The Mississippi Valley State University Community will celebrate graduates from the 2020 Spring and Fall classes at 8 a.m. Friday, June 25, 2021, at the Rice-Totten Stadium. Both classes received a virtual commencement due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Still, they will now be honored with an in-person ceremony to allow each student to share in all the celebration that comes with a traditional MVSU commencement.
Included are details for all graduates and guests for Friday’s ceremony:
Graduating Students’ Time and Place:
Graduates are expected to arrive at the football field no later than 6:45 a.m. for the lineup dressed in their regalia. Graduates must enter the football field from the Visitor Side of the stadium using a side gate that will be marked. Graduates should then proceed to the home side of the field for the lineup. Department Chairs will be onsite to distribute lineup cards and last-minute instructions. Graduates will be seated on the field.
Commencement Attire
Wearing the traditional academic gown and mortarboard is required for participation in commencement, in addition to masks. Beneath the academic regalia, men should wear a dress shirt (preferable white), a tie, dark slacks, and clean, black dress shoes. Women should wear a black dress or a black skirt and blouse, and clean, flat, closed-toe dress shoes as there will be walking on the football field. Dresses and skirts should be no longer than the academic regalia's gown.
Parking
The following areas have been identified for visitor parking on the day of graduation in order of preference:
• Jacob Aron Student Union parking Lot
• Sutton Administration Building parking Lot (one-way traffic)
• Lawn across the street from Robert Harrison complex, pending weather
• Lawn across the street from William A. Butts Social Sciences Building, pending weather
• Industrial technology education Building parking Lot, South Side
Photography
A Professional photographer, Ralph Smith, will be on stage during graduation to take your photograph as you receive your diploma. You may order pictures from www.deltaweddings.com by contacting him at 662-207-1254.
Guests
Gates to the Rice-Totten Stadium will be open at 7 a.m. The entrance to the stadium will be on the east side of the stadium, the entrance to the visitor side of the stadium. All guests must present a graduation ticket to enter the facility. Seating for all guests will be in the stadium's bleachers utilizing CDC guidelines with six-foot spacing between persons and the wearing of masks.
MVSU National Alumni Gifts
After the commencement ceremony, the Office of Student Affairs and the MVSU National Alumni Association will be distributing small gifts to you at the pavilion located across from the stadium. Should you have questions about graduation ceremony logistics (start time, location, parking, etc.), contact Dr. Abigail S. Newsome (commencement@mvsu.edu) at 662-254-3800.