Guide to Commencement

Congratulations on your graduation from Pierce College!

Please join us for Pierce College’s largest celebration of the year - your commencement! It is a special event we hope you won't miss.

Invite as many of your family and friends as you like, and meet us at the Tacoma Dome at 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, June 13, 2008, as we honor YOU - a 2008 graduate of Pierce College.

Sincerely,

• Mary Chikwinya, Vice President, Learning & Student Success, Puyallup
• Dr. Carol Green, Interim Vice President, Learning & Student Success, Fort Steilacoom

When & where

Commencement exercises for the class of 2008 will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday, June 13, in the main arena at the Tacoma Dome, 2727 East "D" Street, Tacoma.

Parking costs $8 per vehicle. We encourage you and your guests to carpool.

Doors to the arena will open at 2:30 p.m.

Graduates will line up beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Commencement speaker

Commencement speaker for the 2008 ceremony will be Mike Egan, the director of corporate affairs for Microsoft.

A graduate of Puyallup High School, Egan earned a political science degree from the University of Washington. He was elected student body president in 1990 and represented 33,000 students and served on the university’s Board of Regents. After graduation, he was asked by Congressman Norm Dicks to serve on his staff in Washington, D.C. There, Egan served as the Dicks’ legislative assistant, focusing on education, transportation, housing, and agriculture. Egan worked in Congress from 1991 to 1995.

In 1996, he accepted a position in the Senate, where he served as legislative assistant to Sen. Patty Murray. He spent the next four years preparing speeches for the senator, handling appropriations issues, and advising the Senate on domestic policy.

After Sen. Murray’s reelection in 2000, Egan was asked by Microsoft to run the company’s external affairs, a position that includes managing government affairs and community outreach.

Egan has served on a number of boards and committees. For instance, he has served on the board of directors for Good Samaritan Hospital, the University of Washington-Tacoma, the Puyallup Fair Foundation, Youth and Government, the Washington Council for International Trade, and the University of Washington Alumni Association. He is also a member of the National Eagle Scout Association and the Hugh O’Brien Youth Foundation.

Egan has emceed a number of events, including the annual Gridiron Dinner in Seattle and the annual Potlatch Dinner in Washington, D.C. He was three times named the “Funniest Person in D.C.” Egan and his wife Karyn live in Seattle.

Directions to the Tacoma Dome:

From Olympia on I-5 going north…

Take Exit 133. Follow ramp on East 26th St. Take a right. Tacoma Dome signs will direct you to parking lots.

From Seattle on I-5 going south…

Take Exit 135. The ramp will put you on East 27th Street. Tacoma Dome signs will direct you to parking lots.

See the Tacoma Dome website for directions and more parking information.

Event accessibility info

The Tacoma Dome is readily accessible for people with disabilities.

Any person with a disability requiring auxiliary aids, services or other accommodations should contact Access & Disability Services at (253) 964-6468 or dssaccess@pierce.ctc.edu at least two weeks prior to the scheduled event.

ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters will be provided at the commencement ceremony.

Awards ceremonies

The Pierce College communities will gather to recognize and celebrate students and faculty who have excelled in the academic environment at Pierce College.

Award recipients will receive personalized invitations.

Join us to acknowledge the extraordinary accomplishments of your classmates.

• Fort Steilacoom: Wednesday, June 4, 7 p.m., Health Education Center
• Puyallup: Thursday, June 5, 7 p.m., College Center Commons

Caps & gowns

If you plan to take part in the graduation ceremony you need to:

Pick up your free cap and gown beginning May 27 after 10:00 a.m. at the Fort Steilacoom bookstore and beginning May 29 after 10:00 a.m. at the Puyallup bookstore.

You will also receive directions to the Tacoma Dome, information related to the afternoon’s celebration, your tassel, and five complimentary commencement announcements. If you need more announcements, they may be purchased from either bookstore for 50 cents each.

There is no charge for your cap and gown, and they are yours to keep.

• Visit Royal T Papers for information about personalized announcements.
• Visit Jostens for information about class rings.

Photographs

The Picture Man, Inc. has been contracted to provide graduation photography services for Pierce College this year.

They will take a picture of every graduate that crosses the stage, as well as ceremony and friends and family pictures. You can pre–register your graduate at our site below to receive a free proof of your assigned images as well as an email notification when your pictures go active on the their web site, www.gradphoto.com. The password is PIERCE

Diplomas

Your official diploma will be mailed approximately ten weeks after grades are submitted and degree eligibility is verified.

If you have moved or changed your name, please contact the Evaluations Office.

Evaluations office contact information:

• Fort Steilacoom (253) 964-6621 or (253) 964-6610
• e-mail: evaluations@pierce.ctc.edu
• Puyallup (253) 840-8322
• e-mail: puyevaluations@pierce.ctc.edu