Instructions for Hooding

Hooding Your Graduate

As we begin the conferral for the doctoral degrees, you will access the stage via the stairs on the left (as you face the stage) side. Please move to the back of the stage and proceed toward the center. We prefer that the faculty be ready to hood for the next three to four students on stage at all times.

When you are next up to hood your degree candidate, the candidate will hand you their hood. Both faculty members should lift the hood together over the head of the degree candidate to place it on the his/her shoulders. It is not necessary to fasten the button closure on the back of the hood.

If you are hooding more than one student in sequence, the hood will be brought to you at the head of the aisle.

Location on the Stage for Hooding

There will be boxes and an X marked on the floor, on the audience’s left facing side of the lectern. The graduate should stand on the X. Faculty members should each stand in one of the marked boxes. It is positioned so that neither the degree candidate nor you will be uncomfortably close to those sitting on the first row.

You may need to guide the student to stand on the X. The X will also put the degree candidate in a spotlight focused precisely to that point. Lights are focused and photographers are positioned to take the appropriate photos at that place on the stage.

After the hood has been placed, both faculty members who assist with the hooding should congratulate the degree candidate and follow him/her toward the stairs to the floor or return to the back of the stage if you have others to hood.