USI To Hold In-Person Commencement Exercises For Class of 2020, 2021 Saturday, December 18
WHO: University of Southern Indiana President Dr. Ronald S. Rochon, graduating members of the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021, University officials, and limited, in-person guests.
WHAT: USI Fall 2021 Commencement Ceremonies
CEREMONY SCHEDULE:
Saturday, December 18:
- 9 a.m.: College of Liberal Arts and Romain College of Business – Class of 2020
- Noon: College of Nursing and Health Professions and Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education – Class of 2020
- 3 p.m.:Â College of Liberal Arts and Romain College of Business – Class of 2021
- 6 p.m.: College of Nursing and Health Professions and Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education – Class of 2021
All doors will open one hour prior to the start of the ceremony. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, guests will be limited to six tickets per graduate and tickets will be required for reserved seating. All ceremonies will be live streamed at USI.edu/watch-commencement.
WHERE: All ceremonies will be held in the Screaming Eagles Arena. A map of campus that includes the Arena and all nearby parking lots can be found at USI.edu/map.
COVID-19 PROTOCOL: In order to safely hold in-person Commencement exercises and allow for graduates to be individually recognized and walk across the stage, a number of safety measures and modifications will be implemented for all ceremonies. Graduates will not process in Fall 2021, but rather will be directed to their physically-distanced seat. A minimal platform party will be present at all ceremonies. At the conclusion of each ceremony, graduates and guests will be asked to depart the building and return to their vehicles in order to prepare the Screaming Eagles Arena before the start of the next ceremony.
MEDIA CREDENTIALING: All members of the media are required to sign in and pick up a media access badge before entering the Arena. Members of the media should access the Arena through the main entrance and alert USI Public Safety that you are here to cover the ceremony. A USI Special Events staff member will meet you at this entrance, sign you in and issue your badge. You must check-in and receive credentials before speaking with graduates and attendees inside the Arena. Please contact Ben Luttrull, media relations specialist, at 812-461-5259 with questions regarding credentialing or any issues accessing the Arena.
MEDIA PLATFORM: There is a designated media area in Section 103 of the Screaming Eagles Arena. Elevators accessing the second floor of the Arena are available if needed. All media must have arena credentials and defer to Special Events staff concerning access and the blockage of entry/egress.
STUDENT AVAILABILITY: In order to maintain COVID safety for both graduates and media members, participants will be reporting directly to their seat on the Arena floor and media outlets will not be permitted to access the Arena floor. Graduates for each ceremony that are willing to speak to media outlets have been identified and availability with graduates will be arranged by University Communications for credentialed media members at each respective ceremony. All media interviews with graduates must be completed 10 minutes prior to the start of their respective ceremonies.
