Commencement

Commencement 2023

Heritage College Class of 2023 Commencement Ceremony

Saturday, May 13

Convocation Center - 95 Richland Ave, Athens, OH 45701

For questions related to HCOM Commencement, please email Sarah Lawrence (lawrences@ohio.edu).

General Information

Agenda

Thursday, May 11 – Athens
Grads on the Greens Golf Scramble, 1 p.m.
Grads Gathering at Little Fish Brewing Company, 5 p.m.

Friday, May 12 – Athens
Graduate Rehearsal (mentors optional) at Convocation Center, 10:30 a.m.
Awards Ceremony at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium, 1 p.m.
Reception to follow

Saturday, May 13 – Athens
Doors open to guests at Convocation Center, 8:30 a.m.
Graduates and mentors arrive for line up at Convocation Center, 9:00 a.m.
Commencement Ceremony at Convocation Center, 10 a.m.

Speaker

We are pleased to announce that Heritage College alumnus Tyree Winters, DO, FACOP, FAAP, has accepted our invitation to speak at the Heritage College’s 2023 Commencement ceremony.

Dr. Winters is a revered pediatrician, social justice warrior and child advocate, who has dedicated his career to medically underserved youth. He maintains a special interest in helping youth combat obesity. To that end, he created and is championing a nationwide dance exercise program for kids called “Hip Hop with a Doc.” Through the initiative, Dr. Winters earned his nickname, “Dr. Tye: Hip Hop Dance Doc,” while positively impacting the health of countless patients and their families.

Dr. Winters is the categorical pediatric residency program director at Goryeb Children’s Hospital-Atlantic Health System in Morristown, N.J. He also serves as the diversity, equity and inclusion lead physician for the Department of Pediatrics’ Division Chief Committee and as medical director of the Overlook Medical Center Pediatric HealthStart Clinic, which offers care to children in the New York metropolitan area who otherwise would not have access. In addition to his duties at Atlantic Health System, he is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Sidney Kimmel College of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. Click here for the full announcement.

Information for Graduates

Graduates must apply with the Registrar's Office to graduate with Ohio University - learn more about applying to graduate.
Graduation announcements are available through Ohio University Printing Services.

Safety Protocols

For the safety and security of those attending Commencement, all bags entering the Convocation Center will be subject to inspection. This includes but is not limited to purses, backpacks, camera bags, and diaper bags.

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Information for Graduates

Graduate Academic Regalia

All graduates who plan to participate in Commencement must wear regalia. Regalia will be shipped directly to each graduate, and graduates are expected to bring their academic attire with them on graduation day. Purchase Graduate Regalia HERE. The deadline to order is April 4th, 2023. Graduates should unpack their regalia upon arrival to verify that the regalia is correct and to steam their regalia.

Any issues with regalia upon arrival can be directed to (540) 387-0000 or customercare@oakhalli.com .

Notes: This is not the same link for mentors who wish to rent regalia.

Due to changes in academic regalia provided by our vendor we highly discourage graduates from borrowing academic regalia from previous HCOM graduates in order to have a unified look among all graduates.

Diplomas

Diplomas will be mailed to all graduates. If graduates need to update their mailing address or verify the address on file, please contact graduation@ohio.edu as soon as possible to update or verify your address. Diplomas are scheduled to be mailed 10-15 business days after graduation. This address will also be used for mailing items to graduates who do not attend the in-person ceremony after the event.

Certified Electronic Credentials can be ordered from the registrar's office. Learn more about an official, highly secure electronic copy of your Ohio University diploma/certificate that may be downloaded and shared for a lifetime HERE.

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Information for Guests

Parking and Shuttles

Friday Parking: The Awards Ceremony will be held at Memorial Auditorium and parking is very limited near that location. There will be plenty of parking around the convocation center and a continuous shuttle (wheelchair accessible) will run from Grosvenor Hall to Memorial Auditorium. CATCAB-accessible transit is also available for guests in wheelchairs and with other mobility limitations. Guests wishing to utilize CATCAB should call Parking Services (740-593-1917) to schedule a pick up time - 30 minutes advanced notice is requested.

Saturday Parking: Parking will be available around the convocation center.

Seating and Accommodations

Seating in the Convocation Center is on a first-come, first-served basis, and there will be no tickets issued. There is no limit on the number of guests that graduates may invite to the ceremony.

Accessibility Seating: There are designated seating sections for guests who have limited mobility and for guests who are wheelchair users. We ask that only one additional guest sits in this section to maximize our accessibility seating options. Ushers will be available to direct guests to these seats.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing: An American Sign Language (ALS) interpreter will provide interpreting services at the ceremony. There is a designated ASL seating section for the best view of the interpreter. The interpreter will also be shown on the live stream link for guests watching the ceremony remotely.

Lactation: A Mamava lactation suite is available to use as a comfortable, private location for individuals needing to pump or nurse. To utilize the Mamava suite, you will need to download the Mamava App on Apple App Store or Google Play. The app will allow you to unlock the Mamava suite in the Convocation Center.

Travel/Arrangements/Lodging

For lodging and local restaurants, visit the Athens County Visitors Bureau click here.

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Information for Mentors

Mentor Information

A mentor is someone who has encouraged and fostered a student's academic accomplishments. They should best represent the spirit and the art of medical education. A mentor is not required for graduation. The criteria for mentor selection are as follows:

Each student may choose ONE mentor for Commencement.
The mentor must have a doctoral degree (degrees include, but are not limited to: D.O., M.D., D.D.S., D.P.M., D.V.M., D.C., D.M.D., O.D., Ph.D., J.D., etc.).
The mentor must be an established member of the professional community who has practiced/worked in their field for a minimum of one year. Peers and fellow classmates cannot serve as mentors.

Mentor Academic Regalia

Mentors will be expected to wear academic regalia. Mentors are welcome to bring their own regalia if they own. For those that need to rent academic regalia, regalia can be rented HERE. The deadline for ordering is March 27th. Rented regalia will be available for pickup on the morning of Commencement in the lower lobby of the Convocation Center, beginning at 8:45 a.m. Rented regalia should be returned immediately following the ceremony.

Note: This is not the same link for graduates who are purchasing regalia.

Rented Regalia for Mentors includes Gown, Hood, Tassel, and Mortarboard cap. (Hats are not required for mentors) For mentors that wish to wear a Tam instead of the Motarboard cap that is provided with the rental Tams can be purchased separately HERE.

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Virtual Viewing

Livestream Link

Graduates who wish to participate virtually can watch the live-stream ceremony. Graduates who are viewing the live stream ceremony remotely will have their names called after all in-person graduate names are called. The live stream will be watch-only. Graduates will not be on the screen from home as their name is called. Graduates are encouraged to share this website with anyone who wishes to watch the live-stream ceremony.

Watch Awards Ceremony

Watch Commencement