5/6/03, Commencement - Almanac, Vol. 49, No. 32

Commencement 2003

Click here for School Ceremonies and speakers.

Invitation | Virtual Commencement | PVN Broadcast

Commencement Invitation

To the Penn Community:

Penn's Commencement is a wonderful opportunity to gather together in celebration of the impressive accomplishments of our students. On behalf of the Trustees, Officers, and Deans and their faculties, we would like to invite all members of the Penn community to attend the University's 247th Commencement on Monday, May 19, 2003. We are very fortunate to have Archbishop Desmond Tutu as our Commencement speaker this year.

Led by flag bearers and bagpipers, the Academic Procession steps forth from the Annenberg Center at 9 a.m., then pauses for approximately 45 minutes in front of College Hall to applaud the graduating students as they pass through our ranks. The procession then proceeds to Franklin Field where the ceremony begins at 10:15 a.m.

If you wish to attend the festivities, please seek advance approval from your supervisor to assure that the business needs of your department will continue to be met. Whether you wish to join the festivities around Locust Walk and College Green, or come to the ceremony itself (tickets are not necessary), we very much hope that you will join us in this University-wide culmination of the academic year.

Judith Rodin, President
Robert Barchi, Provost
Leslie Laird Kruhly, Secretary

Virtual Commencement: Live on the Web May 19

Family and friends unable to attend Penn's 247th Commencement in person will be able to view the entire ceremony online thanks to a live Webcast.

Coverage of the ceremony at Franklin Field -- from processional to recessional and all the pomp and circumstance in between--will be broadcast live on the Internet beginning at 9 a.m. (EDT), Monday, May 19.

Virtual Commencement audience members can log in at approximately 8:45 a.m. when the link will be activated on May 19, by visiting www.upenn.edu/commencement/webcast.html, and clicking on the "View Webcast Live" link.

The Webcast will be limited to 1,000 viewers at a time. Once the maximum number of viewers is reached, those who attempt to connect while the other viewers are receiving the stream will receive an error message. As viewers drop out, those attempting to reconnect will take their place.

The Commencement Webcast can be viewed using RealPlayer (version 8 or higher). The Webcast will be encoded in "surestream" to support a variety of Internet connection speeds.

The broadcast will be archived and available for viewing on demand beginning May 21.

On-Campus Penn Video Network Broadcast

The Commencement Ceremony will also be broadcast live across campus on the Penn Video Network (PVN) special events channel (Channel 24), beginning 9 a.m., Monday, May 19. PVN cable television services are available in all University College Houses and residence halls, in GreekNet-wired fraternity and sorority houses, and in more than 50 administrative and academic buildings around campus. To find a PVN viewing site close to you, contact your building administrator, or visit www.upenn.edu/video/locations.html.

Almanac, Vol. 49, No. 32, May 6, 2003