March Commencement Update
TO: 2022 Senior Class
FROM: Karl Schonberg, Vice President of the University and Dean of Academic Affairs
Paul Redfern, Vice President for University Communications
March 2022 Commencement Update:
Senior Class Meetings
We hold informational meetings for seniors and attendance at one of the meetings is mandatory if you plan to participate in senior week. You’ll hear more about these meetings soon from your advisor Alivia Sheffield.
Accommodations
Seeking housing for your family members and friends for Commencement weekend? Due to limited hotel availability in the Canton area, St. Lawrence University offers you the opportunity to register guests to stay in a University room on Friday and Saturday nights, May 20 and 21. We always have plenty of room!
Reservations for accommodations must be made through the Residence Life office via our online reservation form. Please contact Mary Charleston, mcharleston@stlawu.edu, in the Residence Life office directly with questions.
Reservations will be taken from March 21, 2022, through May 18, 2022. The cost per night is $49 for age 14+, $25 for children ages 5-13, and free for children under the age of 5. Full payment must be made when you book your online reservation. Cancelled reservations will be refunded up until May 13, 2022. Please share with your guests that the University provides linen, as well as a pillow, towel, and blanket for each bed, but guests should bring any additional amenities to make their stay comfortable. No meals are included in this price. Check out is Sunday, May 22, by 6:00 p.m.
Housing assignments are made on a first-come, first-serve basis. Special arrangements may be made for some health problems (please be sure to reference this at the time of reservation). Please also note that Theme Cottages, Steiner Senior Townhouses, Hulett, Jencks, Sykes, Dean Eaton and Douglas will not be available for commencement housing due to the large number of seniors living in these buildings. Guest check-in will be in the Sullivan Student Center on Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21.
Family Members with Special Physical Needs?
The University designates special seating for individuals who have accessibility or other physical challenges, such as hearing impairment. If a family member has such challenges, please contact Anne Chism in advance, achism@stlawu.edu, 315-229-5585, to discuss your needs. We will reserve one seat for the person who has physical challenges and one additional seat for a family member. To accommodate those guests with physical challenges, we cannot seat entire groups in this section.
Announcements
Graduation announcements may be purchased by seniors through Brewer Bookstore in person or online. Traditional (non-personalized) single announcements ($1.95) or packs of five announcements ($8.95) will be available. Information for ordering non-personalized announcements online will be available soon on the Brewer Bookstore web site.
For personalized announcements, order online with Balfour.
Events
The weekend’s events begin on Saturday, May 21, in the afternoon with a Commencement concert by the Laurentian Singers. On Sunday morning, we hold a baccalaureate service of reflection at 8:00 a.m., followed by Commencement at 10:00 a.m. A punch and cookies reception follows Commencement, which generally lasts about two hours; Dana Dining Hall will host a luncheon at which Class of 2022 members are our guests and others will pay $9.50 per person for age 6 and older and free for those younger than 6. The full schedule of events will be updated regularly on the Commencement web page, so check back frequently.
Senior Class Social (Friday, May 20) and Dinner Dance (Saturday, May 21)
Watch for communications from the Senior Class about these events. A registration link will be available soon on the Commencement web page. If you have questions, call 315-229-5757 or email thewitt@stlawu.edu.
Meals
The St. Lawrence web site https://www.stlawu.edu/restaurants provides information and links to the Best Western County Seat Restaurant and area restaurants through the Canton Chamber of Commerce and St. Lawrence Chamber of Commerce web sites for those who wish to enjoy dinner on your own Saturday evening. Reservations for dinner and for lunch on Sunday are encouraged.
Residence halls will close at 6 p.m., Sunday, May 22.
Photography
Genesee Photo Systems captures the moment each student receives his or her diploma. Genesee will send proofs directly to students’ homes (through postal mail or email) and families may elect to purchase photos directly from this firm.
Families are invited to photograph or videotape the awarding of degrees from the designated area at the left side of the stage and should not impede the academic procession.
Tickets and Guests
Commencement itself requires no tickets. Graduates and families may invite as many guests as you wish to attend the weekend.
Reminders
- Consult the Graduation Checklist that the Registrar’s Office has created. It outlines step-by-step everything you need to know to have all your requirements completed in time for Commencement.
- Majors/minors: If you need to add or remove a major/minor from your record please do so as soon as possible.
- If anyone, at any time, has ever mispronounced your name, please stop by the Registrar's Office to record your name pronunciation for graduation. Or, you can email a sound byte to registrar@stlawu.edu. This is optional but recommended to ensure that your name is pronounced correctly during Commencement. Believe me, your mother will thank you!
- Is your parent, grandparent, spouse, or partner an employee of the University? If so, you have the option to have that special person hand you your diploma cover as you walk across the stage. Please contact the Academic Dean’s Office, acadean@stlawu.edu, with your name and the name of the special employee to whom you are related.
- Finally, bookmark the Commencement web page for updates on the schedule of events and Commencement news.