What to Expect at Your Ceremony

Before the ceremony

  • Arrive in Pioneer Hall (2nd floor) 45 minutes before your ceremony. 
  • Leave purses and valuables at home or with family members.  The university is not responsible for personal articles. 
  • Have your cap and gown with you.
    • Undergraduate tassels go on the right and move to the left during the ceremony.
    • Graduate tassels go on the left for the duration. 
  • Obtain your name card at the name card station on the 2nd-floor rotunda. 
    • Undergraduate name cards will be to the right
    • Graduate name cards will be to the left
  • Line up in alphabetic order by last names behind the sign with your degree on it.
    • Doctoral candidates will be directed to a separate room. 
  • ONLY CANDIDATES FOR GRADUATION WILL BE PERMITTED UPSTAIRS. 

General Information

  • Parking Students and guests may park in any valid parking spot on the day of their ceremony.  Please see the DPS Parking page campus map for available parking locations. https://twu.edu/parking/
  • Guests with disabilities: We have floor seating appropriate for guests with disabilities, and staff at each entrance to the arena who will be available to assist these guests with seating accommodations. 
  • Selfie sticks are not permitted.

During the ceremony

  • When you are called to walk to the stage, bring your name card, which you obtained before line-up.  You will be directed to hand your name card to the speaker at the name card table prior to walking across the stage.
  • Professional photographers will be at the ceremony to take a photograph of each graduate. 
    • Each graduate will pose with the Chancellor before exiting the stage. 
    • Photographers will take another photo of each graduate holding their diploma cover before being directed back to a seat.
    • There is no obligation to purchase pictures, but you will receive a proof of the photo approximately a week after the ceremony.  Answers to student questions may be found on http://gradimages.com/ 

After the ceremony

  • Graduates will exit via the north exit of Pioneer Hall
  • Guests will exit via the main exit in the rotunda of Pioneer Hall.
  • Graduates and guests may reunite outside the building.

Congratulations on your achievement!

Page last updated 11:54 AM, July 2, 2021