General Information
Please check website regularly for updates.
Eligibility
All graduates and candidates of the Summer
Term 2009 or Fall Term 2009 may participate in this graduation ceremony.
If you have questions regarding your eligibility, please contact the senior auditor at your school or college.
Student Speaker Entry
The Office of University and Development Events is issuing a call for entries to be the student speaker at Winter Commencement. The student must be receiving a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree at the conclusion of Summer Term 2009 or Fall Term 2009.
Once the submission has been made, a committee of students, faculty and staff meet to review all submissions. The committee looks for a speech that emphasizes experiences unique to U-M, has an over-arching theme, is well written, and adheres to the time constraint. The judging process is completely blind - names on entries are deleted for the selection process.
DEADLINE for submissions:
Interested University of Michigan graduating seniors must submit commencement speeches for consideration by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 14, 2009. The commencement ceremony will be held at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, December 20, 2009 in Crisler Arena.
Submissions can be made via e-mail to studentspeaker@umich.edu or via mail/hand delivery to Student Speaker Entries, Reception Desk, 2074 Fleming Administration Building, Campus Zip 1340.
REQUIREMENTS for submission:
1. Typed speech. (If e-mailed to studentspeaker@umich.edu please submit in “.pdf” format.)
2. Curriculum vitae or resume including e-mail address and local phone number. (If e-mailed to studentspeaker@umich.edu please submit “.pdf” format.)
3. Audio recording of author delivering the speech – maximum length of four (4) minutes. Any speeches longer than 4 minutes may be disqualified. (Please submit “.wav”, “.mp3” or “.mp4” (ipod/itunes) electronic file to, studentspeaker@umich.edu, or audio CD mailed/delivered to the Fleming Administration Building.)
A cover letter is not necessary.
For further information, please call 734-647-7900 or email studentspeaker@umich.edu.
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Academic Attire
Academic attire is
required of all graduates, candidates, and doctoral degree recipients
who plan to participate in Winter Commencement. Attire is
available for purchase or rental at three local bookstores:
(Please note that doctoral attire is available only at the Michigan Union Bookstore.)
Michigan Book
& Supply
317 South State Street
(734) 665-4990
Michigan Union
Bookstore
530 South State Street
(734) 995-8877
Ulrich's Bookstore
549 East University
(734) 662-3201
Bachelor's and
Master's Degree Graduates and Candidates:
Academic attire may be purchased beginning mid-October at all
three campus bookstores listed.
Doctoral Degree
Recipients:
Doctoral degree recipients are responsible for providing their
hoods, caps, and gowns. This attire may be purchased or rented
at the Michigan Union Bookstore.
Rental attire may be
reserved Monday, October 12–Saturday, November 21. Gown
sizes and hood colors cannot be guaranteed after Saturday, November
21. All rental attire should be returned by Sunday, December 27.
Custom attire is available
for purchase at any time during the year. Please allow four to
six weeks for the delivery of custom attire orders.
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Diplomas
Doctoral Degree Recipients:
Doctoral degree recipients
attending Winter Commencement receive their diplomas at the graduation ceremony.
Additional diplomas
may be ordered through the Registrar's Office, Student Services.
There are two locations: 1210 LSA Building, 500 S. State Street or B430 Pierpont
Commons. Additional information can be found online at Office
of the Registrar website. Diploma orders are not taken at
Winter Commencement.
Doctoral degree recipients
who are not attending Winter Commencement may pick up their diploma
at the Diploma Office, 1210 LSA Building, 500 S. State Street, from Tuesday, December
15–Friday, December 18, and Monday, December 21 –Thursday,
December 24, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Diplomas not picked up by December
24 will be mailed in January 2010.
Bachelor's and Master's
Degree Graduates and Candidates:
Diplomas will be mailed
to the graduate's permanent address (or the diploma address if one has been created by the student in Wolverine Access). Address updates can be made on Wolverine Access through January 12, 2010.
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Diploma Frames and Plaques
Frame and preserve your diploma with
a campus photo of your choice by Photo Services. These museum
quality frames come in a variety of finishes and include UV conservation
glass and acid-free mats. Also available is a brass replica of
your diploma presented on a plaque. Styles and an order form may
be found online at the
Photo Services website. For more information, contact Photo
Services at (734) 764-9217 or photo.services@umich.edu.
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Announcements
Graduation announcements may be purchased at Michigan Book & Supply, the Michigan Union Bookstore, and Ulrich's Bookstore.
Grad Fair
The Winter Grad Fair will be held on Friday, November 13, 2009, from 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. in the ground floor of the Michigan Union. This is your one stop shopping place for all of your graduation needs. You can purchase your cap and gown, class rings, graduate portraits and frames. University staff will be available to answer your general commencement questions or concerns.
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Honorary Degree Recipients
Honorary Degree Recipients
Actor, playwright, songwriter and Michigan native Jeff Daniels will receive an honorary degree and will deliver the address at Winter Commencement. Also receiving honorary degrees are journalist Helen Thomas, a Detroit native who has served the White House press corps during 10 presidencies; Grace Lee Boggs, a labor and civil rights activist, writer and speaker from Detroit, who has been engaged in various social and political movements for more than six decades; and Edward Osborne Wilson, entomologist and biological theorist whose research on ants has led to an understanding of social behavior and interdependence.
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International Students
The University of Michigan will provide a letter of invitation to assist graduates whose parents need to apply for a visa in order to attend the commencement ceremony. To obtain a letter, please follow these steps:
- Prior to submitting a request for a letter of invitation, the graduating student should apply for graduation. Click here for instructions.
- Visit the International Center website for an overview of documents needed to apply for a visa.
- After successfully applying for graduation and visiting the International Center website, please request the letter of invitation by sending an e-mail to visarequest@umich.edu.
The e-mail should include:
- graduate's name
- graduate's local mailing address
- graduate's gender
- graduate's degree being earned
- graduate’s school or college
- ceremony in which the graduate plans to participate
- names of parents (please specify relationship next to parent's name, i.e.; mother, father)
The letter from the University is mailed to the graduate, who can then forward it to the parents for use in documenting their visa request. Please allow three weeks to receive the letter.
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Photography
Graduation Foto photographs
all graduates, candidates, and doctoral degree recipients during
the ceremony. A free digital photo proof is sent to each graduate, and additional photographs may be ordered by mail, phone or on-line at www.graduationfoto.com.
Graduates fill out a
description card (distributed by Graduation Foto) when they arrive
at the tunnel entrance of Crisler Arena on Sunday, December 20. Graduates
hand their completed card to photography staff as they approach
the stage during the ceremony. To ensure that graduates
receive the correct proof, each will say their name into an audio
recorder.
If the proof is not
received within three weeks of the ceremony, contact Graduation
Foto at (734) 677-3400.
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Accommodations
Ann Arbor hotels begin
taking reservations for graduation weekend far in advance. Please
make hotel arrangements early to secure your preferred accommodations.
For information on area hotels, contact the Ann Arbor Convention
and Visitors Bureau at (734) 995-7281/(800) 888-9487, or www.annarbor.org.
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Alumni Association
All new graduates are
eligible to receive a free year of membership in the Alumni Association
of the University of Michigan. Members have access to all the
member benefits, including career services, our online directory and networking community, Michigan
Alumnus magazine, e-TrueBlue newsletter, membership in
local alumni clubs and access to football tickets. After the free
year of membership, recent graduates can renew their membership
for a discounted rate of $25. Graduates can join and find more
details at www.umalumni.com.
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DVD
A DVD of Winter Commencement
highlights will be distributed through CTC Sports for $19.95 plus
shipping and handling and a 6% sales tax for Michigan residents.
Please
allow 8–12 weeks for delivery. To order, email bob@ctcsports.com or call toll
free
(877) 246-2583 after January 30, 2010.
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Yearbook
The Michiganensian yearbook has been published annually at the University of Michigan for over a century. Senior portraits, taken by Carl Wolf Studios will be automatically featured in the 2008-09 Michiganensian.
Senior portraits will be taken in the Sophia B. Jones Room in the Michigan Union during the months of September, October, November, and December. Seniors will receive a postcard in the mail with an assigned date for their portrait. After receiving their date, seniors can schedule an appointment time online by visiting www.ouryear.com and enter U-M’s school code: 87156.
For questions regarding senior portraits or ordering yearbooks call (734) 764-9425 or email at ensian.um@umich.edu.
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