Graduation Information

Commencement Exercises

Spring commencement will be Saturday, May 6, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. Pinning for nursing graduates will be Friday, May 5, 2023, at 2 p.m.

Mars Hill University is excited to announce event details for our recognition of May graduates.

Spring Commencement:

• Saturday, May 6, 2023
• 9:30 a.m.
• Moore Auditorium
• Graduates will receive 7 guest tickets
• Student speakers will be Maggie Crisp and Allie Jones; keynote speaker will be Doug Buchanan ’88, chair of the Board of Trustees

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Pinning Ceremony

• Friday, May 5, 2023
• 2 p.m.
• Broyhill Chapel

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Graduates will meet in Spainhour or the Choir Room at 8:30 a.m.
• Graduates must be checked-in no later than 9:00 a.m. in order to participate in graduation.
• Doors open at 8:45 a.m.
• Each guest must have a ticket to enter. Children that can sit on an adult’s lap do not need a ticket.
• Restrooms are located on all three floors of the building.
• Spainhour will not be locked. It is advised for graduates to leave any valuable with friends/family.
• The ceremony will be livestreamed on the MHU YouTube channel.
• Contact Stephen Maag, assistant registrar, with any graduation questions.

Security

• All faculty, staff, students, and guests will be screened by a hand-held metal detector wand before entry into Moore Fine Arts Building.
• We prohibit the presence and use of knives, guns, and other weapons on our campus.
• Graduation follows our no-bag policy. Small bags are acceptable and will be subject to search by a member of security.
• Guests with medical or child care needs will be permitted to carry one bag.

Parking

• ALL graduates need to park in the tiered lot behind Nash or in the Chapel parking lot.
• Guests can park anywhere on campus, but the lots closest to Moore are Lunsford and Pittman
• Do not have your guests stop in the middle of the road to drop folks off at Moore. We will have a separate drop-off area on Auditorium Drive (look for the blue tent).

MHU COMMENCEMENT REGALIA POLICY

Commencement is the paramount academic ceremony, and participants are expected to demonstrate their respect for the event and its significance by wearing appropriate attire beneath their regalia. Men should wear dress shirts with ties, dress slacks, and dress shoes, women a dress or dressy suit with matching flats or heels. Jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, shorts, flip-flops, and the like are inappropriate.

BACCALAUREATE REGALIA

Bachelor’s degree graduates participating in the December or May commencement ceremony must wear appropriate regalia consisting of gown, mortarboard, and tassel purchased from the Mars Hill University Bookstore. Graduates keep their regalia following commencement. Regalia from other ceremonies is not permitted. A graduate in active military service at the time of commencement may wear the appropriate dress uniform in lieu of regalia but must drape the academic gown over his or her forearm when crossing the stage to receive a diploma. Graduates’ tassels are colored according to the degree earned:

• Bachelor of Arts — white
• Bachelor of Fine Arts — brown
• Bachelor of Music — pink
• Bachelor of Science — gold
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing – apricot
• Bachelor of Social Work — citron

Graduates who earn “Latin honors” (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude) also wear a second tassel in institutional blue and gold provided by the university. During the ceremony, tassels must be worn on the right side of the mortarboard until graduates are directed to move them to the left side by the president. Men are expected to remove their mortarboards during the invocation but replace them afterwards; women may do the same or may leave their mortarboards on throughout the ceremony.

A graduate who is a member of Alpha Chi (traditional students) or Alpha Sigma Lambda (nontraditional students) may wear that organization’s honor cord over his or her regalia during commencement.

Graduates who have successfully completed the university’s Honors Program curriculum wear a gold stole at Commencement in addition to any other recognitions.

Graduates who give $20.23 towards the Senior Class Gift will receive a philanthropy cord to wear during the ceremony.

Alpha Chi cords and Honors stoles will be given out at line-up prior to commencement. Information on procuring Alpha Sigma Lambda chords can be obtained from Heidi Sermersheim (hsermersheim@mhu.edu).

Commencement Scheduling

Mars Hill Univerity holds two commencement exercises each academic year: one in December for students who complete their degree requirements in August or December, and one in May for those who finish in the spring.