Information for Collegiate Commencement Coordinators
The information on this page is intended for University of Iowa staff members coordinating collegiate commencement ceremonies.
It is not intended for students or the general public. It is a working page and all dates, deadlines, and pricing info is subject to change.
All publicly available deadlines and archived mass communications can be found on the Deadlines and Correspondence section on the home page.
Key Steps in the Graduation and Commencement Process
To better support students, collegiate commencement coordinators should be familiar with the different steps and processes between graduation vs. commencement and how the two are separate but related.
Graduation Checklist
The Graduation Checklist explains the differences between graduating and participating in commencement. It is highly recommended to review this info each session to give the most up to date information to your graduates.
Fall 2026 Deadlines and Communications Timeline
The following information is intended for collegiate commencement coordinators.
Collegiate Deadlines
| Date | Time | Action/Process |
|---|---|---|
| 10/01/26 | Hawk Shop to share information about faculty regalia rentals (following coordinator kick-off meeting) | |
| 11/02/26 | Complete faculty regalia orders through the Herff Jones ordering portal | |
| TBD | 8 a.m. | Names submitted to printing for the commencement program |
| 11/11/26 | Last day for faculty to order home ship regalia | |
| 11/16/26 | Noon | Graduate lists due to commencement team |
| TBD | Completed Scripts, Run of Show, and Order of Events templates due to commencement team (use of templates is required) | |
| 12/08/26 | Collegiate deadline to approve student commemorative slide photos | |
| 12/14/26 - 12/18/26 | Faculty regalia ordered by coordinators is available for pick up at the Iowa Hawk Shop (group orders only) | |
| 12/14/26 | Platform map due to commencement team (Carver ceremonies only) | |
| 12/14/26 | Send card proofs to name card readers | |
| 12/15/26 | Deliver name cards to colleges |
Student Communication Schedule
| Date | Audience | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 09/01/26 | Students Fall 2026 degree applicants | *RSVP Open *Helpful Resources *Deadlines/Reminders *Restriction + Program *Regalia Information |
| 10/06/26 | Students Who RSVP'd "Yes" | *Regalia Information *Livestream Information *RSVP Reminder *Helpful Resources |
| 10/06/26 | Students Who have not RSVP'd | *RSVP Reminder #1 *Helpful Resources |
| 10/20/26 | Students Who have not RSVP'd | *RSVP Reminder #2 *Helpful Resources *Focus on Regalia Deadlines |
| 11/03/26 | Students Who have not RSVP'd | *RSVP Final Reminder |
| 11/09/26 | Students Who RSVP'd "Yes" | *Regalia Deadline Information |
| 11/30/26 | Students Who RSVP'd "Yes" | *Ceremonies Info |
| 12/14/26 | Students Who RSVP'd "Yes" | *Ceremony Checklist |
Commencement RSVP and Attendance Management
Detailed information and instructions for collegiate commencement coordinators working in MAUI with RSVPs can be found on the MAUI Help Site.
Please Note: the Microsoft BI report will show day-old data, so no RSVPs will show until the next day. The report and widget on the commencement panel in MAUI will display live data.
Troubleshooting RSVP Access in MyUI
If a student does not see the RSVP option in MyUI, here are some possible reasons:
- They have not submitted an eligible degree application.
- The RSVP period has not opened yet (September for fall, February for spring).
- The RSVP deadline has passed (November for fall, April for spring).
- Their college does not offer a ceremony during that term.
After the RSVP deadline
- Students can no longer RSVP on their own.
- Coordinators may submit last-minute RSVPs on the student’s behalf:
- This can be done up to the day of the ceremony.
- If the degree application was submitted on time, a pre-printed name card will be available.
- If not, the student will fill out a blank name card at the event.
Power BI Commencement Report
Read only and exportable BI report with all data fields.
MAUI Commencement Admin Panel
MAUI Commencement Dashboard includes:
- Attendance Panel
- Person Inspector
- Slide Photo Review
- Commencement Ceremony Attendance Report
Regalia Pricing and Ordering Information
Purchase and rental options for students and faculty. These prices are intended to be used as an internal resource for collegiate coordinators. These prices are guaranteed through July 31, 2029.
Student ordering deadlines and detailed information can be found on the Academic Regalia page.
Please note: All undergraduate students will purchase regalia. There is no rental option for undergraduates.
Regalia Questions?
All regalia questions should be directed to both:
- Iowa Hawk Shop - Rick Scott (kendrick-scott@uiowa.edu)
- Herff Jones - Melissa Hibbard (gradmidwest@gmail.com)
Student Regalia (Grad Rental and Undergrad Purchases)
| Product | Follet Retail Price |
|---|---|
| Bachelor Unit (includes keeper gown, mortarboard, and tassel) | $49.00 |
| Masters Rental Unit (includes rental gown, keeper mortarboard and tassel) | $52.00 |
| Masters Rental Hood (includes rental hood only, students would be required to purchase fine quality gown, etc.) | $36.00 |
| Masters Rental Unit and Hood (includes rental gown and hood, keeper mortarboard and tassel) | $88.00 |
| Doctoral Rental Unit (includes rental gown, keep tam and tassel) | $68.00 |
| Doctoral Hood Rental (includes rental hood only, students would be required to purchase fine quality gown, etc.) | $41.00 |
| Doctoral Unit and Hood (includes rental gown and hood, keeper tam and tassel with UI signet) | $109.00 |
| Individual Items | Follet Retail Price |
|---|---|
| Bachelor Gown Purchase | $28.00 |
| Mortar Board Purchase | $8.00 |
| Tassel Purchase (including Iowa Seal drop) | $13.00 |
| Master's Gown Rental | $31.00 |
| Master's Hood Rental | $36.00 |
| Doctoral Gown Rental | $32.00 |
| Doctoral Hood Rental | $41.00 |
| Tam Purchase (Non-Doctoral) | $23.00 |
| Souvenir Tassel (optional item) | $7.00 |
| Zipper Pull (optional item) | $11.00 |
| Custom Stole (optional item) | $28.00 |
Student Fine-Quality Regalia (Doctoral and Masters Purchases)
| Custom Doctoral Regalia | Follet Retail Price |
|---|---|
| Classic Doctoral Gown | $599.75 |
| Doctoral Hood | $208.00 |
| 8-Sided Tam | $116.20 |
| Gold Silk Tassel | $25.75 |
| Total | $949.70 |
| Custom Masters Regalia | Follet Retail Price |
|---|---|
| Masters Gown | $302.60 |
| Masters Hood | $166.00 |
| Mortarboard Cap | $49.00 |
| Tassel with custom signet | $11.70 |
| Total | $529.30 |
Faculty Regalia Rental
| Item | Follet Rental Retail |
|---|---|
| Master's Hood Rental | $36.00 |
| Doctoral Hood Rental | $41.00 |
| Master's Gown Rental | $31.00 |
| Doctoral Gown Rental | $32.00 |
| Mortar Board | $8.00 |
| Tassel | $6.50 |
| Tam Rental with attached tassel | $23.00 |
| Units (everything but the hood) | Follet Rental Retail |
|---|---|
| Faculty Masters Unit (rental gown, mortarboard, tassel) | $45.50 |
| Faculty Doctoral Unit (rental gown, tam, tassel) | $55.00 |
| All Inclusive Rental | Follet Rental Retail |
|---|---|
| Faculty Masters Rental (gown, hood, mortarboard, tassel) | $81.50 |
| Faculty Doctoral Rental (gown, hood, tam, tassel) | $96.00 |
Faculty Regalia Purchases
| Custom Iowa Doctoral Regalia | Follet Retail Price |
|---|---|
| Classic Doctoral Gown | $552.15 |
| Doctor Hood | $198.00 |
| 8-Sided Tam | $110.65 |
| Gold Silk Tassel on Tam | $24.50 |
| Total | $885.30 |
| Custom Iowa Master Regalia | Follet Retail Price |
|---|---|
| Master Gown | $269.15 |
| Master Hood | $158.00 |
| Mortarboard Cap and Tassel | $58.15 |
| Tassel | $13.00 |
| Total | $498.30 |
| Traditional Doctoral Regalia with Surefit Tam | Follet Retail Price |
|---|---|
| Black Classic Doctoral Gown | $487.00 |
| Black Doctoral Hood | $198.00 |
| Eight-Sided Surefit Tam | $75.35 |
| Gold Silk Tassel | $24.50 |
| Total | $784.85 |
| Traditional Master Regalia | Follet Retail Price |
|---|---|
| Black Classic Master Gown | $247.00 |
| Black Master Hood | $158.00 |
| Black Mortarboard Cap (comes with rayon wrapped tassel) | $47.00 |
| Total | $452.00 |
*Only available for traditional fine-quality regalia, not UI custom.
MyUI Data Restrictions and Program Inclusion
To have a graduate’s name appear in the commencement program:
- Select “No” for both:
- the University Directory field
- the Public Release of Academic Information field
You can find academic and directory restrictions by reviewing the student's Academic Summary page in MAUI.
Please Note: Restricting Address and/or Phone in the Public Release field does not affect whether a student’s name appears in the program. Program Details and Data Restriction student facing instructions can be found on the Programs page.