December Commencement

Important To-Do List for December Graduates 

Step 1 – Apply to Graduate: The application is open now and closes on December 1st. Your name will not appear in the Commencement program if you apply to graduate after the December 1st deadline. Please login to your student portal to complete the Application for Degree. This is not the same as indicating that you are attending Commencement which you will do in Step 3. 

Step 2 – Pay the graduation fee: $100.00 must be paid no later than December 1, 2023. Students can pay this fee by logging into their student portal.

Step 3 – RSVP & Reserve Guest Seats for Commencement: Please complete this short form by November 17 to confirm your attendance at commencement. You are guaranteed seating for up to 3 guests. If you wish to request seats for more than 3 guests, please email the names of the additional guests to marketing@unity.edu. While we will do our best to accommodate your request, please note that additional seating beyond the initial 3 guests is not guaranteed and will depend on availability.

Step 4: Order Regalia: Undergraduate and master’s regalia orders must be placed online. Only students who have applied to graduate will be able to order regalia. Students who plan on attending the in-person ceremony need to make sure to order their regalia ahead of time. Instructions for ordering regalia will be sent to your email in mid-September. Order Regalia here. Orders must be placed by November 3, 2023, in order to receive it in time for the ceremony. Regalia will be delivered to your provided address.

Note: Please check your email for further instructions for ordering regalia.

Step 5: Check out the Unity Store: This is your one-stop shop for Unity Environmental University apparel and more!

Step 6: Tell your hometown newspaper you are graduating. Download the template.

Diplomas, Transcripts, and Graduation

Participation in a Commencement ceremony does not presume graduation from the University. Students who do not apply for graduation before the published deadline for any term must apply for graduation during the next term. Students who have applied for graduation but fail to meet the requirements must reapply for graduation by the published deadline for the term in which they will fulfill the requirements.

Degrees are conferred only after all requirements are completed and the Board of Trustees has taken official action. After reioconfirmed, students are mailed their diplomas to the address on record.

Note: Degree candidates will not earn degrees nor be graduated from the University until they have completed all degree requirements.

What to Do and Expect on the Day of Commencement

The ceremony will begin with a processional of all graduates followed by greetings and speeches, the conferring of degrees, the tassel-turning ceremony, and the recessional. The ceremony lasts around 1 hour.

Quick Facts

• The event will be held inside the Mt. Washington Room, 59 Pineland Drive, New Gloucester, ME 04260 on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. 
• The venue opens at 11am for students and parents to gather in the Mount Madison room. At 12pm, families enter the Mount Washington room while students finish getting ready for the ceremony and line up in the Mount Madison room. The ceremony starts at 1pm.
• Seats are only available for graduates and their 3 registered guests. 
• Commencement programs will be provided in a digital format on the day of commencement and online here. Names of all December 2023 graduation candidates who have completed the application for degree by December 1, 2023 will be included in the program. 
• Only the names of graduates who are in attendance will be read aloud.
• ​​Please note that participation in the ceremony does not presume graduation from the University. Degrees are conferred only after all academic requirements are met and the Board of Trustees has taken official action. We congratulate you on your accomplishments and look forward to seeing you at the ceremony!

Checking In

All graduates and guests must check in at the registration table in the rotunda between Mt. Madison and Mt. Washington rooms. Your name will be on a list that we verify upon your arrival. Only those who have registered in advance will be allowed into the venue.

Note: Masks are optional but encouraged for anybody who is unvaccinated.

For Graduates

• Make sure to bring your regalia to commencement. Regalia is required to walk at commencement and must be ordered in advance. We recommend ordering regalia by November 3, 2023. 
  Note: Orders placed before November 3rd should arrive around December 1st. We will keep the regalia site open until November 12th, but we cannot guarantee your regalia will arrive in time for Commencement.
• Master’s degree recipients must bring their regalia and hood.
• Honors and military cords will be distributed upon arrival.
• Take a moment to sign the Green Pledge.
• Make sure to check your email for information regarding instructions for the ceremony.

For All Registered Guests

• All packs, bags, and purses will be subject to visual inspection upon entry to the venue. In order to speed entry into the event, please consider leaving any bags at home or in your vehicle.
• Any items deemed inappropriate or disruptive by Unity Environmental University or Pineland Farms staff will not be allowed inside.
• Pets are not permitted on the Pineland Farms campus, with the exception of registered service animals.

What Can I Bring with Me?

Location & Parking

There are multiple parking lots around Pineland. However, we recommend parking in the lot at the front of 59 Pineland Drive. There is overflow parking available in the lot in front of Raymond Hall off Yarmouth Drive.

The lot next to the building includes 4 accessibility spaces and 67 other spaces.

The ramp to access the building is located in the parking lot off of Campus Drive.

All parking on campus is free.

Key

18. The Commons
18 A. Reception & Student Line-Up Area
18 B. Commencement Ceremony
18 C. Main Parking Lot for Graduates & Guests (4 accessibility spots, 67 other spots)
18 D. VIP Parking (3 accessibility spots, 5 other spaces)
18 E. Overflow Parking
18 F. Main Entrance (Wheelchair Accessible)
18 G. VIP Entrance

Accommodations

Restricted Mobility

Wheelchair accessible seating will be available to registered guests who require accommodations. Please make sure to request this accommodation when registering.  

Note: The ramp to access the building is located in the parking lot off of Campus Drive.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Reserved seating for guests who read American Sign Language will be available. Please make sure to request this accommodation when registering.  

Questions? Concerns?

How Can I Watch if I Can’t Attend?

The ceremony will also be live-streamed on the Unity Environmental University Facebook Page for those who cannot attend the in-person ceremony. The ceremony will also be recorded and posted on our Facebook page.