2022 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony

Saturday, May 7, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
Dean E. Smith Center

Letter from the Dean

Dear doctoral graduates:

Dean Suzanne BarbourThrough years of near-constant change, a global pandemic, and challenges in our society—you have triumphed. Your resilience, determination, and grit have led you here: to the completion of your graduate studies. Congratulations! Our doctoral hooding ceremony will recognize this accomplishment. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at the Dean E. Smith Center. We welcome family members, friends, and anyone else you would like to invite. Please be sure to abide by the community standards outlined in Carolina Together when we gather to mark this milestone.

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 their advisor or other departmental faculty member.

Please review the rest of our website for answers to frequently asked questions and other important information you will need to know about participating in the ceremony. Graduate students are also encouraged to attend the University-wide Commencement ceremony, to be held on Sunday, May 8, 2022.

Congratulations on a job well done. You have provided countless hours of teaching, research, and service to our University while balancing your mental health and well-being. As you reach this pinnacle in your graduate journey, know that Carolina, our state, and our world are enriched because of you. We are honored to celebrate you as you launch your careers.

Suzanne Barbour
Dean of The Graduate School

Hooding Ceremony Program

Cover of 2022 Hooding Ceremony program

2022 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony Program (PDF)


Hooding Ceremony Speaker: Meredith Evans

Dr. Meredith EvansMeredith Evans, (’06 Ph.D.) is an archivist, historian, and scholar and the director of the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. Her work focuses on the African American experience in the United States, including the documentation of archival records from African American churches in the Atlanta area, and the preservation of social media from recent civil rights protests.

Evans earned a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in library science from Clark Atlanta University. She holds a master's degree in public history from North Carolina State University, and her doctorate in information and library science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her dissertation focused on the records management and retention practices of African American churches in the Southern United States.

Evans has taught classes in library, archives, and information sciences including at Clark Atlanta University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. While a curator at the Atlanta University Center Consortium, Evans was instrumental in obtaining an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant for the digitization of the papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.

As an archivist, she co-taught a workshop in archival preservation titled “The Lessons of Pilgrim Baptist Church: Preventing the Loss of Your Heritage,” which addressed the care and preservation of church archives and records in the wake of a tragic fire that destroyed the historic Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago in early 2006. At George Washington University, she served as the director of special collections. And later, at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Evans held the title of associate university librarian for special collections and digital programs.

She was formerly the associate university librarian at Washington University in St. Louis. During her tenure, the WUSTL library was active in the creation of Documenting Ferguson, a community-curated digital repository documenting the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, after the death of Michael Brown at the hands of police. She has written about the impact of new archival methods to "collect the now" as related to born-digital materials that are preserved by modern archives in a post-custodial era of archival science. In 2014, WUSTL joined with the University of California, Riverside and the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities at the University of Maryland, College Park, and later received a Mellon foundation grant to create Documenting the Now: Supporting the Scholarly Use and Preservation of Social Media Content, an initiative to ethically collect and preserve Twitter feeds around topics of social justice for future scholarly research.

In November 2015 Evans was named as the new director of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta. In April 2017 Evans was elected as president elect of the Society of American Archivists.

Student Instructions

All May 2022 doctoral candidates, as well as 2021 August and December graduates, will receive an email invitation to the hooding ceremony in early March 2022. This email will be sent to your UNC-Chapel Hill email address (and/or personal email address) on record. August and December graduates should make sure to have an updated personal email address listed with the Office of the University Registrar through ConnectCarolina or records@unc.edu.

Please check all of your inboxes and folders in case the invitation is inadvertently directed to junk/spam folders. Please RSVP through the event registration system by March 31, 2022, with the name and email address of your hooding faculty.

If you have not received the invitation by March 15, 2022, please contact Kate McAnulty (kmcanulty@unc.edu), associate dean for student affairs.

Please note, if you do not successfully complete all of your degree requirements to have your degree conferred at the ceremony, you will not be allowed to participate in the hooding ceremony. No exceptions will be made.

Hooding Faculty Selection

Students and advisors at Hooding Ceremony

Each doctoral graduate student will have the hood of the commencement regalia conferred by their adviser or other departmental faculty member. Please inquire as early as possible with your adviser whether they will attend the ceremony with you. If you have two faculty advisers, both can attend and hood you jointly.

If your faculty adviser is unavailable to attend the ceremony and confer your hood, you can request that another faculty member (preferably from your dissertation committee), your director of graduate studies, or your department chair confer your hood instead. The faculty member who confers your hood must be listed with The Graduate School as regular or fixed-term faculty.

If none of your faculty are available to confer your hood, the provost and the Royster Distinguished Professor will do so.

Please make sure that you and your hooding faculty have a clear plan of where to meet the morning of the ceremony. Given the heavy crowds as well as noise and visibility issues, we recommend a meeting location away from or even outside the entrance and check-in areas.

Day-of-Ceremony Instructions

Students applauding at a graduation ceremonyDoors open at 7:30 a.m. for students—Enter through Entrance D and check in at the concourse level. You will be given a card that you must hold onto as it will be scanned as you approach the stage to be hooded. Once you receive your card, you should proceed to the lower level with your advisor. Please note, there will not be a processional.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Graduating students who have borrowed a Federal Stafford Loan while attending Carolina must complete the Stafford Loan exit interview. Students should go to mappingyourfuture.org 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 University Cashier at loans@unc.edu with any questions.

Student Regalia: Information and Deadlines

Student basic/keepsake black regalia will be available to purchase through the Student Stores online (March 24 through April 15), in-store (March 24 through commencement weekend), and at the conGRADulations Fair on March 23. These regalia are meant to be a cost-effective and eco-friendly option for graduating students, with packages ranging from $83.99 to $124.99 (depending on the preferred cap). The online/shipping option for this regalia takes approximately two weeks to be delivered. The in-store option is available immediately at time of purchase. Please make sure to indicate whether you are a Ph.D., Ed.D., DNP, or DrPH student so that you can request the proper hood for purchase.

Detail of commencement ceremony garbCustom, more elaborate doctoral regalia (available in traditional black or in Carolina Blue) can be ordered year-round by contacting graduation@store.unc.edu or stopping by the online order windows at Student Stores. These regalia take seven to eight weeks to be delivered, and range between $800 and $1,300. The deadline to order for guaranteed delivery by spring 2022 Commencement is Sunday, March 13.

Announcements

Custom commencement announcements can be purchased through Balfour/CB Graduation.

Generic commencement announcements can be purchased in-store at the online order windows at Student Stores.

Photography

Hooding Ceremony photographer in front of graduating student on stageProfessional photographers from GradImages™ will be at the ceremony to photograph each student as they receive their commencement hood. Free proofs will be sent to you and online viewing will be available. There are no fees for reviewing the proofs and there is no obligation to purchase photographs.

Every student who RSVPs through the event registration system will receive outreach from GradImages™ in advance of the ceremony. Please check all of your inboxes and folders in case the outreach is inadvertently directed to junk/spam folders.

Diplomas

If your department has a separate ceremony, check with your department to determine whether or not they intend to distribute diplomas at their ceremony. Diploma frames can be purchased at Student Stores.

Faculty Instructions

Faculty regalia can be rented online through Student Stores or purchased at 1-800-223-0429 by the first week of April.
Information and deadlines for regalia rentals.

For additional questions, contact the Student Stores graduation department at graduation@store.unc.edu.

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

Reserved parking for members of the platform party will be in the Smith Center Lot, behind the Koury Natatorium and the Smith Center.

Hooding Faculty

Hooding faculty should arrive at the Smith Center (Entrance D) to meet their students between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. You do not need to check in.

Please make sure that you and your students have each other's contact information so that you can coordinate where to meet the morning of the ceremony. Given the heavy crowds as well as noise and visibility issues, we recommend a meeting location away from or even outside the entrance and check-in areas.

Your student(s) will receive a name card at check-in which will later be scanned by a staff member prior to them going on stage. Please help us make sure that your student(s) does not lose that card over the course of the morning's activities.

As soon as you connect with your student, please proceed to the first floor (lower level) and take a seat with them. If you are hooding more than one student, make sure you are all sitting together.

At the end of the ceremony after the platform party recesses, students and faculty will be free to exit the floor and connect with family and friends. There is no recessional for students and hooding faculty.

Due to the timing of afternoon events in the Smith Center, staff will direct everyone off the floor and into the stands as soon as the ceremony is over.

Accessibility Services, Seating and Parking

Services for students, faculty, and guests with disabilities or medical conditions are available.

Accessible parking for guests is available in the Williamson Lot across the street from the Smith Center by presenting a disability permit/placard or license plate. The lot will be clearly marked with the appropriate signage. Golf carts will pick up guests needing assistance from the lot and drop them at Gate A.

Accessible seating is located all along the concourse level in the Smith Center. No ticket is required for seating. If you require other accommodations (interpreter services, more specialized seating, etc.) or if you do not have a disability permit/placard or license plate, please contact contact Commencement Accessibility Services at access@unc.edu.

Students and faculty who have accessibility needs should contact Commencement Accessibility Services (access@unc.edu) who will work with staff from The Graduate School and the Office of University Events accordingly to navigate ceremony details.

Parking Information

Students

Students do not have designated parking, so all guest parking lots (see below) can be used by students.

Faculty

Faculty parking will be available in the lot behind the Smith Center. Upon arrival, please pull up to the parking gate and advise the parking attendant of your name to gain complimentary access to the Smith Center lot.

Hooding faculty should arrive at the Smith Center concourse level (Entrance D) to meet their students between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. You do not need to check in. Additional information will be provided by the Graduate School or by the degree candidate.

Non-hooding faculty are invited to attend as a member of the general audience and will not participate in the academic processional. Seating will be reserved for faculty in Section 124.

Guests

Parking for guests will be available in most lots surrounding the Smith Center (map of these parking lots). They include: the Manning Lot (on Bowles Drive between the Smith Center and Family Practice), the Bowles Lot (on Bowles Drive behind Craige Residence Hall), and the Business School Deck.

Accessible 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 Commencement Accessibility Services at access@unc.edu.

Guest Information

Family at Hooding CeremonyAll guests are welcome to attend the ceremony. No tickets are necessary and there is no restriction on the number of guests invited per each graduate.

Guests should arrive between 8:00 and 8:45 a.m. and enter the Smith Center at Entrance A. Please do not bring gifts into the Smith Center.

No refreshments will be available at the ceremony. Please bring water and stay hydrated, especially if it is hot outside that morning.

International Guests

Students and scholars who want to invite family members to visit the United States as tourists may use the information below to assist those family members in applying for a visa.

  1. Visit this document to learn how you can invite family members to the U.S. for your commencement ceremony.
  2. Request a graduation application confirmation letter from the Office of the University Registrar. Please email registrar@unc.edu requesting a letter of confirmation for graduation for your family’s visa.

Local Visitors Bureaus

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

Venue

Dean E. Smith Center Entry Policy

All guests and their belongings are subject to screening by entry personnel. The following items will not be permitted in the Smith Center:

Water is permitted as no refreshments will be available at the ceremony.

Directions to the Dean E. Smith Center

Address: 300 Skipper Bowles Drive, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

From Virginia and points north

Take I-85 South to Durham. Exit left at US 15-501 in Durham and follow 15-501 approximately nine miles to Chapel Hill. Once in Chapel Hill, stay on US 15-501 Bypass (Fordham Boulevard). At around the seventh stoplight, turn right onto Manning Drive. The Smith Center is half a mile on the left on Skipper Bowles Drive.

From points west

Take I-85 North towards Durham. Exit just past Burlington onto NC 54 East (Exit #148, Chapel Hill Exit). Follow NC 54 for approximately 20 miles to Carrboro. Pass Carrboro Plaza on the right and stay on NC 54 for about four miles to the next stoplight, Manning Drive. Turn left on Manning Drive. The Smith Center is half a mile on the left on Skipper Bowles Drive.

From points east

Take I-40 West toward Chapel Hill. Exit at NC 54 West (Exit #273 A) and follow for approximately four miles. Once in Chapel Hill, continue to follow signs for NC 54 West, which means you will have to exit right under the first overpass. At the top of the exit turn right at the light. Follow NC 54 West/15-501 South until the second stoplight. Turn right onto Manning Drive. The Smith Center is half a mile on the left on Skipper Bowles Drive.

From points south

Take US 15-50 North toward Chapel Hill. Exit right onto US 15-501 Bypass in Chapel Hill. Turn left at first stoplight onto Manning Drive. The Smith Center is half a mile on the left on Skipper Bowles Drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Will the ceremony be livestreamed?

    Yes

  2. What time do graduates need to arrive?

    Students and their faculty advisors should arrive starting at 7:30 a.m. and no later than 8:15 a.m. in full regalia. Students will need to pick up and hold on to their name cards, which will be scanned before they cross the stage, so that their names show up on the screen(s) overhead.

  3. Are tickets required for guests?

    No tickets are necessary and there is no restriction on the number of guests invited per graduate.

  4. When should guests arrive?

    Guests should arrive between 8:00 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. and enter the Smith Center at Entrance A where programs will be available. Please do not bring gifts into the Smith Center.

  5. How long does the ceremony usually last?

    The ceremony will last no later than noon.

  6. Will the names of graduates be announced?

    Audience at hooding ceremony

    Yes. 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 their adviser or other departmental faculty member.

  7. Who can hood graduates?

    Students should be hooded by their faculty adviser(s). If their faculty adviser(s) are unavailable, they can be hooded by another member of their committee and/or their program/department, such as their director of graduate studies or department chair. Students without available faculty will be hooded by the provost and the Royster Distinguished Professor. Students cannot be hooded by a non-faculty member, such as family, friends, or colleagues.

  8. Can students be hooded during this ceremony but not officially graduate until later this year?

    No. Only candidates who have met all degree requirements for this ceremony (and August and December graduates from the previous calendar year) will be hooded at this ceremony. If you officially graduate in a future semester, you will be invited to the following year's ceremony.

  9. Where do students, faculty, and guests park?

    UNC Visitor Parking Information and Maps

    Students do not have designated parking, so all guest parking lots (see below) can be used by students.

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

    Reserved parking for members of the platform party will be in the Smith Center Lot, behind the Koury Natatorium and the Smith Center.

    Parking for guests will be available in most lots surrounding the Smith Center (map of these parking lots). They include: the Manning Lot (on Bowles Drive between the Smith Center and Family Practice), the Bowles Lot (on Bowles Drive behind Craige Residence Hall), and the Business School Deck.

    Accessible parking is available in the Williamson Lot across the street from the Smith Center by presenting a disability permit/placard or license plate.

  10. Is there accessible parking?

    Accessible parking is available in the Williamson Lot across the street from the Smith Center by presenting a disability permit/placard or license plate. Guests who need accessible parking but not having a disability permit, plate, or placard should contact Commencement Accessibility Services at access@unc.edu.

  11. How do students find out if and when departments are having ceremonies?

    Please visit school and departmental ceremonies.

  12. Is there housing on campus for commencement weekend?

    No. 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 and Visitors Bureau websites.

  13. How will I receive my diploma?

    At the end of June, diplomas will be mailed to the student’s home address as listed in ConnectCarolina. If your department has a separate ceremony, check with your department to determine whether or not they intend to distribute diplomas at their ceremony. Diploma frames can be purchased at Student Stores. Diplomas will not be available for pick-up.

Livestream

The Doctoral Hooding Ceremony livestream information will be announced closer to the event date.

Additional Resources

Two students waving to family at hooding ceremony