Members of the news media who wish to attend any of Princeton University's 2011 graduation ceremonies Sunday through Tuesday, May 29-31, must contact the University's Office of Communications no later than 12 p.m. Monday, May 23, to request credentials.
Seating for media is not guaranteed for any event; however, for those who want to view the event remotely, the Hooding ceremony for the Graduate School and Commencement are scheduled to be simulcast live at sites on campus and on local TV channels. Because of space limitations, photography and filming will be limited at some of the graduation events (please see the summary of events listed below for more information).
The class of 2011 will have its Baccalaureate on Sunday, May 29, Class Day on Monday, May 30, and Commencement on Tuesday, May 31.
To request credentials for Baccalaureate, Class Day, the Hooding ceremony or Commencement, news media must e-mail Martin Mbugua at mmbugua@princeton.edu, and provide the name, phone number and e-mail address for each person requesting credentials, in addition to specifying the event(s) for which credentials are being requested.
Media credentials for all events will be available for distribution from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 26-27, in the Office of Communications at 22 Chambers St., Suite 201, Princeton. Journalists must pre-register by Monday, May 23, for each event and receive advance confirmation of attendance because seating will be extremely limited.
Confirmed journalists who do not pick up credentials on the assigneddates will not be allowed entry to the events, and reserved seating will beavailable only for journalists who have registered in advance.
Below is a summary of the graduation events leading up to and including Princeton's 264th Commencement. For more information, visit the Commencement website.
---The Baccalaureate service will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 29, in the University Chapel. The speaker will be Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City. Advance registration and advance pick-up of credentials is required. Media seating is in front of a large simulcast screen outside the chapel, where seating inside is reserved for seniors and the faculty procession. News photographers and film crews will not be permittedinside the chapel.
---The Class Day ceremony for seniors is set for 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 30, on Cannon Green (Jadwin Gym in case of severe weather). Advance registration and advance pick-up of credentials is required for on-site media seating for this event. The speaker will be actress Brooke Shields, a 1987 Princeton alumna.
--- The Hooding ceremony for advanced degree candidates will begin at 5 p.m. Monday, May 30, in Princeton Stadium. (Rain location is McCarter Theater.) Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman and Graduate School Dean William Russel will preside. The Hooding ceremony requires a special credential. Media wishing to attend must specify their intent in advance.
---The Commencement program begins with the academic procession at 10:20 a.m. Tuesday on the front campus on Nassau Street. Members of the media who are not seated by 10 a.m. will not be allowed entry into the event. The University's 264th Commencement ceremony is slated for 11 a.m. on the lawn in front of Nassau Hall (Jadwin Gym in case of severe weather). Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman will preside over the event and address the graduates. Several honorary degrees traditionally are conferred, but names are not announced until that day. Advance registration and advance pick-up of credentials is required.
Journalists will receive confirmation and further instructions prior to the events.
Class Day, Hooding and Commencement ceremonies are scheduled to be broadcast live on TigerNet Channel 7 on campus and on Channel 27 on Princeton cable television. The events also are scheduled to be webcast live and archived online for later viewing on the WebMedia site. Streaming video of the events for iPhones also will be available on the WebMedia site.
The Hooding ceremony is scheduled to be simulcast in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall. If, due to rain, the event is held at McCarter Theater, the Hooding Ceremony is scheduled to be simulcast in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall and Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall.
Commencement is planned to be simulcast in Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall. No tickets will be required at the simulcast site.
Class Day will be simulcast in McCosh Hall, Rooms 10 and 50, and McCormick Hall, Room 101. No tickets will be required for the simulcast sites.
A final determination about potential simulcast and online video archiving for Baccalaureate has not been made, but registered media will receive an update as part of the media instructions distributed before the events.