Ring Ceremony

The ring ceremony has its origins in a bridge disaster. The Quebec Bridge crosses the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada. With a total length of 1000m and a main span of 550m it is for nearly 100 years the world’s longest cantilever steel truss bridge.

On August 29, 1907, when the bridge was almost completed after 4 years of work, the bridge collapsed, killing 75 workers. They found design errors in calculating the self-weight of the bridge. Redesign and reconstruction began the following year. In 1916 when the bridge was almost completed after 9 years of work, the bridge’s central span collapsed during the final lifting operation, killing 13 workers. Finally, in 1919 the bridge that operates today was completed.

Following the Quebec bridge disasters, members of the Engineering Institute of Canada believed that a standard of ethics and responsibility was needed for engineers. At their request, British author Rudyard Kipling in 1922 created the “Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer.” Kipling had much depth of feeling for engineers– the builders of things intended to benefit mankind.

The words of the ritual are a call to professional integrity and responsibility, part of which goes as follows: “I, in the presence of these my betters and my equals in my Calling, bind myself upon my Honor and Cold Iron, that, to the best of my knowledge and power, I will not henceforward suffer or pass, or be privy to the passing of, Bad Workmanship or Faulty Material in aught that concerns my works before mankind as an Engineer, or in my dealings with my own Soul before my Maker.

“My Time I will not refuse; my Thought I will not grudge; my Care I will not deny toward the honor, use, stability and perfection of any works to which I may be called to set my hand.” “For my assured failures and derelictions, I ask pardon beforehand of my betters and my equals in my Calling here assembled; praying that in the hour of my temptations, weakness, and weariness, the memory of this my Obligation and of the company before whom it was entered into, may return to me to aid, comfort, and restrain. Upon Honor and Cold Iron, God helping me, by these things I purpose to abide.”

In 1970 the “Order of the Ring” ceremony was started in the United States with a stainless steel ring. At the Jacobs School, our students decided to create their own ring ceremony in 2006. I ask you to accept and interpret, most seriously and with pride, the meaning and purpose of the ceremony to which you are about to subscribe: to uphold the standards and dignity of the engineering profession.

Graduating engineering students planning to attend Ring Ceremony should click on the link below to purchase a ticket:

The registration fee of $25 will also cover the supplies for your program, oath, and ring*.

All remaining funds go towards the Student Travel Fund, which was created by the graduating class of 2013 to give back to future students.

Note: Ring Ceremony Packages will be picked up during the check-in process for the in-person event on June 14, 2024.

*The Engineering Ring is a silver band and it is not the Class Ring.

Registration will close May 23, 2024.

Jacobs School of Engineering Stole

• You may purchase a Jacobs School of Engineering Stole in person at the IDEA Engineering Student Center starting May 8 2024.
• Cost $20, In-Person & Cash ONLY

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Jacobs School of Engineering Ring

• You may purchase an Engineering Ring in person at the IDEA Engineering Student Center starting May 8, 2024.
• Cost $10, In-Person & Cash ONLY
• Stainless Steel ring with "Jacobs School of Engineering" engraved inside.
• You do not need to purchase a ring if you register for Ring Ceremony. Students will receive their ring at check in for Ring Ceremony. 
• Graduate students are ineligible to purchase a ring.

Program:

• Opening Remarks by Albert ("Al") P. Pisano, Dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering
• Department Awards for Student Excellence
• Keynote Alumni Address
• Distinguished Student Speaker
• History of the Order of the Ring
• Recitation of the Oath
• Presentation of the Rings
• Recognition of All Registered Participants
• Closing Remarks by Dean Pisano

Attire:

• Formal/business attire highly encouraged. You do not need to wear your cap and gown for this event but you are more than welcome to wear your stoles and honor cords.

Guests

• You may invite guests. Guest tickets are not required for the event. There is no limit to the number of guests a graduate may invite to the event. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, however there are accommodations for handicapped and the elderly.

Parking

• Parking is free on campus. Please park in lots indicated by UC San Diego Campus Events. More details on parking will be provided on the Commencement website.

Check-In and Arrival

• Check-in for Ring Ceremony will start at 7:00PM. Please have your Student ID or Government Issued ID with you when you check in. You will check in outside LionTree Arena, where you will pick up your ring, along with your Ring Ceremony certificate and program.
• The ceremony is planned to promptly start at 8:00PM. Please plan to arrive earlier to allow you sufficient time to check in, and your guests enough time to find seating. 

Are you interested in being the distinguished student speaker for Ring Ceremony 2024? The allotted time for the speech is 5 minutes, and the deadline to apply is May 8. We will then review applications and invite candidates to present their proposed speech in person, before selecting the student speaker.

Distinguished Student Speaker Form 

Deadline is May 8, 2024 11:59pm

• I am a graduate student, can I participate in Ring Ceremony or purchase a ring?

  • Unfortunately, graduate students are not eligible to register for Ring Ceremony. They are also not able to purchase the engineering ring. 

  • This event is for undergraduate engineering students only, since it provides an opportunity for students who are graduating with their engineering degree for the first time to recite the graduation oath and express their commitment to upholding standards of ethics, integrity, and quality as practicing engineers and as graduates of the Jacobs School of Engineering.

  • Please visit UCSD's Commencement webpage for a schedule graduate ceremonies.

• I do not plan to participate in the Ring Ceremony, but would like to purchase a ring.

  • Students who are not planning to participate in the Ring Ceremony can purchase a ring separately. A ring costs $10.

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• How do I figure out my Ring Size?

  • You may go to a local jeweler and obtain your ring size there. If you are unable to visit a jewelry store refer to this tutorial on how to measure your ring size (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjB_r3-AVo0) 

  • The IDEA Engineering Student Center has a ring sizer. You may come to the office to use the ring sizer.

  • Note that this ring is traditionally worn on the little finger of your dominant hand.

• When do I get my Ring?​​​​​​

  • If you have ordered the Ring as part of the Ring Ceremony Package, you will receive the ring at the event.

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• What if I need to change my ring size and have already submitted my registration form?​​​​

  • If you would like to change the ring size you provided in the registration form, please contact our office via email to request a size change. 

  • If you receive the incorrect ring size OR would like to exchange sizes after you receive your ring, you will be able to drop by the IDEA Center AFTER the Ring Ceremony event.

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• I completed the form stating I do not want to participate in the Ring Ceremony, but now I do! Can I still participate?

  • If you completed the form stating you only want to purchase a ring and/or stole, and you would now like to attend the Ring Ceremony event, you would have to complete the Ring Ceremony Registration Form to purchase a ticket.

  • Note: We will not make adjustments to completed purchases. If you paid for a ring and/or stole, then later decide to participate in Ring Ceremony, you will need to pay the full price of the registration fee for the Ring Ceremony event.

• I registered for Ring Ceremony and/or purchased a ring/stole but no longer want it. Can I receive a refund?

  • Refunds will not be provided for any payment made.

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• Can I bring guests?

  • Yes! Tickets are not required.

• Is there a dress code?

  • Yes! Formal and business attire highly encouraged.

• Can I attend my college commencement and Ring Ceremony?

  • Yes! You may choose to go to one or both! You do have to register for each separately. For you college commencement ceremony registration, please visit http://commencement.ucsd.edu/

Check out our YouTube Channel to view past Ring Ceremony recordings!