🎓EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP & POLICY MOMENT OF RECOGNITION (MOR)🎓

MOR, an ELP-specific celebration for graduates, offers an intimate gathering outside of traditional university commencement ceremonies, providing graduates with the unique chance to celebrate among their ELP community and receive the honor of being hooded by esteemed professors in their field.

*Please note that MOR is an annual event and the information below pertains to the 2024 Spring Celebration. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GENERAL INFORMATION 

  • Friday, May 10th, 2024 

  • George I. Sanchez Building UT Austin 

  • 1912 Speedway, Austin, TX 78705 

  • Masters Ceremony: 11am-12pm 

  • Doctoral Ceremony: 1pm-2pm 

 

THE PROCESS: Masters 

  1. Please arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before event start time (10:30am) 

  2. Check-in will be located in the front of the Sanchez Building, closest to the speedway 

  3. Once checked in, please wait in Massey Hall with your guests  

  4. An ELP volunteer will usher you and your guests to  to Al Kiva room (or overflow room for some guests) 

    1. Guests will be able to go into Al Kiva or Parker (overflow) 

    2. Graduates will line up outside of Al Kiva, by program (IE: EPP, PHELP, TPLA) 

  5. Event will begin at 11 a.m. and the following will be the run of show: 

    1. Opening remarks 

    2. Keynote speaker 

    3. Hooding ceremony: 

      1. You will be ushered to the front with your cohort 

      2. Provide emcee with name card at time of hooding.  

 

THE PROCESS: Doctoral 

  1. Please arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before event start time (12:30pm) 

  2. Check-in will be located in the front of the Sanchez Building, closest to the speedway 

  3. Once checked in, please wait in Massey Hall with your guests  

  4. An ELP volunteer will usher you and your guests to  to Al Kiva room (or overflow room for some guests) 

    1. Guests will be able to go into Al Kiva or Parker (overflow) 

    2. Graduates will line up outside of Al Kiva, by program (IE: CSP, EPP, Exec. Ed.D., PHELP

  5.  Event will begin at 12 p.m. and the following will be the run of show: 

    1. Opening remarks

    2. Presentation of awards (PHELP) 

    3. Hooding ceremony: 

      1. You will be ushered to the front with your cohort following remarks from your department heads 

      2. Provide emcee with name card at time of hooding 

      3. Hooded by faculty and dissertation/ treatise titles read  

      4. PLEASE refer to “Doctoral Program Updates” for more information 

 

DOCTORAL PROGRAM UPDATES *must read* 

  • No more remarks for graduates 

    • Due to the unprecedented number of graduates this year, we're adjusting our Moment of Recognition ceremony to ensure we can celebrate all students within the allotted time. While it's a positive sign that more graduates have completed their degrees earlier than expected, to adhere to the mandated time allotment, we can no longer accommodate graduate and faculty speeches about each student. However, rest assured, we remain dedicated to recognizing and honoring the achievements of every graduate through alternative means. As you process, our emcee will announce your name, program, and dissertation/thesis title, allowing our community to learn more about your remarkable contributions to the field! 

  • Overflow Room 

    • Due to the unexpectedly high number of graduating students and the excitement for the event, we will provide an overflow room for guests in Cissy McDaniel Parker Dean's Conference Room, George I. Sánchez Building (SZB 2.624), featuring a livestream of the ceremony. Please understand that this arrangement was unforeseen, but the enthusiasm surrounding the event and the larger-than-anticipated number of graduates have necessitated this accommodation due to reaching capacity in the main venue. 

 

CHECK-IN 

  • Check-in will begin promptly 30 minutes prior to your event and will be located in the front of the Sanchez Building, closest to the speedway 

  • Please remain in Massey Honor hall until the ELP volunteer is ready to escort you to Al Kiva 

  • In the event that the Al Kiva room reaches capacity (per building regulations), we have an overflow room equipped with  live stream. 

 

VENUE 

  • The main event will take place in the Al Kiva room, situated within the Sanchez Building. 

  • Accessibility options, including stairs and an elevator, are available for your convenience. 

  • Designated seating arrangements will be provided for your cohort. 

  • As indicated last month, we have reached capacity for the event. To prepare, we have arranged an overflow room with live stream options for guests once Al Kiva is filled.  

  • No graduates will be seated in the overflow room.  

  • Please prepare for if your guests are seated in the overflow room and be assured they will be able to view the ceremony. 

ATTIRE 

  • Regalia attire is standard for participants. Please remember to bring your hood.  

 

NAME PRONUNCIATION 

  • Upon check-in, you will receive a notecard to indicate the pronunciation of your name. This will ensure accurate announcements during the ceremony. 

 

HOODING PROCESS 

  • Once it's your cohort's turn, our line usher will guide you to the stage.  

  • Remember to bring the notecard provided during check-in and your hood with you to the front of the room.  

  • Hand the notecard to our emcee while the graduate in front of you is being hooded. 

 

GUEST POLICY 

  • You may bring a maximum of three guests to accompany you. This policy will be strictly enforced in order to permit equitable attendance/guests for all graduates. 

LIVE STREAM 

 

PARKING 

  • Attendees are responsible for their parking arrangements.

  • Brazos Garage is the closest parking facility. 

  • All University parking garages (excluding CCG and NUG) offer free parking from 5 a.m. on May 9 to 11:59 p.m. on May 11. 

  • ADA Accessible parking spots are located in each parking garage and near the George Sanchez Building, in the back, closest to the AT&T conference center. 

If you have any questions you would like to ask, please send to katecarpenter@utexas.edu*