Faculty
Nova Southeastern University Commencement is a momentous occasion that celebrates the achievements of our graduating students. It's a public testament to their years of dedication, intellectual growth, and academic success.
Faculty presence is vital to the ceremony's success. We strongly encourage you to attend your designated commencement and share in the joy of your students' accomplishments. Your presence demonstrates your support and creates a truly memorable experience for everyone.
How to Participate
Faculty reserve their seats at commencement and order regalia by submitting the online Faculty Commencement Participation Form. (It is important that any faculty member who plans on attending commencement completes the electronic participation form, even if you have your own regalia.) Click the link below to access the form.
Faculty Roles
Faculty members play a variety of roles at commencement, all contributing to the smooth running and celebratory atmosphere of the ceremony. Here are some of the most common ones:
Grand Marshals play a key role at the beginning and the end of the commencement ceremonies.
- The Grand Marshal is selected and notified of this selection by the President’s office.
- You will carry the mace and lead the processional in and/or out of the arena.
- You will be seated on the stage during the ceremony.
- When you report to the VIP dressing room, the registrar staff will walk you through your responsibilities.
Faculty Greeters assist with greeting, helping, and guiding candidates up the stairs.
Registrar staff will line up the Faculty Greeters and lead the group in the processional to the seating area in the arena.
- You meet and get dressed in the Black Box Theatre.
- You will get lined up by registrar staff in the Black Box Theatre for the processional.
- Registrar staff will direct you to the stage when your group is called, you will walk forward and stand at the top of the stairs at either the left or right side of the stage.
Faculty Hooders place the doctoral hoods on the doctoral candidates after their name is announced.
Registrar staff will line up the Faculty Hooders and lead in the group in the processional to the seating area in the arena.
- You meet and get dressed in the Black Box Theatre.
- You will get lined up with your by registrar staff in the Black Box Theatre for the processional.
- You will be paired with another faculty member to work together at a hooding station. This information will be listed in the final script that will be sent to commencement committee members who should share this information with you.
- When your group is called, registrar staff will direct you to the stage. You and your hooding partner will come forward and walk to stand at your assigned hooding station mark.
Faculty marshals assist in setting the tone and decorum for candidates on the day of their commencement. Marshals will lead candidates into the ceremony and then join them on stage while they are being recognized by the university president and dean.
Registrar staff will line up the faculty marshals and candidates and lead the group in the processional to the seating area in the arena.
- After you are dressed, you will walk to the RecPlex (basketball court behind the rock wall) on the 2nd floor of the UC to line up with your respective group of candidates. Marshals need to be in the RexPlex and lined up with their student group 45 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.
Academic Procession
The academic procession consisting of the candidates and faculty are led into the Rick Case Arena by the Grand Marshal. The procession begins approximately 20 minutes before the start of the ceremony.
Faculty will enter the Don Taft University Center and go directly to the Black Box Theatre, which is located on the first floor on the north side of the University Center, in the Performing and Visual Arts wing, directly inside the north entrance. Light refreshments, chairs, and full-length mirrors will be available for your convenience. A bookstore representative will also be on hand for regalia distribution.
Faculty Regalia
On Commencement day, faculty members are encouraged to wear their personal regalia as a proud statement of your academic accomplishments and an encouragement to NSU graduates to continue their own educational journey.
If you need regalia, after submitting your Faculty Commencement Participation Form, you will automatically be redirected to the NSU Bookstore/Oak Hall Cap & Gown website. Follow the prompts to complete the order for appropriate regalia. Write out your degree (no abbreviations) to assist bookstore personnel in providing you with the correct color hood. There will be no pick-up option. All regalia will be mailed to the address you provide at the time of renting or purchasing regalia.
Immediately following the ceremony, borrowed regalia can be returned to the NSU Bookstore table in the Black Box Theatre. Borrowed faculty regalia must be returned to the NSU Bookstore within seven (7) business days of the ceremony.
For additional questions regarding your regalia, please contact the NSU Shark Store at (954) 262-4799.
Faculty Parking
Faculty should park in the Public Library and Student Main Parking Garage located on Ray Ferrero, Jr. Blvd (directly across from the Carl DeSantis Building). The Rick Case Arena at the University Center is located 200 yards south of the parking garage. There are handicap accessible parking spaces located on every level of the garage near the elevators. Golf carts will be in operation before and after the ceremony to transport faculty with special needs to and from the parking garage and the UC.