February 13 Message from the Provost

Dear Class of 2023,  

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! Your academic accomplishments will be celebrated and your degree will be conferred at the 2023 Commencement Ceremonies.

To get ready for your big day, please read this entire email, and keep it handy for future reference, to ensure you completed all the necessary steps. 

We look forward to celebrating you in May!

Eva Fernández, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affair

Mark Your Calendars

The 2023 Commencement Ceremonies will be held on: Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Wednesday, May 17, 2023, and Thursday, May 18, 2023, at the Dobbs Ferry Campus, 555 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522.  

You and your family/guests must arrive 60 minutes prior to your ceremony. When you arrive on campus, you will be directed to the Athletics Field where you will pick up your name card and line up for the procession and get assistance with putting on your regalia. 

The event will take place on the Athletics Field. We recommend you wear comfortable shoes, preferably boxed heels or flat shoes, sandals, or sneakers to avoid tripping hazards. Please avoid wearing pointy heels. 

For the ceremony, please leave all personal items (handbags, backpacks, gifts, etc.) with your family/guests as it’s possible that you won’t return to your original seat after crossing the stage.

MarchingOrder

We want to ensure that you and your family/guests have a great graduation experience. To help with some important logistics, you will use the platform Marching Order (https://mercy.marchingorder.com/#/) to do the following:

• Register for graduation. 
• Obtain e-tickets for your family/guests. 
  • Create a name card so that you can audio record your name to ensure it is pronounced correctly by a professional reader during the ceremony. 
  • Add a photo and personal message to the commencement slideshow that will be shown at the ceremony. 

HOW TO REGISTER FOR MarchingOrder: 

You will receive an email from commencement@mercy.edu via marchingorder.com inviting you to register and RSVP for the ceremony. You can also access the login page via the following URL: https://mercy.marchingorder.com/#/ (Chrome or Firefox is the recommended browser). 

IMPORTANT DEADLINES FOR MarchingOrder REGISTRATION: 

• Registration opens on February 13
• Record your name with MarchingOrder no later than April 22
• Upload photos and a message for the slideshow no later than April 22
• Claim your guest tickets starting on May 1

Tickets

You may invite up to three guests to attend the ceremony. Tickets will be assigned via Marching Order only and will not be available at the ceremony.

You can start claiming your guest tickets on May 1, 2023. If additional tickets become available, they will be assigned via Marching Order one week prior to the start of the first ceremony. You can choose to email your tickets to your guests or print a copy for them. Each e-ticket will be affixed with a unique barcode that will be scanned for entry. Your e-ticket can be scanned for entry only once. 

As a graduate, you DO NOT need a ticket for yourself, but each of your guests will need a ticket to enter the ceremony, including children over the age of two.  

Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination 

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is not required at the 2023 Commencement ceremonies; however, the College reserves the right to change its policy if the public health landscape changes.

Accessibility

If you or one of your family/guests needs special arrangements or accessible seating due to a disability, please contact the Office of ACCESSibility at accessibility@mercy.edu, 914-674-7764, Dobbs Ferry Campus, Main Hall 121. 

Caps, Gowns & Hoods

You can purchase your regalia starting April 18 by visiting the Dobbs Ferry or Bronx Bookstore. Pre-ordering, sizing, and fitting are not necessary. If you are unable to visit the bookstore in person, please call the Dobbs Ferry Bookstore at (914) 674-3603 or the Bronx Bookstore at (718) 863-9316 to make other arrangements. The bookstore can hold your order for pick-up or shipping it to the address of your choice for a shipping fee of $8.95.  

Cost of Graduation Regalia (excluding tax)

To pick up the correct Hood for your degree please check your Degree Audit on Mercy Connect before purchasing your commencement attire.

Active Duty and Veteran Graduation Stoles

Mercy College provides all active-duty service members and veterans with a graduation stole. CLICK HERE to submit your request form.

Bookstore

Starting May 4, you can pick up your regalia at your campus bookstore during the hours outlined below:

Senior Gift

Leave your legacy! A contribution to the Class of 2023 Gift is a great way to celebrate your collective transition from students to alumni, and to support future Mavericks. Help us raise $2,023 by May 31, and the Class of 2023 will receive a legacy brick in front of Hudson Hall. If you make a gift of $23 or more in support of the Mav Friendly Market or the Student Emergency Fund, we’ll also send you your very first alumni t-shirt to thank you for giving back.

Make a gift online by visiting www.mercy.edu/classof2023gift or mailing a check payable to “Mercy College” to Office of Institutional Advancement, Mercy College, 555 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522.

Wherever your journey takes you, the Office of Alumni Relations would like to celebrate your new degree. Be sure to visit www.mercy.edu/alumni to let us know what’s happening with you.

Photographs

A photographer from GradImages™ will be at the ceremony to take photographs of you at your special moment of recognition. You will receive free passport-sized digital proofs of these photos on an order card within 5-7 business days following the ceremony. To get access to the photos, pre-register your email address at www.gradimages.com.

Please be advised that any Mercy College student participating in a commencement ceremony may be photographed during the event and that these photos may be used by Mercy College for publicity, marketing and other purposes. Any students or family members (excluding minors) choosing to attend a commencement ceremony should understand that their images can be used by Mercy College or anyone else authorized by Mercy College without that student or family member’s knowledge or written consent.

Parking

Parking is extremely limited on the Dobbs Ferry Campus and therefore each registered graduate will receive one parking pass. Please plan to travel together with your family/guests in a single vehicle. Each parking pass will be affixed with a unique barcode that can be scanned for entry only once. Parking passes will be issued via Marching Order one week prior to your ceremony.

Parking is only permitted on the Dobbs Ferry Campus and not permitted in the surrounding neighborhoods. Parking on the side streets around the campus is subject to ticketing.

Public transportation is also available via the Ardsley Metro North Train Station, conveniently located at the Dobbs Ferry Campus, and the Beeline Bus number 66 and number 1, which stop just outside the campus entrance.

In an effort to ensure you and your family/guests have an enjoyable experience, you will be asked to exit campus immediately after your ceremony to ensure that the next ceremony can start on time.

Questions

Please visit mercy.edu/commencement for more details about the Commencement ceremonies. If you have any questions, please email commencement@mercy.edu.