FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Common Questions Regarding Commencement
Common Questions Regarding Diplomas and Degrees
Commencement Ceremonies Schedule

 

**New Policy Regarding Application for Degree**

If you do not meet degree requirements, you will be required to submit a new Application for Degree for the future term in which you intend to complete degree requirements, and will be required to pay a new application fee. The Registrar's Office is no longer accepting requests to postpone graduation to a future term.

 

Common Questions Regarding Commencement:

Where is commencement held and will there be a rehearsal?

• The commencement ceremony will be held in the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
• There will NOT be a dress rehearsal for commencement. 

Where should degree candidates report on the day of commencement?

• To the Health & Kinesiology Center (HKC) located across from the coliseum. In the case of rain, go the playing floor of the Bernard G. Johnson coliseum. There will be marshals available to line up the degree candidates.

What time should I arrive for commencement?

• Arrive ONE HOUR prior to your ceremony.   (Your family is able to be seated in the coliseum at that time.)

What should I bring to commencement?

• Cap (including tassel) and gown. (Tassel is worn on your left temple until you are recognized on stage during commencement.) Masters and Doctoral candidates should bring their hoods to commencement.

Where can I get my cap and gown or my hood?

• Contact the Barnes and Nobles Bookstore on campus.  Phone # is: 936-294-1862.

What should I wear to my commencement ceremony?

• You should dress in accordance with the formality of the event. All candidates must be prepared to walk across the street to the Bernard G. Johnson coliseum from the Health and Kinesiology Center. Once inside the coliseum, all candidates will be led down a steep flight of stairs.
• High heeled shoes or boots can be a safety hazard when wearing the regalia, especially on stairs. You should consider the heels to your shoes so that you can safely arrive at the floor of the coliseum without falling.
• NOTE: There is no place to store purses or cell phones at the Commencement Ceremonies. Items left will behind will go into the HKC lost and found.

Will my family be required to have tickets to attend commencement?

• No, tickets are NOT issued and there is NOT a limit to the number of guests that may attend the commencement ceremony.

Will there be seating in the coliseum and special parking available for my guests with disabilities? 

• Yes, seating will be available on the coliseum floor for guests with disabilities.  Only one family member will be allowed to sit with your guest on the coliseum floor.  The entrance for this seating is located at the East Tunnel of the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
• Guests with disabilities should arrive at the coliseum 45 minutes prior to the ceremony in order to be aided in the parking lot by our university police staff and the coliseum staff.

Will there be a professional photographer at commencement?

• Yes, a professional photographer is commissioned for the event.  Photos will be taken of each candidate individually.

How will degree candidates be recognized with honors at the commencement ceremony?

• Undergraduate degree candidates recognized at commencement with honors (Latin, Academic Distinction, and Honors/Honors College) are corded on stage during the commencement ceremony.  (CORDS ARE PROVIDED BY THE UNIVERSITY.)
  
• The designation of honors at the commencement ceremony is decided by the honors status as of the 12th class day of the graduating term (Fall/Spring terms) or the 4th class day of the first part of term for Summer.

(Graduate and Doctoral students are not recognized with Latin Honors as those are honors specifically designated for undergraduate students.)

What is the order of the ceremony?

• The marching order for the commencement ceremony is as follows:
• President’s Platform Party
• University Faculty
• Doctoral Candidates
• Masters Candidates
• Undergraduate Candidates (in alpha order by college)

How much time should I allot for the commencement ceremony?

• Approximately two hours

 

COMMON QUESTIONS REGARDING DIPLOMAS AND DEGREES:

What will happen if not all degree requirements are fulfilled after submitting an Application for Degree? 

• If you do not meet degree requirements you will be required to submit a new Application for Degree for the future term in which you intend to complete your degree requirements and will be required to pay a new application fee.

Can an Application for Degree be postponed to a future term?

• The Registrar's Office is no longer accepting requests to postpone graduation to a future term.

How do I know that my name is on the list for commencement? 

• If you have applied for graduation by the deadline via MySam, and are currently enrolled in ALL the course work needed to meet degree requirements and you are not more than 9 grade points deficient in major, minor, or overall, then your name will remain on the commencement program.

When can I expect to receive my diploma?

• All diplomas will be mailed to the permanent address listed on the student's academic record approximately 6 - 8 weeks after degrees are posted. It is the student's responsibility to update their permanent address. An additional fee of $7.50 is charged to re-send a diploma whose address was incorrect at the time of mailing.  (December graduates should expect a delay in the printing and mailing of diplomas due to the scheduled holiday break.)

What size will my diploma be?

• The diploma size is 11 X 14.

What name will appear on my diploma?

• The name to appear on the diploma will be the name listed officially on the student record.

When are final grades due? Click here

When can I check my final graduation status? Click here