculty Information

Students and advisors at Hooding Ceremony

Non-Hooding Faculty who are attending the Hooding Ceremony and wish to march in the academic processional should arrive at the Smith Center (Entrance D) no later than 9:00 a.m. and congregate in the Press Room on the lower level (take elevators or stairs down to the first floor).

Faculty members are expected to wear full academic regalia. All custom doctoral regalia is purchased online through the student stores website. Faculty who hold Carolina doctorates may also purchase distinctive Carolina regalia. Deadline and purchase information can be found through Student Stores.

Reserved parking for faculty will be in the top tier of the Manning Lot.

Guest Information

Family at Hooding CeremonyAll guests are welcome to attend the Hooding Ceremony May 7, 2016. No tickets are necessary for guests to attend and there is no restriction on the number of guests invited per each graduate. Guests should arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and enter the Dean E. Smith Center at Entrance A. Please do not bring gifts into the Dean E. Smith Center.

Local Visitors Bureaus

The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau and the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau web sites provide information on local lodging, restaurants, scheduled events, shopping, tours, and area resources.

Parking Information

Parking for guests attending the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony on Saturday, May 7 will be available in most lots surrounding the Dean E. Smith Center. They include the Manning lot (on Bowles Drive between the Smith Center and Family Practice), the Bowles lot (Bowles Drive behind Craige Dorm) and the Business School Deck. Disability parking is available in the Williamson Lot across the street from the Smith Center by presenting a disability permit/placard or license plate. Guests needing parking accommodations for the elderly and not having a disability permit/plate or placard should contact Accessibility Resources and Service at (919) 962-8300.

Reserved parking for faculty will be in the top tier of the Manning Lot. Parking for members of the Platform Party and Deans will be in the Dean E. Smith Center Lot, behind the Koury Natatorium and the Smith Center.

Photography

Hooding Ceremony photographerProfessional photographers from GradImages™ will be on stage at the Hooding Ceremony to photograph each student as they receive their commencement hood. Free proofs will be mailed to you and online viewing will be available at www.gradimages.com. There are no fees for reviewing the proofs and there is no obligation to purchase photographs.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Graduating students who have borrowed a Federal Stafford Loan while attending Carolina must complete Stafford Loan Exit Interview. Students should go to http://mappingyourfuture.org/oslc/ to complete an online Stafford Loan Exit Counseling session. The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid will be notified automatically once you complete the online session. Please save the confirmation page for your records.

Graduating students who have borrowed a Federal Perkins or Health Professions Loan or any long term University Loan must complete Exit Counseling by accessing the ECSI website. Students may contact the Office of Student Accounts & University Receivables at loans@unc.edu with any questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.What time do graduates need to be there?

The 2016 Graduate School Doctoral Hooding Ceremony will be held in the Dean E. Smith Center. Students and their faculty advisers should arrive no later than 8:30 a.m. in full regalia.

2. How long does the ceremony usually last?

About two hours.

3. Can I be hooded during this Ceremony but not officially graduate until later this year?

Unfortunately, no. Only candidates who have met all degree requirements for a May graduation (and August and December graduates from the PREVIOUS academic year) will be hooded at each Hooding Ceremony. If you officially graduate in a future semester, you will be invited to the following year's Hooding Ceremony.

4. Where do we park?

UNC Visitor Parking Information and Maps

Parking for guests attending the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony on Saturday, May 7 will be available in most lots surrounding the Dean E. Smith Center. They include the Manning lot (on Bowles Drive between the Smith Center and Family Practice), the Bowles lot (Bowles Drive behind Craige Dorm) and the Business School Deck.

Reserved parking for faculty will be in the top tier of the Manning Lot. Parking for members of the Platform Party and Deans will be in the Dean E. Smith Center Lot, behind the Koury Natatorium and the Smith Center.

5. Is there handicapped parking?

Disability parking is available in the Williamson Lot across the street from the Smith Center by presenting a disability permit/placard or license plate. Guests needing parking accommodations for the elderly and not having a disability permit/plate or placard should contact Accessibility Resources and Service at (919) 962-8300. Contact Accessibility Resources and Service with requests for handicapped parking or seating, SASB, Suite 2126, (919) 962-8300.

6. Will they call out my name?

Yes. Doctoral candidates will be individually recognized as they cross the stage.

7. How do I find out when my department is having its ceremony?

Please visit the School and Departmental Ceremonies & Receptions on the UNC main website

8. Where do I get my diploma?

Doctoral diplomas will be available for distribution in the Registrar's Office, located at the Student Academic Services Building, immediately following general Commencement, on Sunday, May 8, until 2 p.m. unless your department is having a departmental ceremony on Sunday. Check with your department to determine whether or not they intend to distribute diplomas at their ceremony. All diplomas not picked up on Sunday will be mailed in the following weeks.

9. Is there housing on campus for Commencement?

Audience at hooding ceremonyNo, housing is not available on campus for parents and guests. A list of hotels in the area is available on the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau and the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau Web sites.

10. Are tickets required for guests?

No tickets are necessary for guests to attend and there is no restriction on the number of guests each graduate can invite.

11. When should guest arrive?

Guests should arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and enter the Dean E. Smith Center at Entrance A. Please do not bring gifts into the Dean E. Smith Center.

Helpful Phone Numbers and Web Sites

Two students waving to family at hooding ceremony

 

Information about the university-wide commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 8, 2016.