Commencement 2012:
Additional Information for Guests
Hotel Accommodations
Spelman College has reserved rooms at a special rate for Commencement at the preferred hotels listed below. Room availability is limited and space is not guaranteed so make your reservations early. The special pricing is not guaranteed after April 15, 2012.
Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway
2020 Convention Center Concourse
Atlanta, Georgia 30337
404-763-1544
$99 per night
Make Reservations
SpringHill Suites Atlanta Airport Gateway
2091 Convention Center Concourse
Atlanta, Georgia 30337
770-907-8880
$99 per night - single
$109 per night - double/triple/quad
Parking
For the Class Day ceremony on Friday, May 18, and the Baccalaureate on Saturday, May 19, all campus parking facilities will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be no charge for parking.
Guests may park in the Spelman College Parking Deck, the Milligan Parking Lot, and the Fine Arts Parking Lot. In addition
to these locations, several parking areas will be reserved to accommodate guests with special needs.
For Commencement on Sunday, May 20, there is limited parking at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) for a fee of $3. Once the GICC lot is full, guests will be directed to off-site parking facilities and will need to take a shuttle to GICC.
Off-Site Parking Facilities near GICC that provide shuttle service to GICC for Spelman College Commencement Ceremony.
Park N' Ticket - price is $5 per car
Park N' Fly - price is $8 per car
Park N' Fly plus - price is $11 per car
Please allow ample travel time with traffic and plan to arrive at least an hour before the doors close to allow time for parking and admittance to the event hall.
To ensure emergency access, all roadways must remain
clear of parked vehicles.
Information for Mobility Impaired Guests
Please note: Spelman College and the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) do not provide wheelchairs for mobility impaired guests. It is strongly encouraged that guests make arrangements prior to Commencement Weekend to ensure wheelchair availability. A list of wheelchair providers is listed below.
Mobility impaired quests may be dropped off at the entrance closest to the event designated for guests needing special assistance. Upon entrance into the event area, there will be hostesses available to assist with seating.
Wheelchairs Rentals
The following vendors are provided as a courtesy to Class Day, Baccalaureate and Commencement guests to assist you with locating a wheelchair rental company.
Spelman College is not responsible for rental arrangements, products, or practices.
Power Wheelchair Services, Inc
467 85 Circle Suite B
Atlanta, Georgia 30349
Phone: 404-669-3565
Toll-free: 888-407-1999
http://www.powerwheelchairservices.com
ADA Medical
4970 Austell Road
Austell, Georgia 30301
Phone: 678-398-0505
http://adamedicalsupply.com
Photography and Videotaping
Personal audio-video taping and photography during the Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies are prohibited.
Family and friends wishing to take photographs of candidates are asked to do so either before or after ceremonies.
Personal audio-video taping and photography during the Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies are prohibited.
Video Request Form
Commencement Etiquette
The Commencement exercise is a formal academic ceremony. We ask that all guests respect the ceremony, graduates and other guests by behaving in the dignified manner that the occasion merits. In keeping with decorum and the Spelman tradition, we ask that guests adhere to the following guidelines.
- Plan to arrive at least an hour before the ceremony, and allow ample time to find parking and seating.
- There will be no moving out of dormitories between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on
the day of baccalaureate.
- Keep all confetti, balloons, and noisemakers outside of the venue.
- Food, beverages, or rude and disruptive behavior will not be permitted. Security personnel will be on-site to enforce these restrictions and prevent disruptive behavior.
- Cellular phones should be turned to their silent operating modes to help ensure that all guests can hear and enjoy the graduation activities.
- During the reading of the names of the graduates, we ask guests to be considerate in their applause so that all names are heard clearly and the ceremony is not disrupted. We ask that you express your excitement in ways that will not prevent others from hearing the speakers and enjoying the ceremony.
- Please remain in your seats for the duration of the ceremony until after the recessional. Please do not block the aisles or passageways by attempting to greet or take photos with graduates.
