Our 82nd Annual Commencement (Graduation) Exercises May 2, 2009

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This is a two part FAQ... one for graduates and one fortheir guests.
Please be sure that you at least read the appropriate part.

Shortcut to this site:www.graduation.eventbrite.com

For every member of the Webber community, Graduation is the best day of the year. It allows us to formally celebrate the results of years of hard work. We want our graduates to know that we are very proud of each of you. Following are answers to some of our more frequently asked questions for both graduates and their guests. If you have additional questions, please ask.

This event is free, but tickets are required for guests. Webber employees who are requiredattend graduationand students who are participating in the graduation ceremony do not require tickets; everyone else requiresa ticket. Please be sure you add [email protected] your white list as tickets are emailedfrom this address (we do not mail tickets; they are emailed).

Both the commencement ceremony and the mandatory rehearsal are held in the Sabbagh Athletic Center located on the Webber International University campus.

For Graduates

Q: Im graduating in May
A: Before you go any further, confirm with Nancy Nichols that this is the case. Despite our best efforts to contact them, students (and their guests) have been known to show up at the ceremony to learn that they have not met requirements and are therefore not walking. If you do not meet the graduation requirements; you cannot participate in the ceremony. While were here to help, ultimately meeting all graduation requirements is the students responsibility.

Q: Okay, Im going to go talk to Nancy Nichols, but, briefly, what are the requirements?
A: Briefly, you must have successfully completed all of your coursework, or prove to the Registrar that you are registered for any courses necessary to complete all coursework by July. All University fees, including summer school fees if applicable, must be paid. If you have received any loans, Federal Law requires that you must present proof to the Financial Aid office that you have performed and passed Exit Counseling at http://www.mappingyourfuture.org If you do not meet the graduation requirements; you cannot participate in the ceremony.

Q: Im not sure I want to walk.
A: Walk. It can be tough for families to put into words how much your achievement means to them. Trust us on this one. This is a big day for your family too.

Q: Where do I get my cap and gown? Where can I buy invitations?
A: The bookstore. Though the deadline for cap and gown measurement is April 1, please do this sooner rather than later. Also, inspect and try on your cap and gown while there is time to get a replacement if something is wrong; mistakes can happen.

Q: When is graduation?
A: Saturday, May 2. You should plan on arriving by 10:00.

Q: What time is graduation?
A: Pomp and Circumstance plays and the triumphant graduation march begins at 11:00am sharp. Graduation waits for no person. This means that you MUST be dressed in your regalia and lined up in proper order before 10:30am. You should plan on arriving by 10:00.

Q: Is there a rehearsal? Do I have to go?
A: Yes, there is a mandatory rehearsal on Friday, May1 at 1:00pm (please remember that this is the time for the rehearsal; graduation is at 11:00!)

Q: What do I wear?
A: Commencement marks one of lifes most important milestones. Consequently, it is the Universitys most formal and most majestic event. Beneath their issued (and unadorned) regalia (please pick this up early it comes in a plastic bag and often needs to be pressed) men generally wear dark pants, dark dress shoes, shirt and tie; women generally wear a dark dress, neutral hosiery, and dark dress shoes.

Q: Will there be a professional photographer? Do I have to buy photos? Can my guests take their own photos?
A: Yes, there will be a professional photographer. No, you do not have to purchase photos. Yes, your guests can take their own photos but need to keep the aisles clear.

Q: Do my guests need a ticket? How many guests may I invite?
A:Yes, your guests require a free ticket You may invite8 guests. Should you need more tickets than that, please contact us and we will try to accommodate you.

Q: Is there a reception?A: Yes, a reception for all is held in the Rex R. Yentes Conference Center immediately following the ceremony.

Q: My name is pronounced differently than it is spelled.
A: Please see Dr. Keith Wade so that he can write it out phonetically and practice it. Graduation is a big deal, and we want to make sure that when its your moment, your friends and family hear your name proclaimed correctly.

Q: When will I get my diploma?
A: If you have met all requirements, it will be available on the stage immediately after the ceremony. If you have not yet met all requirements, it will be mailed when you do.

For Guests

Q: What time is graduation?
A: We march at 11:00 sharp. Guests should be at their seats by 10:45 (graduates must arrive earlier). Graduation is a big day at Webber and generally every available chair is filled. Please plan on arriving early.

Q: Where do I park?
A: On campus. Staff will direct you to a parking space. Please let them know, and be prepared to show your state issued parking permit, if you require a parking spot reserved for our physically challenged guests.

Q: Is photography and/or videotaping allowed?A: Yes, but we ask that you remain at your seat at all times as the aisles are used by graduates during the ceremony.

Q: What do I wear?
A: Graduation is a formal ceremony. While there is not a published dress code for the audience and theres certainly no need to dress as formally as do graduates, your assistance in maintaining the dignity and grandeur of this ceremony will be appreciated. We recommend that you bring tissues or a handkerchief theres nothing to be embarrassed about; sometimes we cry ourselves.

Q: Can I bring my air horn, whistle, or other noisemaking device?
A: No. Completing their college degree is, for many of our students, the single greatest thing they have thus far achieved. Commencement is a regal, formal event and guests are asked to help us maintain this dignified atmosphere. Your graduate does, however, expect loud applause!

Q: Am I invited to the reception after there ceremony? Will there be opportunities there to take photos?
A: Yes.

Q: Are there hotels nearby?
A: There are hotels nearby, but there is still some driving involved. This information is provided as a courtesy; Webber neither owns nor operates these hotels. The two closest hotels are the Best Western Admirals Inn (www.bestwesternadmiralsinn.com, 863-324-5950) in Winter Haven and the Hampton Inn and Suites Lake Wales (www.lakewalessuites.hamptoninn.com, 863-734-3000) in Lake Wales. Please tell them that youre attending the Webber graduation; there may be discounts available.

Q: I want to buy Webber related graduation gifts. Where can I do this?
A: http://www.webber.bkstr.com/

Q: How do I get to Webber?
A: Here is a link to directions: http://www.webber.edu/about/Directions_to_WIU.aspx. Orlando (MCO) is the closest airport; Tampa (TIA) is not much further.

Organized by Webber International University
Established in 1927 as the first private college chartered under Floridas then new charitable and educational laws and one of the nations first business schools for women, Webber International University now hosts men and women from some 37 different nations.

Recognized by the Princeton Review as an Americas Best Value and Best in the Southeast college, the SACS and IACBE accredited not-for-profit independent University offers degrees exclusively in the areas of business at the associates and bachelors levels (Accounting, Computer Information Systems Management, Corporate Communications, Finance, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Management, Marketing, Pre-Law, Security Management, and Sport Management) and at the masters level (MBA, MBA with an emphasis in Accounting, MBA with an emphasis in Security Management, and MBA with an emphasis in Sport Management).

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Ticket Info:  

• General Admission, Free
• Webber Student (NOT walking), Free
• Post Graduation Reception, Free
• Parking, Free
• Parking for Guests with Disabilities, Free
• Support Webber with a tax deductible gift in the name of your graduate, Free
• Alumni Brick, $75.00
• Plant a Tree (Small), $50.00
• Plant a Tree (Large), $250.00
• Sponsor a Flag Plaza Flag, $100.00

Official Website: http://graduation-upcoming.eventbrite.com