Hooding Checklist

Important Dates for the Class of 2009

For questions, please contact Asst. Dean for Academic Affairs Monte Smith at 614-688-4676.

February 16 - April 17, 2009

• Reserve rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown
  The College has reserved a block of rooms at a reduced rate for grads and their families. The rate is $119 per night, and rooms must be reserved by April 11. Ask for the "OSU Moritz College of Law Graduation" block of rooms. Reservations for your guests can be made by phone at (800) 321-2211, or online by following the following steps:
  • Go to the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown web site
  • In the "Check Rates & Availability" section, enter desired arrival and departure information, number of rooms, and number of guests per room.
  • In the "Optional Information" section, fill in the appropriate "Group code" box with the following 7 letter code:
    • OSUOSUA Rooms with one king bed
    • OSUOSUB Rooms with two double beds
  • Continue making reservation as instructed

March 13, 2009

• Deadline to Apply to be 3L Class Speaker
  Tryouts for the Class Speaker will be held March 17 and 18. The audition will be in front of a portion of or the entire hooding committee. Please come prepared with a snippet (5 minutes) of your actual speech or material that is as close as possible to your actual speech. Your actual speech should run no longer than 10 minutes total. Please note that your audition may be recorded and posted on the hooding web site for review by 3L class members. If you are interested in participating in the hooding ceremony as the 3L Speaker, please email Kenesa Ahmad (ahmad.72@osu.edu) or Gloria Rucker (rucker.79@osu.edu). Please include your availability on the designated audition days.
• Deadline to Apply to be 3L Class Soloist
  If you have musical talent, please consider auditioning to perform as the 3L soloist for the 2009 hooding ceremony. The soloist will perform either "Carmen Ohio," or the National Anthem, or both, during the hooding ceremony. Auditions for 3L soloist will be held on March 17 and 18. You will have to perform the abovementioned selections in front of a portion of or the entire hooding committee. If you are interested in participating in the hooding ceremony as the 3L Soloist, please email Kenesa Ahmad (ahmad.72@osu.edu) or Gloria Rucker (rucker.79@osu.edu). Please include your availability on the designated audition days.

March 17-18, 2009

• Auditions for 3L Class Speaker and Soloist
  Appointments for auditions will be scheduled during this time with interested students who contacted Kenesa Ahmad or Gloria Rucker.

March 16-20, 2009

• Vote for Outstanding Faculty and Outstanding Staff Members
  Voting for the Outstanding Faculty and Outstanding Staff Members will take place through ballots available from Shauntae Yankasky. Voting will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, March 16 and will close at 4:00 p.m. Friday, March 20. Your choices for the Outstanding Faculty and Staff awards will be announced at the 3L Send Off.

February 16 - April 3, 2009

• Make arrangements for your cap and gown, order announcements, order diploma frames
  • All graduates are required to wear authorized Juris Doctor caps and gowns. Click here for form.
  • Announcements may be ordered when you order your cap and gown. If you are completing your third year at another law school, call Bill Butts at the OSU Bookstore (614) 292-2991 to place your announcement order.
  • Frames with the OSU Moritz College of Law seal may be purchased by graduates and their families. Click here for form.

April 3, 2009

• Deadline for completing Hooding Form
  All 3Ls are REQUIRED to complete the Hooding Form in order to participate in the 2008 Hooding Ceremony. Forms must be completed by April 3, 2009.
• Deadline for completing the Employment Survey
  All 3Ls are REQUIRED to complete the Graduate Survey Form by April 3, 2009. The survey is completed by all graduates in all ABA-accredited law schools. Surveys with individual student names removed are forwarded to the National Association for Law Placement for compilation of national statistics and forecasting of trends. The data is also shared with various organizations that rank law schools. The more complete OSU's data, the greater the probability for accurate rankings. High rankings help all graduates, particularly those still seeking employment.
• Deadline for completing the Hometown News Release Form
  All Class of 2008 graduates should complete the Hometown News Release Form if you would like a press release announcing your graduation sent to your hometown newspaper. Forms must be completed by April 3, 2009.
• Resolve any outstanding financial obligations to the University
  These include such items as library fines, parking tickets, and class material fees. Questions regarding administrative or financial holds should be directed to the Registrar's Office in Room 122. Students holding keys to the building need to make arrangements with the issuing office for return. Please remember to return all library books and pay any fines; courtesy cards can be issued to alumni if fines are at zero balance. Diplomas will not be distributed to those with any kind of hold.

In April (exact dates to be announced)

• Attend an exit interview with the Career Services Office
  In addition to collecting all of your required forms for hooding, the Career Services Office will be conducting exit interviews to determine how the office can tailor its services to each student's career goals. (these are NOT the same exit interviews necessary for financial aid - these are separate). These very brief interviews will be conducted during March and the first part of April. You may complete the Exit Interview form in advance but please return it in person to Shauntae Yankasky in the Career Services Office so she can direct you to a counselor for a brief interview.
• Attend financial aid exit interviews
  All students who have received subsidized and/or unsubsidized Stafford Loans and/or Perkins Loans while attending the Moritz College of Law are required to participate in an exit interview. Information will be e-mailed to you around April 1.

April 24, 2009

• Send Off 4:00 p.m.
  The Send Off The event includes the following:
  • Pick up cap and gown
    
  • Group Picture
  • Announcements - Outstanding Professor and Outstanding Staff Person announced

May 15, 2009

• Honors Convocation
  The Honors Convocation will be held at Mershon Auditorium from 8:45-10 a.m.
• Hooding Ceremony
  The ceremony will be held at Mershon Auditorium starting at 11 a.m.
• Parking is available in the Ohio Union Garage. Parking is also available at the South Campus Gateway Garage
• Seating for Honors Convocation and Hooding Ceremony is unlimited. No tickets will be issued.

July 31, 2009

• Lockers must be emptied
  As a convenience, you may continue to use your locker through July 31. If lockers are not empty by July 31, locks will be cut. If you cannot personally attend to this matter, please ask a friend to remove the lock and contents.