General Information

Ceremony Details

Location:
Stegeman Coliseum

Ceremony Date:
May 9, 2024

Ceremony Start Time:
7 p.m.

Student Assembly:
6-6:20 p.m.

Gates Open:
6 p.m.

Graduate students must register to participate in the Terry Graduate Convocation no later than May 5, 2024.

Guest tickets are not required for the Graduate Convocation.

Out of respect for graduating students, guests and Convocation speakers, everyone is expected to remain for the entire ceremony. The ceremony should not exceed 90 minutes.

In addition to the in-person ceremony, the Graduate Convocation will be streamed live on the Terry website beginning 30 minutes before the ceremony starts.

The clear bag policy is in effect for Graduate Convocation. See bag specifications.

Registration

Graduate students must register to participate in the Terry Graduate Convocation.

Speaker

Gina Drosos

Gina Drosos

Virginia C. Drosos (“Gina Drosos”) is the Chief Executive Officer of Signet Jewelers (NYSE: SIG), the world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry. She leads an organization of nearly 30,000 team members who transformed Signet into the Connected Commerce leader of the jewelry industry and a purpose-oriented company. Signet banners include KAY Jewelers, Zales, Jared, Banter by Piercing Pagoda, Diamonds Direct, Blue Nile, James Allen, Rocksbox, Peoples Jewellers, H. Samuel, and Ernest Jones. Gina also serves on the board of directors of Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL), a specialty athletic retailer.

“I’ve always loved to help transform businesses and make them future-worthy,” Gina says. “I believe the way to do that is to put customers first, do the right thing for employees, surround yourself with a diverse team that sees differently than you do, and then define clear strategies based on a vision that inspires a winning culture and unlocks the full potential of an organization.” These beliefs have been cornerstones of Gina’s career.

She was appointed Signet CEO in July 2017 and has served as a director of Signet’s Board since 2012. Under her leadership, the company’s market capitalization has quadrupled, from less than $1 billion at the start of the pandemic to approximately $4 billion today. Employee engagement and pride earned Signet distinctions as a four-time Certified™ Great Place to Work®, included for five consecutive years on the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index and the number 12 company on the Fortune and Great Place to Work® 2022 Best Workplaces in Retail™. The company’s board of directors and Signet Leadership Team are the most diverse in its history. And Signet’s Purpose – Inspiring Love – has not only driven performance and growth but also strengthened the company’s reputation as a progressive, influential business committed to be the change it wants to see in its industry and the world.

Gina has more than 30 years of executive leadership experience in consumer goods, beauty, healthcare, and retail industries. She served as president and CEO of Assurex Health, where she delivered significant revenue growth and executed the strategic sale of the company to Myriad Genetics. Before her role at Assurex, she spent 25 years at Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), where she established herself as a transformative leader who led game-changing innovation, built multi-billion-dollar brands and reinvented global categories. As P&G Group President, Global Beauty, she led a $12+ billion business unit with a portfolio of more than 20 brands.

Gina joined the Akron Children’s Hospital Board in April 2019. She has long supported purpose-driven organizations, including her role on the Board of Back2Back Ministries, an international nonprofit organization that cares for orphans and vulnerable children. Gina was also on the board of directors of Cosmetic Executive Women, the beauty industry’s leading nonprofit organization, and served as chair of the Foundation Board, where she helped substantially increase the organization’s Cancer and Careers program reach and funding.

She has been recognized by WWD x FN x Beauty Inc 50 Women in Power (2023), as one of the Top 50 Women CEOs by Women We Admire (2022), EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year (2017), Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Woman of the Year (2017), Ohio Venture Exit of the Year (2016), Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business (2010, 2011), the YWCA Career’s Woman of Achievement (2008), and the Cosmetic Executive Women Achiever (2007).

Gina holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Eligibility

All graduate students who graduated in December 2023 or expect to graduate in May, August or September 2024 are invited to participate in the 2024 Terry Graduate Convocation.

To be listed in the printed program, candidates for degrees must remove their FERPA restrictions when applying for graduation. This requirement must be completed by all graduate students expecting to graduate in the spring or summer 2024 semesters.

If you plan to participate in the Graduate Convocation and have a disability or need special assistance, please contact Jiwon Park at jiwonpark@uga.edu.

Assembly Instructions

Doors open at 6 p.m. and graduates should arrive no later than 6:20 p.m., dressed in cap and gown.

In advance of the ceremony, graduates should pick a place to meet family and friends once the ceremony is completed. Leave purses, coats and other belongings with your family or friends. You will not be able to leave items in the hall or on the coliseum floor.

Check In

Smith Street Entrance

  • Ph.D.
  • MAcc
  • MA Econ
  • MBT
  • MMR
  • MSBA

Carlton Street Entrance

  • EMBA
  • PMBA
  • FTMBA

Upon arrival, check in by your program and pick up your name card for the readers. You will take this card with you to the ceremony. Assembly lines will form in the tunnel grouped by program. Procession will begin at 6:40 p.m. When processing in, remain in line and avoid gaps.

As you are directed into your row of seats, be sure to fill all seats. Vacant seats in a row could mean some students will not have a place to sit. After finding your seat on the Stegeman Coliseum floor, please remain there and do not stand in the aisles.

Academic Regalia (Cap & Gown)

Graduates must wear appropriate academic regalia to participate in the Terry Graduate Convocation. Caps, gowns and hoods may be purchased online from Jostens.

Please note: If you order your academic regalia from someone other than the UGA Bookstore, the UGA Bookstore will not be able to assist you with missing or replacement items.

The velvet color on hoods worn by master’s and doctorate candidates is indicative of the academic subject area. Graduate degree candidates at Terry wear the “drab” color hood and the “black” color tassel. Candidates should wear their tassels on the right side before their degree is conferred and on the left side afterward. The mortarboard on the cap should be parallel to the ground. 

Graduates should leave all belongings with family members. You will not be allowed to carry them onto the coliseum floor.

Permitted vs. Prohibited Items

Security has the right to inspect any item at any time for safety purposes. Prohibited items must be returned to cars or disposed of before entering Stegeman Coliseum and will not be accepted by employees or stored at the gates.

The Clear Bag Policy is in effect for the spring Undergraduate Convocation and applies to graduates and guests. Please follow the guidelines:

Permitted Items

  • Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and do not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″
  • One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags
  • Small clutch bags, with or without a handle or strap, that do not exceed 4.5″ x 6.5″
  • Bags that contain necessary medical items, which must be inspected and approved at a designated gate
  • Food items must fit inside the permitted-sized bag
  • Beverages, including water, in sealed plastic bottles; must fit inside the permitted-sized bag
  • Umbrellas
  • Cameras and video recorders (the clear bag policy applies to camera bags)
  • Strollers

Prohibited Items

  • Backpacks
  • Wrapped gifts or packages wherein the contents are not visible
  • Alcohol beverages are not permitted at any Terry Convocation
  • Glass and aluminum containers
  • Tobacco: UGA is a tobacco-free campus
  • Large items, such as balloons, banners and posters, or amplification equipment, such as bullhorns or megaphones

Parking

Parking for Terry Graduate Convocation is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Suggested parking areas include South Campus Deck (S11), Carlton Street Deck (S15) and Foley Field Lot (S14). McPhaul Lot (S10) and Coverdell Lot (S16) are reserved for designated participants by permit only. Please do not park on sidewalks, landscaped areas, or on streets blocking traffic lanes. Improperly parked vehicles may be towed.

Parking for guests with disabilities is available in the Hoke Smith Annex Lot (S12) adjacent to Stegeman Coliseum. The main entrances to Stegeman Coliseum along Sanford Drive and Carlton Street are wheelchair accessible.

For additional parking questions, please contact Parking Services at 706‑542‑7275.

Disability Access

Visitors with disability concerns are strongly encouraged to arrive early to Stegeman Coliseum. Main entrances to Stegeman Coliseum along Sanford Drive and Carlton Street are wheelchair accessible.

On-site wheelchairs are NOT available. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their wheelchair. Wheelchairs are commonly available for short-term rental from medical supply stores and some pharmacies.

Seating for guests in wheelchairs is very limited in Stegeman Coliseum. Disability and companion seating is along the top row of the lower level. Disability seating allows access for one person in a wheelchair and one companion. Additional family members will need to sit separately in general seating. Please plan accordingly.

Photographs, Videos, Programs + More

Professional photographs will be taken of each Terry College graduate. After Convocation, graduates may access Convocation proofs and order prints from GradImages®. Video capture of the event will be available through the college’s graduation website six to eight weeks after the event.

Convocation programs will be placed in the seats for each of the candidates. Each candidate will be recognized by name in the program using the official information on file with the University of Georgia Office of the Registrar.

Diplomas

Diplomas are mailed six to eight weeks after the official graduation date. Please see the Registrar’s Office website for complete information regarding applying to graduate and diplomas.

Welcome to the Terry Alumni Family!

Congratulations on your accomplishments! We wish you the best of success as you begin a new, exciting chapter of your life! Please keep in touch with us at the Terry Alumni website.