ORDER OF COMMENCEMENT

·         All candidates will be led from the staging area at 9:30 am (HSH and SCE) or

2:30 pm (SOE and BUS) in preparation for the processional.

·         Processional will be formed in two lines, led by the Student Marshals. 

·         The faculty will precede you; the President's party will follow you onto the stadium floor.

·         The official ceremony begins at 10:00 am (HSH and SCE) or 3:00 pm (SOE and

BUS) sharp!

STUDENT ENTRY (DOUBLE FILE)

Order of March:

                                                                       Platform

                                                                 Grand Marshal
                                                                Deans' Marshals
                                                                         Faculty

10:00 AM                               HSH                                       SCE             

                                                Student Marshal                    Student Marshal

                                                Bachelor's                              Bachelor's

                                                Master's                                 Master's

3:00 PM                                 SOE                                        BUS           

                                                Student Marshal                    Student Marshal

                                                Bachelor's                              Bachelor's

                                                Master's                                 Master's

                                                               President's Marshal
                                                                 President's Party

The two lines of candidates, led by their student marshals, will file into the arena from the back entrance. The lines will rejoin to go up the center aisle of candidate seats.  Student Marshals will stop at the front row of seats and begin seating undergraduate and then graduate candidates row by row. All candidates remain standing. The Student Marshals will walk back up the center aisle to the stage.

If you are a row leader (you will have a small ribbon pinned to the shoulder of your gown), you will begin a new row and will walk to the far chair of your row (BUS and SCE on the right, SOE and HSH on the left as you face the podium) - THAT IS YOUR SEAT - do not fill in the last chair of the row in front of yours, even if there is an empty chair there.  Row leaders begin new rows, always.

Commencement programs will be placed on your seats prior to the ceremony; do not carry one in with you.

Remain standing through the invocation and until the President signals for you to be seated.

During the ceremony, stand when you're asked to stand, sit when you're asked to sit and the rest of the ceremony will go smoothly.

RECESSIONAL

President will say:  "Will the audience please remain seated until all those in cap and gown have cleared the arena.  Let the Recessional begin!"

President's Party will exit first, then Faculty will pass and both groups will form a gauntlet at the back of the arena.

At the signal of the Grand Marshal, the graduation recessional will begin. LAST STUDENTS IN ARE FIRST STUDENTS OUT. The Student Marshal will signal to the candidate on the center aisle of the back row of each seating block. Both candidates will rise and lead their row out of the seating area and will follow the Grand Marshal double file down the center aisle through the gauntlet. The Student Marshals will direct the exit of each row of candidates and will then follow the last candidate through the gauntlet. All candidates will exit the lobby doors and go out of the building.

All candidates can meet their family and guests outside the building.

ADMINISTRATIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS

·         Office of Academic Records Hours:

Monday - Thursday, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm; Friday, 8:00 am - Noon. 

·         Grades will be available online beginning December 21st. To view grades visit E-Services online at www.uhcl.edu/records/eservices.

·         Transcripts: The Office of Academic Records will start mailing requested transcripts on December 23rd. Written transcript requests can be submitted at any time before the semester ends and should be marked, "Hold for Grades" or "Hold for Degree". The Transcript Request Form can be found at www.uhcl.edu/records/forms. Online requests can be submitted through E-Services at www.uhcl.edu/eservices and coded with a processing option of "Degree Conferral" or "Grade Posting".

·         Encumbrances (Library, Security, Cashier, Financial Aid, etc.) must be cleared before diplomas can be mailed or transcripts can be released.

·         Diplomas will be ordered by the end of January. Processing usually takes approximately 2-3 weeks from the date of the order. Diplomas will be mailed to the address shown on the student record.

·         Honors: Undergraduates only.

Candidates for honors will be identified in the Commencement Program with an asterisk (*) and "Honors Candidate" announced. Final decisions regarding honors will be made after semester grades are posted. Students will be notified of the honor after degree audits are completed, and diplomas will be mailed after honors are imprinted.

·         Continuing at UHCL? If you plan to continue on to graduate school at UHCL, you need to complete an admission application form in the Office of Admissions prior to registering for the next semester.  Students who apply for graduation in the current semester are not considered to be continuing students for future semesters and must submit a new admissions application to continue enrollment.

Guests who need disability/accessible parking should follow the Accessible Parking signs from the Naomi gate to the back of the Arena.  They can park behind the Arena and enter at the back entrance to the Arena.