SOJ eNews
Student Announcements
- Details for SOJ Commencement THIS Saturday!
May 14, 2013 - Journalism study abroad opportunity in Oman and Dubai
May 8, 2013 - SOJ computer lab hours for finals week (5/6-5/11)
May 3, 2013 - Put some life in your Dead Week! Attend the News Trivia Bowl--May 1
April 29, 2013
Jobs
- Charleston Make-A-Wish seeks Fundraising Coordinator
May 15, 2013 - Charleston Daily mail seeks copy editor/designer
May 14, 2013 - SOJ seeks temporary administrative assistant
May 14, 2013 - SustainU seeks fashion sales associate
May 8, 2013
Internships
- Work with local legendary sportswriter this summer!
May 10, 2013 - Pikewood Creative seeks summer intern
May 8, 2013 - WVU Dining Services seeking PR intern
May 8, 2013 - Come Recommended seeks summer blogging intern
May 7, 2013
Scholarships & Competitions
- Direct2TV.com offering $1,000 blogging scholarship
May 10, 2013 - WV Press Association Foundation internships and scholarships
April 24, 2013 - WVU Summer Photo Contest
April 1, 2013 - Win a study tour of Japan!
February 26, 2013
Watch the Webcast Video
About May Commencement
In May, individual WVU colleges and schools host their own commencement ceremonies. The School of Journalism’s May Commencement ceremony will be held on:
Saturday, May 12, 2012
9:30 am
WVU Creative Arts Center
While the ceremony begins at 9:30 am, graduates should arrive by 8:30 am for line-up.
The event will also be available via live webcast.
The ceremony includes a processional of graduation candidates, keynote speaker and student recognition. Graduates are individually recognized and cross the stage as their names are called to shake hands and pause for photos with their program chair, the SOJ dean and the WVU presiding officer. A reception will follow the ceremony.
The School of Journalism invites all December 2011 graduates to join their fellow May 2012 graduates in this celebration. As a courtesy, the School also invites prospective August 2012 graduates to participate.
Applying for Graduation
All graduation candidates must apply for graduation by February 6, 2012.
Undergraduate application packets are available with Ronda Maxon in 107 Martin Hall and online. Questions regarding graduation certification should be directed to Ronda Maxon at 304-293-3507 or Ronda.Maxon@mail.wvu.edu.
MSJ candidates should apply for graduation during the first two weeks of the semester in which they wish to graduate. Candidates can download the MSJ application or see the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Steve Urbanski, in 104 Martin Hall (Steve.Urbanski@mail.wvu.edu) for an application.
IMC candidates should contact Shelly Stump at Shelly.Stump@mail.wvu.edu. Additional information is also available on the IMC website.
RSVP and Tickets for the Ceremony
The School’s Commencement ceremony is reserved for graduation candidates and their family members. To allow us to properly plan for the event, all candidates planning to attend the ceremony are required to complete an online RSVP form by Feb 15, 2012.
Due to limited seating and safety concerns, this is a ticketed event. Ticket availability is based on the number of graduates participating in the ceremony and the size of the ceremony venue.
Graduates will receive four (4) guest tickets for the ceremony. Tickets are available at http://www.wvugraduationtickets.com . Graduates will use their MIX email and their WVU student ID number to login.
Graduates do NOT have to claim a ticket for themselves. Guests, however, must have their printed tickets to enter the ceremony. Infants and toddlers 2 and under may sit in laps. All other children and adults must have a seat.
To ensure that all graduates participating have a fair and equal opportunity to invite guests, we ask that all graduates claim their guest tickets (up to four) through the online system by midnight April 30.
On May 1, any unclaimed remaining tickets will be made available through the ticketing website on a first-come, first-served basis. As all seats in the theater are assigned, it may not be possible for all ticket holders to be located together. Graduates will simply login to the same ticketing website (with the same login information) and go through the ticket claim process again.
Remember to print out the guest tickets and bring them to the ceremony. Photocopies of a ticket will not be accepted. A computer and printer will be available on site for those needing to reprint any lost or forgotten tickets.
An overflow viewing area will be available in the lobby of the Creative Arts Center where guests can be seated and watch a live video stream of the ceremony on multiple TV screens if they are not seated in the theater. A link to the live webcast will be available on this website.
West Virginia University re-evaluates and plans each year’s May Commencement ceremonies with many details taken into consideration. The University schedules the most appropriate-sized venues according to graduate numbers of each college and when venues are available, allowing us to celebrate with more than 4,000 graduates and welcome more than 30,000 guests in one exciting weekend. We take great pride in ensuring that every graduate is personally recognized on their special day and that it can be shared with as many guests as we can safely accommodate on our campus.
About Diplomas
The University had made a change in protocol to how diplomas are handled for May 2012 graduates. In the recent past, diplomas were presented to students as they walked across the stage. This year, diplomas will be mailed to graduates within three weeks of the graduation ceremony. Graduates will, however, receive a commemorative diploma cover, featuring the seal of the University, as they accept their congratulations.
This change in practice is a result of two intervening factors: First, the University is now using DegreeWorks as the primary certification mechanism for undergraduates. This process was put into place last semester. However, faculty and staff involved in certification are still gaining familiarity with the new system. The size of the May graduating class coupled with the relative “newness” of DegreeWorks made more time for certification necessary.
In addition, the University is closed on Tuesday, May 8th subtracting from an already condensed time frame for proper degree certification. The already compressed calendar and the University holiday meant that the University would have to certify almost 4,000 degrees in roughly 48 hours. Degree certification is critical to WVU. The changes for this spring reflect our desire to give new safeguards time to work efficiently.
Diplomas will be mailed to new graduates roughly three weeks after the commencement ceremonies. While unique for WVU, the practice of mailing out diplomas after the ceremonies is very common among peer institutions.
Additional Details
Reception:The ceremony is expected to last approximately 90 minutes and will be followed by light refreshments.
Parking: Parking will be available in the Creative Arts Center parking lots.
Outstanding Fines/Fees: If candidates have any money due to a University unit, they will not receive their diplomas on graduation day. Candidates should check with Admissions and Records at (304) 293-2124 to be certain that they do not owe any fines or fees.
Attire: Participating candidates must purchase a cap, gown and tassel at the WVU Bookstore (304-293-7467) or the Book Exchange (304-292-7354).
Certification and Diplomas: Questions regarding an undergraduate student’s graduation certification should be directed to Ronda Maxon in 107 Martin Hall or at 304-293-3507 or Ronda.Maxon@mail.wvu.edu. Questions about MSJ graduation certification should be directed to Dr. Steve Urbanski at Steve.Urbanski@mail.wvu.edu. Questions about IMC graduation certification candidates should be directed to Shelly Stump at Shelly.Stump@mail.wvu.edu. Questions about diplomas should be directed to Admissions and Records at 304-293-2124.
Please note: Invitation to or participation in the ceremony is not confirmation that the student is certified to graduate. Graduation certification is complete after final semester grades are released.
Photography: A professional photographer will take photos of graduates as they cross the stage. An email will be sent to the address provided on the photo/name card completed at the ceremony. Graduates will be able to order these photos immediately following the ceremony.
Printed Program: Students who applied for graduation by the deadline will be listed in the ceremony program. Students who applied after that date may not be included due to printing requirements. Though they are invited to participate in the ceremony, August 2012 graduates will not be included in the May Commencement 2012 program. Their names will be listed in the May Commencement 2013 program.
Video Webcast: The ceremony will be available via live webcast on the WVU graduation website.
Accommodations for Guests and Graduates with Disabilities: Special seating is available for guests with physical limitations, as well as guests requiring the services of interpreters on the platform. Please contact the Office of Disability Services to request seating accommodations: 304-293-6700. WVU Gold & Blue Ambassadors will also be on hand at the ceremony to assist with special needs.
More SOJ Information: Further details about the graduation application process, the ceremony will be added to this webpage and sent to graduates via email and SOJ eNews throughout the Spring semester. Formal letters of invitation will be mailed to graduation candidates and their families.
General WVU Information: Additional information regarding graduation is available at WVU’s Commencement website at http://commencement.wvu.edu/. Questions? Contact the School of Journalism’s Director of Communications Kimberly Walker at kimberly.brown@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-5726.
Keynote Speaker
G. Ogden Nutting
West Virginia University is recognizing G. Ogden Nutting with an honorary degree. He is publisher of the Ogden Newspapers, Inc., which publishes six daily and three weekly newspapers in West Virginia, as well as 34 daily newspapers in 10 other states. The newspaper company was founded by Mr. Nutting’s grandfather, H.C. Ogden, a WVU graduate of 1887, who published the first edition of the Wheeling News on September 22, 1890. West Virginia’s largest newspaper company, Ogden Newspapers has had its headquarters in Wheeling ever since.
Active in national and state newspaper and journalism associations, Mr. Nutting served on boards or committees of the Southern Newspaper Publishers’ Association, the American Newspaper Publishers’ Association, and the West Virginia Press Association, which in 1994 named him a life member “in appreciation for years of outstanding service” and in 2010 gave him the Adam Kelly Premier Journalist award.
Ogden Nutting has been a member of the WVU Foundation Board of Directors, and as a member of the School of Journalism Visiting Committee he was instrumental in establishing the Ogden Newspapers and Nutting Family Journalism Endowment Scholarship Fund for juniors and seniors studying print media.
Ogden Newspapers and the Nutting family also created the West Virginia University Journalism Library Endowment Fund, the Ogden Newspapers Seminar Series, the Ogden Newspapers Multimedia Classroom, and the Ogden Newspapers Endowed Visiting Professorship, which was held for 10 years by the late George Esper.
West Virginia University has recognized Mr. Nutting’s service with the Most Loyal West Virginian Award, the Distinguished Service Award, and the first Paul A. Atkins Friend of the Journalism School Award. He has also been inducted into the Order of Vandalia and the West Virginia University Business Hall of Fame. In addition, the Nutting Foundation received the WVU Foundation’s Outstanding Philanthropy Award.
The Nutting family also owns Seven Springs Mountain Resort and is the major owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mr. Nutting serves on the boards of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bethany College, the Linsly School, the Wheeling Park Commission, and the Stone Foundation.
