Archived video and photos

Commencement

View the printed commencement program.

Fifty-three highlight photos from commencement are on MTSO's Facebook page.

All photos (more than 500) from commencement are available for viewing and free downloading here. You will need this password: mtsograds2022. If you wish to download your own photos for free and use them as you see fit, this is the place to do it.

Photo viewing tips: By choosing "Tiles" from the small pull-down menu at the top right of the web page, you'll be able to see thumbnails of the photos. And choosing "Name" and "Ascending" in the "Sort" menu will display the photos in the order they were taken throughout the day.

Optional: If you wish to purchase prints or photographic gift items from our photographer, Dan Trittschuh, you may pick out a photo from his directory and place an order.

Baccalaureate

Below is the baccalaureate sermon, "Embracing the Genuine," By Katilin Glover, M.Div. '22:

View the printed baccalaureate program.

Information for guests

Baccalaureate service

The service begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 20, under a tent in Dickinson Courtyard, between Gault Hall and the Alford Centrum in the center of the MTSO campus. Graduating senior Kati Glover will preach. Signs will point the way to the ceremony. Tickets are not required.

Commencement ceremony

The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 21, in Dickinson Courtyard, between Gault Hall and the Alford Centrum in the center of the MTSO campus. Signs will point the way to the ceremony.

Rev. Grace Imathiu, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church, Evanston, Illinois, and a 1987 graduate of MTSO, will deliver the commencement address. Here is more information about Rev. Imathiu.

Ample seating will be provided under a tent. Tickets are not required. Free parking is available on campus.

COVID-19 requirements

MTSO employees and students, including graduating seniors, are required to be fully vaccinated, including one booster, to participate in-person at school events. This applies to baccalaureate and commencement. Guests at baccalaureate and commencement aren't required to be vaccinated but are required to wear masks indoors when not eating.

Getting here

We are located on U.S. Route 23. Our address is 3081 Columbus Pike in Delaware, Ohio 43015. Here is a Google map.

Lodging and dining

Many hotels are within a 10-mile radius of the MTSO campus. Here are TripAdvisor reviews of nearby hotels. Restaurant options also are plentiful. Here are Yelp reviews of nearby restaurants.

Information for graduates

Event schedule

Closing Convocation – 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, Alford Centrum
This convocation is a highlight of the academic year and serves as the venue for presenting awards to seniors.

Commencement rehearsal – 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 20, Dickinson Courtyard
To ensure a smooth and dignified ceremony, your attendance at rehearsal is vital. We expect to conclude rehearsal by 5:30, leaving ample time for those who wish to go out to dinner with friends and family before baccalaureate.

Baccalaureate – 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 20, Dickinson Courtyard
There is no academic procession associated with this worship service. Seniors who aren’t direct participants may sit with their families and friends. No passes are required for guests.

Formation of commencement procession – 10:15 a.m. Saturday, May 21, Alford Centrum
You will meet here to robe, receive final instructions and form the processional line. The Centrum won't be locked during the ceremony, so plan to leave your valuables locked in your car or somewhere else secure.

Commencement ceremony – 11 a.m. Saturday, May 21, Dickinson Courtyard
No passes are required. We expect to have ample seating for all guests, sheltered by a tent. The ceremony usually lasts about an hour and 15 minutes.

Academic regalia

It is the tradition at MTSO that all degree recipients be appropriately attired in academic regalia for the commencement ceremony. Proper attire includes a black gown or pulpit robe, appropriate academic hood, and standard black mortarboard cap with black tassel.

Doctor of Ministry recipients will be hooded as part of the ceremony. Master’s recipients will wear their hoods throughout the ceremony. If you’re receiving dual degrees, you will choose one of the two hoods to wear. Certificate recipients wear black robes and process with degree recipients, though they do not wear hoods or mortarboards.

Regalia that has been ordered will be available at commencement rehearsal.

If the cost of regalia is beyond your reach, please contact me at drussell@mtso.edu or 740-362-3322. The president’s office has a limited number of gowns that we can loan to graduates confidentially. We don’t want anyone to miss participating for lack of a gown.

Formal graduation announcements

MTSO is pleased to provide each graduating senior with five formal commencement announcements with envelopes at no charge. Along with your five free announcements, you have the option of purchasing additional announcements for $2 each.

You may pick your announcements from Danny Russell in Werner Hall 206 or Claudine Leary in Werner Hall 209 (both offices are up the steps from the Werner receptionist’s desk). If you’re not coming to campus for classes and are therefore unable to pick up the announcements, please email your home address to drussell@mtso.edu, and we will send them via U.S. Mail.

Your new alumni status: Help us stay in touch

As you graduate, your relationship with MTSO evolves but will never end. We want to keep you informed about the life of the school and events for which you might want to return. We also want to celebrate and share news of any milestones in your life and ministry.

Before commencement, we ask that you fill out this brief online form with as much information as you know about your location and work after graduation. If all you can share is your non-MTSO email address and mobile phone number, those alone will help us stay in touch.

Questions

If you have any questions about commencement and related events, feel free to contact Danny Russell at 740-362-3322 or drussell@mtso.edu. We wish you all the best in the coming weeks and look forward to celebrating with you in May.