Graduate School of Nursing Graduates

UMass Medical School Hooding Policy

The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) allows for graduates that have a parent or family member who is currently on the faculty or an alumnus of UMMS to hood their graduate at Commencement.

Family hooders are required to attend a rehearsal, wear regalia and be seated on the stage during the ceremony.

If you would like to see if you qualify please contact the Office of University Events.

Invitations and Tickets 
Invitations and seating tickets (required) will be available in the Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) office (S1-853) in April; you will receive an email when they are ready to be picked up. You may invite as many guests as you want, but you must provide each guest with a ticket in order that we may provide sufficient seating, food, and parking. Commencement will now be joining the "Growing Green" initiative at UMMS in order to help lower the insitiution's carbon footprint. We will be distributing less printed invitations, as well as programs, this year and encourage graduates to use our online invitation form to communicate with guests. If you find you need additional tickets after ordering through the GSN Commencement Survey, please contact Diane Quinn or Sue Young  who will be happy to provide them to you.

Accessible Seating
If any of your guests use a wheelchair or walker, need a signer, have an assistance animal, or need other special consideration, reserved seating for handicapped guests and three companions is available. Please enter the information in the GSN Commencement Survey as soon as possible, and we will do our best to accommodate their needs. Accessible seating will be held until 11:35 a.m. at which time the seats will be released to the general public.

Regalia

University Cap & Gown has been selected to provide your graduation regalia. All students should order and pay for their regalia online before May 1st. Please have your Student ID Number (found in PeopleSoft) ready when registering for your regalia. The cost for master's graduates is $40.01; for doctoral graduates, $51.75. Regalia will be available for pickup immediately following Commencement rehearsal on Thursday, June 1, 2017. 

Caps and gowns must be returned in the original bag to the Book Store (S1-103), clearly marked with your name, no later than Monday, June 5^th.  The hood that will be provided at the ceremony is yours to keep. 

The Graduate School of Alumni Nursing Celebration

Thursday, June 1, 2017

The Graduate School of Nursing Alumni Celebration will begin with the Lillian R. Goodman Lectureship in Graduate Nursing in the Albert Sherman Center (ASC) Auditorium at 4:00 pm.

This year’s speaker will be GSN alumna, Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, FAAN. A nationally recognized progressive leader in health policy, Dr. Bonner is currently the Secretary of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, an Associate Professor at Northeastern University in Boston and serves as Program Director of the Schwartz-Jonas Fellowship for Compassionate Care.

The GSN Alumni Association will host their annual dinner to honor all graduates immediately following the lecture in the ASC Multi-purpose Room. Graduate School of Nursing Outstanding Student Awards will be presented at this event.

Please RSVP through the GSN Commencement Survey, or contact Sue Young or Diane Quinn 

Photos and Video Your class photo will be taken immediately following Commencement rehearsal on Thursday, June 1st, 2017 (refer to complete Commencement  weekend schedule). You must wear your cap and gown for the picture. Information about ordering class pictures will be sent to you from the GSN. The photographer will also take other pictures as requested.

Hometown Publicity
If you wish to place a graduation announcement in your hometown newspaper, a suggested format is provided here. Amend it to convey all the appropriate personal information.