FAQ

While somewhat unpredictable depending upon the number of graduates who choose to participate, the ceremony is expected to last approximately two hours. Depending upon arrival time, guests may be in their seats for extended periods of time. Doors open for guest seating at 6:30 p.m., and the ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. We recommend that guests who need specific accommodations or easily-accessible seating arrive as early as possible to select their seats.

Graduates should enter through the West doors (closest to the Dole Institute of Politics), and check in at the table corresponding with your last name. Please arrive before 7 p.m. to allow for time to meet up with your faculty hooder and be placed in the appropriate order for procession which will start promptly at 7:30 p.m.

Please meet your faculty hooder in the line-up area for your school or The College. Be certain to communicate in advance with the faculty member who will hood you to determine where you plan to meet. Wait with your faculty hooder for the procession to begin.

Please contact us at doctoral-hooding@ku.edu no later than May 1, 2023. Sign language interpreter services and video livestream captioning will be available.

Additional accessibility information is available on the Lied Center website under the FAQ Accessibility tab. If you have additional questions regarding accessibility at the Lied Center, please contact the Lied Center directly at 785-864-4210 or lied@ku.edu.

We recommend that guests in need of accommodation arrive early to be able to select the area that best suits them (close to an exit or an aisle, toward the middle or toward the back). Staff will be on hand to direct guests to limited mobility and wheelchair accessible seating areas. 

Graduates who apply to graduate and register for the hooding ceremony by published registration deadline will have their names included in the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony program. All graduates will receive a copy of the program as they exit the stage after being hooded.

Students who have requested a media hold or commencement booklet hold on their Application for Graduation will not have their information appear in the Doctoral Hooding program.

We ask that graduates NOT bring any bags or purses with them to the ceremony. It is possible that graduates and hooders may not return to their original seat after they are hooded on stage. There is no secure space to leave a bag or purse. We recommend leaving bags and purses with your guests.