Commencement Details

Commencement Ceremony

Graduates will be honored in three separate ceremonies, which will take place at the Community Arts Center, 220 West Fourth Street. The ceremonies will be based on academic school, as follows:

• Friday, May 17, at 3 p.m.- Schools of Business and Computer Technologies, Hospitality, and Transportation Technology
• Saturday, May 18, at 10 a.m.- Schools of Industrial and Engineering Technologies, Integrated Studies, and Natural Resources Management.
• Saturday, May 18, at 1:30 p.m.- Schools of Construction and Design Technologies and Health Sciences

Community Arts Center visitor information

Graduating students must report to the Genetti Hotel and Convention Center, 200 West Fourth Street, Williamsport, (just east of the Community Arts Center), one hour prior to the start of their ceremony. Friday graduates report to the Garden Terrace Room at 2 p.m. Saturday graduates report to the first-floor ballroom -- 9 a.m. for morning graduates, and 12:30 p.m. for afternoon graduates.. 
Directions to the Genetti

Tickets

All guests attending the Commencement ceremonies will be required to present a ticket upon entering the Community Arts Center. A ticket does not include an assigned seat*; it only guarantees a seat within the auditorium. For the best choice of seating, guests should arrive at least a half-hour before the ceremony. The number of tickets available to each graduate will be based upon the number of graduates participating in the ceremony.

Graduates can pick up their allotted tickets at Grad Finale, held on Tuesday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Penn's Inn. After that date, graduates can pick up their tickets in the Registrar's office (SASC, Room 1020) between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. through April 26. Photo ID and signature are required at both locations. Distance learning graduates will receive their tickets in the mail at the permanent home address that is listed on SIS.

*No reserved seating is available, except for guests who have special needs (see below).

Special Seating Needs & Sign Language Interpreters

If a graduating student has a guest with special seating needs (such as accommodations for a wheelchair or walker), please report this at commencement rehearsal so that Community Arts Center staff can arrange this seating ahead of time. No other reserved seating is available.

Sign language interpreters will interpret the commencement ceremony. Interpreters will fingerspell graduates’ names, upon request. Requests for fingerspelling graduate names should be made at the commencement rehearsal.

Guest Transportation to and from the Community Arts Center

Bus transportation for guests will be provided between the Main Campus and the Community Arts Center. For the Friday afternoon ceremony, the buses run 1:45 to 3 p.m.; for the Saturday morning ceremony, they run from 8:45 to 10 a.m.; and for the Saturday afternoon ceremony, they run 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. The buses will depart from the Main Campus parking lot located outside the Hager Lifelong Education Center along West Third Street. Bus transportation for guests will be provided back to Main Campus following each ceremony. Buses are handicap accessible.

Reception

A reception for graduating students and their guests will take place on both Commencement days in the Keystone Dining Room, located on Main Campus in the Hager Lifelong Education Center. The Friday reception takes place from 1 to 2 p.m.; the Saturday reception takes place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.

Commencement Dress

All candidates for graduation wear the caps and gowns of their certificate or degree over appropriate dress clothing. Dresses, skirts, and long slacks are appropriate; shorts and jeans are not. Both men and women should wear hard-soled dress shoes. Due to the slope of the auditorium aisles and the polished stage floor, which may be slippery, women should avoid wearing high heels.

The proper way to wear commencement attire

Caps, Gowns & Graduation Announcements

Students who plan to participate in the commencement ceremony are required to wear appropriate graduation attire. Gowns/caps/hoods/tassels can be picked up at the College Store or during Grad Finale on Tuesday, April 16, from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Penn's Inn. Please make payment at the time of pickup. The College Store also will have graduation announcements available for purchase. Please check with College Store staff about ordering class rings. Purchase cap/gown/accessories online, or by visiting the College Store.

Cap, Gown, Required Accessory Prices

• Certificate cap, gown, and tassel . . . $32.00 (plus sales tax)
• Associate cap, gown, tassel, and hood . . . $52.00 (plus sales tax)
• Bachelor cap, gown, tassel, and hood . . . $52.00 (plus sales tax)

The College Store will be open on main campus from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, May 17, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 18.

The proper way to wear commencement attire

Grad Finale

Pick up your commencement tickets, purchase your cap and gown, order commencement announcements, and learn about your alumni benefits, such as career services, scholarship opportunities, campus privileges, and your lifetime e-mail account. Do all this and celebrate with your classmates at Grad Finale, held in Penn's Inn on Tuesday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Don't miss the food, drinks, and giveaways! For more information, visit Alumni Relations. You can also find Alumni Relations on Facebook.

Military Recognition Cords

Graduates attending commencement who are veterans of the armed forces, on active duty, or on active drilling status are recognized with a red, white, and blue cord to wear as part of their commencement attire. Cords are available to all military personnel with an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions. The cords are distributed during check-in immediately prior to commencement to all graduates who have a DD-214 on file in the Financial Aid office. Those who do not yet have a DD-214 on file can submit one via fax to 570.321.5552 or via U.S. mail to VA Coordinator, Financial Aid Office, Pennsylvania College of Technology, One College Avenue, Williamsport, PA 17701. For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office at 570-327-4766.

Rehearsals

Student rehearsals will take place on Monday and Tuesday, April 29 and 30, at 3:30 p.m. in the Community Arts Center. Rehearsal generally lasts one hour. All students participating in the ceremony are expected to attend. PLEASE ATTEND THE REHEARSAL THAT BEST SUITS YOUR SCHEDULE. Details regarding the ceremony will be reviewed at the rehearsals, so attendance is important.

Parking

On the rehearsal dates, please pay attention to the metered parking spaces on streets and in lots to avoid parking tickets. A parking deck is located at Third and William Streets.

Commencement Photos

To help preserve the memory of commencement, Island Photography will photograph all graduates on stage when greeted by the Penn College's President and again after exiting the stage.

Within 48-72 hours, graduates will receive an e-mail (at their Penn College e-mail account) with color proofs attached and instructions for accessing and ordering photos from Island Photography. A few days later, graduates also will receive complimentary color proofs and order form by U.S. mail. These color proofs will be mailed to the graduate’s permanent home address listed on SIS.

There is absolutely no obligation to purchase photos. Please direct all inquiries about photos or orders to Island Photography at 800-869-0908.

Commencement Video

A video recording of the commencement ceremony will be posted on the College's website approximately 3-4 weeks after the ceremony. An e-mail notification will be sent to all graduates with instructions for accessing the video.

Questions

If you have questions about the commencement ceremony, contact the Registrar's Office at 570-327-4772, or stop in the Student & Administrative Services Center, Room 1020.