June 12 College Convocation Guidelines

Special arrangements added for College session on Saturday

President Clinton’s participation in the June 12 College convocation necessitates security measures beyond the usual campus adjustments expected during convocation. The College and the Office of Special Events will continue to send letters, e-mail messages and fliers with important information to on- and off-campus constituencies.

However, the most up-to-date information is available at the convocation Web site: http://www.uchicago.edu/convocation.

The College convocation will be held in Harper Quadrangle, or in the event of severe weather, in Henry Crown Field House. (For basic information about all four sessions of the 456th Convocation, see “456th Convocation Sessions” below.)

Participants and attendees at the June 12 convocation should expect security procedures similar to those at airports. The following guidelines, including contacts for additional information, answer questions about the College convocation in general and provide details on additional security measures. Questions that arise before noon on Friday, June 11, should be directed to session3@uchicago.edu or Carolyn James in the Office of Special Events at (773) 834-3871.

Security Guidelines

The University Police, with the U.S. Secret Service, developed the following guidelines for convocation participants in order make security screenings move as quickly as possible:

• Carry few, if any, objects; leave bags or electronic devices at home.

• Do not bring objects, such as wrapped gifts, radios, large key rings or beverage containers.

• If you bring a still or video camera, leave the case at home.

• Alcoholic beverages are not permitted.

• Limit the use of pagers and cellular phones.

• The University cannot accept responsibility for storing items that are not permitted through security checkpoints.

Marching Faculty

Faculty must arrive at Bartlett Gymnasium by 8 a.m. Faculty should leave bags or electronic devices at home. Those who depart after check-in will not be readmitted to the gymnasium.

Building Closings

The buildings surrounding the Harper, Humanities and Social Sciences Quadrangles will be closed and inaccessible for security reasons from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 12.

Access will likely be available to those with offices or labs in Jones, Kent, Ryerson and Eckhart halls through all but the Main–Quad-facing entrances.

Parking

For the Hyde Park community, free lot parking will be provided on Saturday, June 12, in the University Hospitals lots, located near the intersection of 60th Street and Drexel Avenue. Lots will be attended between 5:45 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday.

For guests of degree candidates, free self-parking will be available at:
• Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine parking garage, entrance on Cottage Grove Avenue, just south of 57th Street.

• Law School parking lot, entrance on University Avenue, south of 60th Street.

• Charles Stewart Mott building rear parking lot, entrance on Kimbark Avenue, just south of 60th Street.

• Free shuttle buses will run every 15 minutes from posted shuttle sites located near the parking lots to the Quadrangles, from 5:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. Shuttle buses will resume service to the parking lots every 15 minutes following the ceremony.

Street Towing

City of Chicago tow orders will be in effect on many of the streets surrounding the University campus. Special barricades and tow order postings will begin Friday evening, June 11.

City towing will begin at 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 12.

Vehicles towed may be reclaimed from the University parking lot directly behind Midway Residence Hall, near the intersection of 60th Street and Drexel Avenue.

Traffic

The Main Quadrangle will be inaccessible to vehicles from 6:30 a.m. on Friday, June 11, until 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 12.

On the morning and afternoon of Saturday, June 12, ceremony organizers anticipate interruptions of normal traffic flow around the University and in the nearby community, especially when President Clinton is in transit into and out of Hyde Park. During these times, widespread closures of streets and intersections may occur. Every attempt will be made to keep disruptions to a minimum.

Live Broadcast Site

Guests without tickets and members of the Hyde Park Community may view a live broadcast in Mandel Hall.

Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 8 a.m.

If the weather is severe, a broadcast of the ceremony will not be available.

Weather Conditions

In the event of inclement weather, ushers will distribute rain ponchos to all assembled. Guests are discouraged from bringing umbrellas so that the best possible sight lines will be preserved and to prevent delays in processing guests through security.

To confirm the weather decision, check the convocation Web site at http://www.uchicago.edu/convocation or call the Convocation Info-line recording at (773) 834-2836. Convocation host hotels and the front desks of all undergraduate residence halls also will be notified.

Guest Arrival Times

Only ticketed guests will be granted admission to the ceremony. The Quadrangle entrance, at 58th Street and University Avenue, will open at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. Guests who leave the Quadrangle and wish to re-enter will need to go through security checks again. No guests will be admitted to the Quadrangles after 9 a.m.

Hospitality Arrangements

Continental breakfast will be provided within the secured area on the Quadrangles and for candidates and faculty in Bartlett Gymnasium. Water stations and restrooms also will be provided within the secured area. Guests suffering the effects of summer weather will be able to view the ceremony, via closed-circuit broadcast, from air-conditioned Kent Hall. Once guests enter Kent, they will not be able to re-enter the secured Quadrangle until the ceremony ends.

Candidates

Candidates must arrive with their University caps and gowns at Bartlett Gymnasium in the following alphabetical groupings and time slots: 6:30 to 7 a.m. for last names beginning A-D; 7 to 7:30 a.m. for last names beginning E-K; 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. for last names beginning L-R; 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. for last names beginning S-Z. Candidates who require special assistance should contact Carolyn James in the Office of Special Events at (773) 834-3871 by noon on Friday, June 11. The University’s 456th convocation ceremonies will be held in four sessions, each in Harper Quadrangle. In the event of severe weather, sessions will be held in Henry Crown Field House. For additional information, contact the convocation coordinator at (773) 702-8370.

456th Convocation Sessions

At the 456th convocation, a total of 2,540 degrees will be conferred Friday, June 11, through Sunday, June 13.

Elaine Fuchs, the Amgen Professor in Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, will deliver the convocation address for the first three sessions, while James Schrager, Clinical Professor in the Graduate School of Business, will deliver the convocation address for the fourth session.

Degrees to be conferred include 820 bachelor’s degrees, 619 master’s degrees, 643 M.B.A.s, 36 International M.B.A.s, 191 J.D.s, 112 M.D.s and 119 Ph.D.s. Honorary degrees will be conferred during the second session. Pierre Briant and Bernard Williams will receive honorary Doctors of Humane Letters and Daniel Tsui will receive an honorary Doctor of Science (see honorary degrees story, Page 1). Additionally, at the College ceremony, the Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching will be conferred.

FIRST SESSION: 10 a.m. Friday, June 11. Degrees will be awarded to candidates in the Law School, the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies and the School of Social Service Administration. Candidates must arrive at Bartlett Gymnasium at 8:30 a.m. Because significant time is required for students to line up, candidates not in line by 9:15 a.m. will not be permitted to march. The faculty party must arrive at Bartlett Gymnasium 20 minutes before the session begins.

SECOND SESSION: 3 p.m. Friday, June 11. Degrees will be awarded to candidates in the Graham School of General Studies, the Division of the Biological Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine, the Division of the Humanities, the Division of the Physical Sciences, the Division of the Social Sciences and the Divinity School. Candidates must arrive at Bartlett Gymnasium at 1:30 p.m.; candidates not in line by 2:15 p.m. will not be permitted to march. The faculty party must arrive at Bartlett Gymnasium 20 minutes before the session begins.

THIRD SESSION: 10 a.m. Saturday, June 12. Degrees will be awarded to candidates in the College, and Quantrell awards will be conferred. In addition to Professor Fuchs, President William Jefferson Clinton will speak at the ceremony.

Participating faculty must arrive at Bartlett Gymnasium by 8 a.m. (see “Candidates” in College convocation story above for student arrival times)

FOURTH SESSION: 3 p.m. Sunday, June 13. Degrees will be awarded to candidates in the Graduate School of Business. Candidates must arrive at Bartlett Gymnasium at 1:30 p.m.; candidates not in line by 2:15 p.m. will not be permitted to march. The faculty party must arrive at Bartlett Gymnasium 20 minutes before the session begins.