Commencement

Saturday, May 4, 2013, 10:00 am

Graduates at Commencement Click on the links for more information regarding:

Academic Attire
Alcoholic Beverages
Announcements & Rings
DVD of Ceremony
Ceremony
Family and Friends
Local Accommodations
Parking
Photography
Tickets

Academic Attire (Graduating Candidates)

Caps and Gowns are required for all graduating students participating in the Commencement ceremony. They will be available for sale in the Bookstore. Prices are as follows:

	Undergraduate	Graduate
Cap, gown, tassel	$ 34.40	$ 37.50
Hood	$ 25.70	$ 28.85
Total (tax not included)	$ 60.10	$ 65.35

Academic attire should be worn to the Graduation Mass on Friday, May 3.

On-campus parking passes, for graduates only, and tickets will be distributed when caps and gowns are picked up. Please wear low-heeled shoes, as the ceremony will be held on an athletic field. The weather conditions may be cool, windy, and/or damp, so please dress appropriately.

Alcoholic Beverages

University policy prohibits the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages at the Commencement ceremonies.

Announcements & Class Rings

Announcements and class rings can be purchased at Grad Finale in March or on-line at Jostens.com.

Ceremony

The Commencement ceremony is approximately 2 hours in length, depending on the number of graduates from year to year. Graduates are seated within their School. Master degree students are in front of the bachelor degree students within each School. Graduates are not seated in alphabetical order, but typically will sit with their friends from their particular program.

DVD of Ceremony

Notre Dame is partnering with gradmemory.com to provide a professional video production of the Commencement ceremony. This perfect keepsake is available for order now at www.gradmemory.com. The graduation DVD contains the complete graduation ceremony with all keynotes and speeches. The DVD package can also be personalized with the graduate's name and picture.

To order, visit www.gradmemory.com. For questions, please contact GradMemory directly at 1-866-977-GRAD or support@gradmemory.com.

Family and Friends

All guests must have a ticket to enter the Commencement ceremony. Please let your guests know the weather may be hot, cool, windy, and/or damp, and that the ceremony will be held on an athletics field. Low-heeled shoes are advised.

The gates at the athletics field will not be open for seating until 8:30 a.m.

Family and friends wishing to take photographs of graduating candidates are asked to do so either before or after the ceremonies. This will help alleviate congestion around the stage during the ceremonies.

Arrangements can be made for handicapped seating. Please contact commencement@ndnu.edu for more information.

Local Accommodations

Holiday Inn Express 1650 El Camino Real Belmont, CA 94002 650-654-4000 888-789-8200	Other: 1 mile from NDNU Includes deluxe Continental breakfast, free high-speed internet access, and free local phone calls
Sofitel Hotel 223 Twin Dolphin Drive Redwood City, CA 94065 650-598-9000	Other: 2 miles from NDNU. Resort style, executive hotel.
Summerfield Suites 400 Concourse Drive Belmont, CA 94002 650-591-8600	Other: 1.5 miles from NDNU. Complimentary breakfast buffet, high speed internet and spacious living rooms w/ TV and VCR. Suite style rooms with kitchens.
San Mateo Marriott 1770 South Amphlett Blvd San Mateo, CA 94402 650-653-6000 www.sanmateomarriott.com	Other: 5 miles from NDNU * 10 minutes from San Francisco International Airport * 100% non-smoking hotel * 477 newly renovated guest rooms and suites * More than 22,000 square feet of world-class meeting space * Less than one half hour from San Jose International Airport * Midway between San Francisco and the Silicon Valley high-tech business center * Less than 30 minutes from Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Pier 39, Alcatraz, Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf and Half Moon Bay
*Extended StayAmerica* 120 Sem Lane Belmont, CA 94002 650-654-0344	Other: 1.5 miles from NDNU * Kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, and stovetop * Workspace with computer dataport * Free local phone calls * Personalized voice mail * Iron and full size ironing board * On site guest laundry * Dining and cooking utensils provided * Wireless Internet - one time fee of $4.99 per stay * Pet Friendly Rooms – View Our Pet Policy * Our new "Signature" rooms feature an open layout with contemporary décor and comfort bedding.
*Motel 6* 1101 Shoreway Road Belmont, CA 94002	Other: 1.5 miles from NDNU
*San Mateo Foster City Courtyard by Marriott* 550 Shell Boulevard Foster City, CA 94404 Phone: 650-377-0600 Fax: 650-377-1983	Other: 5 miles from NDNU • Complimentary onsite parking • Complimentary Shuttle for Local Area • 24 hour Market • Indoor Pool and Whirlpool • Exercise Room • Complementary High Speed Internet
Crowne Plaza Mid-Peninsula 1221 Chess Drive Foster City, CA 94404 1-888-233-9527	5 miles from NDNU Complimentary airport shuttle to and from SFO international airport Complimentary Parking Complimentary wired and wireless internet access in all guest rooms All rooms with refrigerator, and 37” HD flat screen TV Complimentary usage of the business center Indoor Pool and Whirlpool Onsite self serve laundry facility Complimentary shuttle to the East Hillsdale Shopping Center. Hertz Rental Car onsite, save on airport tax (estimated saving is about $17 per day) 3 restaurants and 2 lounges (one of them is a sports bar) within the hotel Walking distance to shopping center, walking trial and restaurants

Parking

On-campus parking will be limited to one car per graduate. The graduate must present his or her parking pass, which will be issued with the tickets. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.

All guests must park at the Oracle parking lot at 10 Twin Dolphin Drive in Redwood Shores. To reach Oracle, take 101 and exit at Ralston Avenue. Follow the signs toward Marine World Parkway. At the second light, turn right onto Twin Dolphin Drive.

Shuttle service will be provided from Oracle to campus beginning at 8:30 a.m. on the day of Commencement. We encourage you and your guests to arrive early. Please be patient, there may be delays. The shuttle will operate during the commencement exercises.

The shuttles will resume at the end of the ceremony to return guests to the parking facilities at Oracle. They will run for an hour after the ceremony has ended.

For those with legal handicapped parking permits, parking will be available at the NDNU Theatre and Notre Dame High School, which are adjacent to the athletics field.

Parking will not be available in the neighborhood surrounding Notre Dame de Namur University. Illegally parked cars will be towed at the owner's expense.

Photography

Grad Images will photograph graduates receiving their diplomas. Photo proofs will be emailed directly to each student approximately 2 weeks after graduation, to the NDNU student email address. For more information, go to www.gradimages.com or call 800-261-2576.

Tickets

Approximately thirteen tickets will be given to each graduate, along with one on-campus parking pass. Tickets can be picked up at Grad Finale, and Student Life & Leadership in the Campus Center after Grad Finale. The graduate will not need a ticket.