March 24 Message from the Provost

Dear Graduate,  

Congratulations! All of your effort and hard work will be celebrated at the 2022 Commencement Ceremonies and the details below will help you get ready for your big day.  Please read the entire email to ensure you have completed all the necessary steps. 

Mark Your Calendars

The 2022 Commencement Ceremonies will be held on: Tuesday, May 17, 2022, Wednesday, May 18, 2022, and Thursday, May 19, 2022, at the Dobbs Ferry Campus, 555 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522.  

Graduates and families must arrive 60 minutes prior to their ceremony. When you arrive on campus, you will be directed to the Athletic Field where you can pick up your name card and line up for the procession and get assistance with putting on your regalia. 

The event will take place under a tent on the Athletic Field. Please wear comfortable shoes. Graduates and guests are asked to wear boxed heels or flat shoes/sandals or sneakers to avoid tripping hazards. Please avoid wearing pointy heels. 

Please leave all personal items (handbags, backpacks, gifts, etc.) with your guests as you may not return to your original seat after crossing the stage.

Marching Order

We want to ensure that you and your family have a great graduation experience. To help make this possible the College has partnered with Marching Order.  

What is Marching Order?

• Allows you to register for graduation online. 
• Obtain e-tickets for your guests 
• Gives you the ability to create a name card that provides an opportunity to 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 Marching Order:

Registration for Marching Order opens on March 28, 2022. All eligible graduates will receive an email from commencement@mercy.edu via marchingorder.com inviting you to register. You can also access the login page via the following URL: https://mercy.marchingorder.com/#/  

*Please be advised, if you recently submitted your Degree Conferral application it takes approximately 7-10 days for your Marching Order account to be created.

*Chrome or Firefox is the recommended browser to avoid connection issues. 

Important Deadlines - Please be mindful of the following dates:

• Record your name with Marching Order no later than April 25, 2022
• Claim your guest tickets starting on May 1, 2022
• Upload photos and a message for the slideshow no later than May 4, 2022
• You can do all of this when you RSVP online.

Tickets

Candidates planning to attend Commencement on either May 17, May 18, or May 19 must RSVP for the Ceremony via Marching Order. The maximum number of guest tickets each graduate will receive is three (3). 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. 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 (2).  

Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination

As of the publication of this letter, proof of COVID-19 vaccination is not required at the 2022 Commencement ceremonies. However, if the COVID-19 rates in our region worsen (i.e., levels move from low to medium or higher under CDC guidelines), the College reserves the right to change policy and require proof of COVID-19 vaccination and boosters at the Commencement ceremonies. If the policy changes, the College will inform graduates and guests as necessary. 

Accessibility

If a graduate or guest needs special arrangements or accessible seating due to a disability, please fill out this Accessibility Request Form. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact the Office of ACCESSibility at accessibility@mercy.edu, 914-674-7523, Dobbs Ferry Campus, Main Hall 121. 

Caps, Gowns and Hoods

You can purchase your regalia starting May 4 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 “ground only” shipping fee of $8.95.

Cost of Graduation Regalia

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 Class Gift

Leave your legacy! A contribution to the Senior Gift is a way to celebrate your transition from student to alumni, and to open the door for the future Mavericks. Help us raise $2,200 by May 31, and the Class of 2022 will receive a legacy brick in front of Hudson Hall. If you make a gift of $22 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/seniorgift2022 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 milestone. 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 your ceremony to take candid 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. 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 (1) parking pass. We ask that graduates and guests make plans to travel together in one 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.

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

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.

In an effort to ensure all graduates and their families have an enjoyable experience, you are 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.

We look forward to celebrating you in May.

Peter West, Ph.D. 
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs