Commencement home page

Commencement 2009 will be held on Saturday, May 9^th. Below are answers to questions frequently asked about Commencement. If you have additional questions, please contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at 847-735-6029, 1-800-LFC-ALUM, or via e-mail at parents@lakeforest.edu.

1. May we purchase personalized Lake Forest College Commencement announcements?
2. When and where will students pick up their regalia (caps and gowns)?
3. When should we plan to arrive in Lake Forest?
4. To which Commencement events, in addition to the ceremony, are families invited?
5. When should we make our hotel reservations?
6. Where is Commencement held? How long is the ceremony?
7. Does the College provide transportation to Ravinia for students or family members?
8. Will we need tickets to Commencement?
9. What if we require additional tickets above and beyond the 8 College-issued tickets?
10. Will small children be required to have tickets at Ravinia Festival Park?
11. What should my family wear to Commencement?
12. What time should we arrive at the Commencement ceremony?
13. A member of our family has a mobility impairment and requires special seating arrangements.  How may we arrange for this?
14. A member of our family has a hearing impairment.  Will a sign language interpreter be present at Commencement?
15. May we take photographs of our graduate during the ceremony?  How can families order copies of photographs taken at Commencement?
16. Members of our family are unable to join us for Commencement.  Will the College be videotaping the ceremony?
17. When are graduates required to have moved out of the residence halls?
18. Whom should we contact with questions about...

1. May we purchase personalized Lake Forest College Commencement announcements?

Yes, personalized announcements may be ordered through our vendor, Jostens, by calling 1-800-854-7464 or by visiting their Web site: www.jostens.com/college. A representative from Jostens will be on campus in mid-March to take orders directly from graduates.

2. When and where will students pick up their regalia (caps and gowns)?

Student may pick up regalia directly following their exit interview on Wednesday, April 29 in the Pierson Rooms, or at the Bookstore during regular store hours from Wednesday, April 29 through Friday, May 8. The cost of regalia is included as part of senior dues.

3.  When should we plan to arrive in Lake Forest?

Immediate and extended family members are invited to join their senior student for dinner in the dining hall on Thursday, May 7.  The main festivities will begin on Friday, May 8 and will continue through Saturday afternoon, May 9.  Some families will choose to arrive early and participate in many activities; others will prefer to attend only the Commencement ceremony on Saturday morning.  We look forward to welcoming you whenever you arrive.

4. To which Commencement events, in addition to the ceremony, are families invited?

Immediate and extended family members are invited to the following events:  

Thursday, May 7: Dinner in the Hart Dining Hall
Friday, May 8: Senior Brunch, Senior Honors Convocation, and President’s Reception
Saturday, May 9: Commencement and post-Commencement refreshments

5. When should we make our hotel reservations?

Reservations for accommodations and dining out should be made as soon as possible.

6. Where is Commencement held? How long is the ceremony?

Lake Forest College’s Commencement will be held at Ravinia Festival Park, a covered, open-air facility some 11 miles south of the campus. Commencement begins at 10:45 a.m. and ends at approximately 1:00 p.m.

7. Does the College provide transportation to Ravinia for students or family members?

The College does not provide transportation to Ravinia, but train service for the 15-minute ride from Lake Forest to the Braeside stop near Ravinia is available through the Metra Union Pacific North Line. Please visit www.metrarail.com for more information.

8. Will we need tickets to Commencement?

The Pavilion at Ravinia Festival Park will accommodate 3,300 participants and their guests, and tickets will be mandatory.  Graduates will receive up to 8 tickets at their exit interview on Wednesday, April 29. Space permitting, individuals without tickets will be admitted to the Park to fill any remaining seats. The College cannot offer a guarantee that all of these guests will be seated for the ceremony.

9. What if we require additional tickets above and beyond the 8 College-issued tickets?

Guests without tickets are welcome to line up outside the Tyler (West) Gate as ticketed guests are admitted to the Park. Once the academic procession has been completed, guests without tickets will be admitted to the Park to fill any remaining seats. The College cannot offer a guarantee that all of these guests will be seated for the ceremony.

10. Will small children be required to have tickets at Ravinia Festival Park?

Children aged three years and under may sit in the lap of an accompanying adult for the ceremony and will not require a ticket. Please note that the Pavilion is approximately a two block walk from the parking lot. Should you plan to use a stroller for your child, it must collapse and fit under the seats in the Pavilion. (Strollers must not be parked in the aisles due to fire code regulations.) In keeping with the College’s agreement with Ravinia Festival Park, children will not be allowed to run around the facility.

11. What is Lake Forest’s weather like in May?

The outdoor pavilion at Ravinia has a concrete floor that typically keeps temperatures ten degrees cooler than outside the shelter. Combined with the wind off of Lake Michigan, the result is a fairly cold environment. Warm clothing and shoes, winter coats, and blankets are recommended for guest comfort, especially for children and grandparents.

12. What time should we arrive at the Commencement ceremony?

Guests are welcome to enter the Tyler (West) Gate at Ravinia beginning at 9:45 a.m. Ravinina Festival Park will open at 8:45 a.m. for parking in the West Parking Lot, accessible by prior arrangement with the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations for guests with a mobility impairment.

13. A member of our family has a mobility impairment and requires special seating arrangements. How may we arrange for this?

Arrangements for access to the special needs parking lot adjacent to the Tyler (West) Gate and/or wheelchair service to/from the Pavilion may be requested by contacting the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at 1-800-LFC-ALUM to inform the College of your needs.

14. A member of our family has a hearing impairment. Will a sign language interpreter be present at Commencement?

There will be a special seating area in view of a sign language interpreter at Commencement.  Please contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at 1-800-LFC-ALUM to arrange for seating in this area.

15. May we take photographs of our graduate during the ceremony? How can families order copies of photographs taken at Commencement?

There will be two designated areas for families wishing to photograph graduates. Individuals taking pictures at the ceremony are asked to be respectful of those around them and to promptly return to their seats after taking pictures.

Aisles must remain clear at Ravinia Festival Park in accordance with fire code regulations.

Lake Forest College has contracted with Chappell Studios to take photographs of each graduate shaking hands with President Schutt after receiving their diploma. One to two weeks following Commencement, graduates will receive in the mail a proof of the photographs taken of them at the ceremony and an order form. Families wishing to receive these items electronically may register in advance at gradimages.com, or phone 1-800-424-3686 with any questions.

Lake Forest College does not benefit financially from this arrangement with Chappell Studios, which is provided as a service to graduates and their families. Families are not obligated to purchase the Chappell Studios photographs.

16. Members of our family are unable to join us for Commencement. Will the College be videotaping the ceremony?

A complimentary DVD of the ceremony will be sent to each graduate’s permanent address in July. A limited number of additional copies will be available free of charge by contacting Liz Wesel at 847-735-6005, or wesel@lakeforest.edu.

17. When are graduates required to have moved out of the residence halls?

The deadline for graduates to have moved out of the residence halls is noon on Sunday, May 10.

18. Whom should we contact with questions about...

A special access pass for parking and seating?
Dolores Lotysz, Office of Alumni and Parent Relations
1-800-LFC-ALUM
lotysz@lakeforest.edu

Regalia?
Eileen Whitehead, Lake Forest College Bookstore Store Manager
847-735-5221
lfcbookstore@lakeforest.edu

Graduation photographs?
Chappell Studios
1-800-424-3686
www.chappell.com

Announcements?
Jostens
1-800-854-7464
www.jostens.com/college

Campus accommodations for private graduation parties?
Faye Kelly, Director of Special Events
847-735-6030
kelly@lakeforest.edu