SPH Spring Commencement Information

The Commencement Ceremony for graduating students will take place at the Credit Union 1 Arena on Friday, May 8, 2020. Commencement will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. and the ceremony will conclude at approximately 9:00 p.m. All graduates are required to arrive no later than 6:15 p.m. Upon arrival, graduates will check-in to obtain their name card and seat assignment. Graduates must proceed to the event floor and be seated immediately.

Where: Credit Union 1 Arena, 525 S. Racine. Chicago, IL
When: Friday, May 8, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.

Graduate and Guest Arrival: 6:15 p.m. (Arrive around 6:00 pm for parking)
- Graduates - Gate 2
- Guests - Gate 3
Faculty Arrival: 6:00 p.m.
- Faculty - Gate 2

***RSVP is required. Please see the information below.

Key Speaker - Helene D. Gayle Heading link

: Key Speaker - Helene D. Gayle

Dr. Helene D. Gayle has been president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s oldest and largest community foundations, since October 2017. Under her leadership, the Trust has adopted a new strategic focus on closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region.

For almost a decade, she was president and CEO of CARE, a leading international humanitarian organization. An expert on global development, humanitarian and health issues, Dr. Gayle spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control, working primarily on HIV/AIDS. She worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, directing programs on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues. She also launched the McKinsey Social Initiative (now McKinsey.org), a nonprofit that builds partnerships for social impact.

Dr. Gayle was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. She earned a B.A. in psychology at Barnard College, an M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.P.H. at Johns Hopkins University. She has received 18 honorary degrees and holds faculty appointments at the University of Washington and Emory University.

Important Forms for Commencement Heading link

Important Details for Graduates Heading link

Eligibility and Exceptions

You are eligible to participate if:

you are a spring 2020 graduate who filed an intent to graduate for the spring 2020 term and
RSVP’d for the ceremony.

You are not eligible to participate if:

you graduated prior to the spring 2020 academic term
you are planning to graduate after the spring 2020 term

Exceptions:

Summer 2019 and Fall 2019 graduates who missed the fall ceremony and now wish to participate in the spring ceremony, may request an exception by contacting: Ms. Linda Johnson, Associate Director of Records and Registration, at ljohnson@uic.edu.
Summer 2020 graduates may request an exception to participate. For more information, please read the Eligibility to Participate in Commencement Policy.

About Regalia

All students participating in Commencement must purchase a cap and gown prior to the ceremony. Students are strongly encouraged to pre-order their regalia online through Jostens by March 17, 2020. To place your order, click here.

The discounted pre-pruchase cost without tax is as follows: Bachelor’s: $59.99; Master’s: $89.99; and PhD/Doctoral: $99.99. (The most current and complete information can be found here).

All pre-ordered regalia will be available for pick-up at the UIC bookstore (located in Student Center East, 750 S. Hasted) starting on April 29 at Grad Fest or April 30 during regular store hours.

For students who miss the pre-order deadline of March 17, 2020, students can purchase regalia at the UIC Bookstore starting Wednesday, April 22 at an increased cost.

Graduates will wear the following regalia:

BA: Blue cap, blue gown, red stole, tassel indicative of degree conferred
MS: Blue cap, blue gown, tassel and hood indicative of college (SPH: Salmon Color)
PhD: Red cap, red gown, gold tassel, and hood lined with red and indigo
Doctorate (excluding PhD): Black cap, black gown, tassel and hood indicative of college (SPH: Salmon Color).
MPH and MHA: Blue cap, blue gown, tassel and hood indicative of college (SPH: Salmon Color)
Order graduation announcements if desired. Graduation announcements can be ordered through: Jostens.

Arrival and Parking

Commencement will take place at the UIC Credit Union 1 Arena (525 S. Racine)
- Graduate will enter through Gate 2
- Guests will enter through Gate 3
Graduates must arrive at check-in by 6:15 pm (plan ample time for parking)
Visitor parking is available in one of three University parking lots adjacent to and across the street from the Credit Union 1 Arena. For full information on parking visit the Credit Union 1 Arena website.
There are no tickets for required for guests, as this is an open-seating event
Parking is available at the Harrison Street Parking structure located directly east of the Credit Union 1 Arena.

Security (for graduates and guests)

Bags, purses, backpacks and other large bags will not be allowed in the Arena. Please read the Policy for Bags, Purses and Backpacks for complete information.
If your guests need to bring a diaper bag: The baby must be present when the bag is inspected at the entrance to the Credit Union 1 Arena.
The Credit Union 1 Arena has mandatory passage through metal detectors for entry to the building. Please read the metal detector policy

Prior to Check-in

Be fully dressed in your gown, cap and hood (Please note: no dressing areas or storage will be available)
Tassels should be worn on the right.
Doctoral students should carry their hood as they will be hooded on stage

Check-in Process

You must check-in to obtain your name card and seat assignment
Proceed to the event floor and be seated immediately
The ceremony will begin promptly at 7 pm and is approximately 2 hours

After the Ceremony

Upon conclusion of the ceremony we ask that you exit in a timely manner to allow Arena staff to prepare for the next ceremony.

Key Times for the Day

6:15 p.m. – All graduates are required to arrive no later than 6:15 p.m. to obtain their name card and seating assignment. Graduates must proceed to their seats immediately after checking in.

7:00 p.m. – Commencement faculty procession begins

7:05 p.m. – Opening remarks by Dean

About accomodations

Graduates with special needs must contact the Credit Union 1 Area at (312) 413-5700 at least 2 days prior to the College Commencement ceremony to arrange for a seat location and assistance to enable them to participate in the ceremony. Guests with special needs or those hearing-impaired may request seating assistance from the staff on duty. A sign language interpreter will be present on the stage for the benefit of students and guests who are hearing impaired.

Details for Guests Heading link

Information for guests

For out-of-town guests, a list of hotels is available here. If you have family who cannot attend, they may view the ceremony from home live on the Internet. To access the webcast, please visit the UIC Commencement website at the designated time of the ceremony. Viewers will need to click on the link for the School of Public Health.

About the policies

The UIC Pavilion has strict bag policies as well as mandatory passage through metal detectors for entry to the building. Please be sure to review the policies below prior to the ceremony.

Information for visitors

The UIC Credit Union 1 Arena is located at 525 S.Racine (corner of Racine and Harrison). For directions, please visit the UIC commencement website.

Visitor parking is available in one of three University parking lots adjacent to and across the street from the Credit Union 1 Arena, providing convenient parking for over 2,000 cars. You can find full information on parking on the UIC Credit Union 1 Arena.

Graduate Celebration Events Heading link

The UIC SPH Alumni Council invites members of the class of 2020 to join them for an afternoon of networking at Pompeii on Taylor st. to celebrate graduation. Light appetizers and beverages will be provided. Graduate program students are invited to join members of the Alumni Council and SPH Faculty and Staff from 1-3 PM and Undergraduate Students from 5-7 PM. More information and a link to register will be available soon, if you have any questions please contact Emily Pasteris, Associate Director of Engagement and Participation, at epasteri@uic.edu.

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