commencement
This page contains all the information you need if you are participating in the CLASS Spring 2008 Commencement.
Spring 2008 candidates - Although you may participate in Commencement, your graduation is actually contingent upon successful completion of your degree requirements and coursework by the end of the Spring 2008 semester. An application for graduation does not necessarily mean that you have been approved for graduation.
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When and where is the ceremony?
- Will my name be listed in the Commencement Program?
- Where do I order invitations and what do I wear?
- Graduation Fair
- Ring Ceremony
- Where do we park?
- What about Special Access?
- How long does the ceremony last?
- Is the ceremony recorded?
- When and where do I show up, and what do I do?
- How do I get a good photograph?
- When do I actually get my diploma?
When and where is the ceremony?
The faculty and staff of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) are proud to invite you, your family, and guests to attend the May Commencement for the Srping 2008 graduating class of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. The CLASS Commencement is scheduled for Friday, May 9 at 9:00 AM in Hofheinz Pavilion. At this ceremony, all graduates in full academic regalia walk across the stage for individual recognition of their accomplishments by the Dean of the College, Dr. John J. Antel.
There is no limit to the number of guests that may accompany a graduate. Please RSVP by clicking and completing the RSVP form below by May 7. Tickets are not required for you or your guests to attend Commencement. We simply ask that you RSVP online by May 7. All guests should plan to remain for the entire ceremony, which will be approximately three hours.
CLASS Dean's Office Breakfast: There will be a continental breakfast for the graduates and their families starting at 7:00 AM in O'Quinn Great Hall of the Alumni Center, which will be served by the CLASS Dean's Office. Please fill in the "Dean's Office Breakfast" part of the RSVP form if you plan to attend.
FILL OUT THE RSVP FORMadmin login
Will my name be listed in the Commencement Program?
We make every effort to insure that all graduating students who apply on time are in the Commencement program. However, please be aware of the following information: If at any time you have requested privacy protection for your academic records, your name cannot be published in the program by law unless you have indicated on your application for graduation that you desire your name to be included in the program.
To check if your records have privacy protection, you may contact either your departmental advisor or the Office of Academic Records, Welcome Center, 713.743.1010.
Although your name might not be included in the printed program, you will still be individually recognized by name as you cross the stage to receive your congratulations from the Dean.
For more information, undergraduate students contact Rose Smith at 713.743.4001 and graduate students contact Anna Marchese at 713.743.4012.
Where do I order invitations and What do I wear?
Academic Regalia. Academic regalia (the traditional black mortarboard cap and black gown) are required for all graduates. The University of Houston has selected Official UH Regalia, we strongly encourage you to purchase your regalia at the UH Bookstore. Masters and Doctoral students must also rent the proper hood and bring it with them. Masters students wear their hoods. Doctoral graduates and candidates will be hooded during the Commencement ceremony.
Bookstore representatives will be available to assist you on the day of commencement. They will be located in the Yeoman Field/Sports Court Area. The bookstore will accept cash (small bills) checks and credit cards for students that need to purchase Regalia or Regalia items starting at 7:00 AM.
You may also order your invitations through Herff Jones online or call 281.379.3825.
| Regalia Colors for All Departments Except Music | ||
Tassels |
Hoods | |
| Baccalaureate | Citron | None |
| Masters |
Black | Citron |
| Doctoral | Gold | Dark blue |
| Regalia Colors for Moores School of Music Only | ||
Tassels |
Hoods | |
| Baccalaureate | Citron | None |
| Masters |
Black | Pink |
| Doctoral | Gold | Pink |
Bachelor and Master's Candidates
| Students' Regalia Purchase Prices † | |
| Bachelor Keeper Cap, Gown, and Tassel | $42.00 |
| Master Keeper Cap, Gown, Tassel, and Hood
|
$67.60 |
| Master Hood only
|
$24.98 |
| Cap only
|
$7.10 |
| Tassel only | $5.10 |
| Mega Tassel | $7.10 |
| Honor Cords | $14.00 |
| Stoles | $30.00 |
| † Prices do not include sales tax. | |
Doctoral Candidates
| Doctoral Candidates’ Regalia Rental Prices † | |
| Doctoral Rental Tam, Gown, Tassel and Hood | $95.00 |
| † Prices do not include sales tax. | |
Graduation Fair
A Graduation Fair will take place at the UH Bookstore from March 4 th through 7th from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Representatives will be there to assist in ordering caps, gowns and hoods as well as announcements, UH rings and diploma frames. Distribution of regalia preorders will begin April 21st through Graduation Day!
Please visit the Bookstore Graduation Fair page. Cap and gown orders may be placed through Herff Jones.
Ring Ceremony
The Houston Alumni Organization is proud to sponsor the annual Ring Ceremony for those students who have earned the right to wear the University of Houston official ring and have ordered their rings by March 31, 2008. President Khator will present each graduate with his/her ring, and family and friends are invited to share in your excitement.
The ceremony is by invitation only and will be held on Thursday, May 1 for those earning a Bachelors of Arts (BA) and Friday, May 2 for those earning a Bachelors of Science (BS). For more information, please contact Jamie Ochoa at jlochoa@central.uh.edu or 713.743.9554. Online event registration will soon be available at www.mycougarconnection.com for those that received an invitation.
Where do we park?
Graduates and guests attending the CLASS Commencement are requested to park in Lot 16. We strongly suggest that family and friends arrive well before the ceremony starts. (As indicated later, graduates need to arrive by 8:00 AM to assemble for the processional.)
What about Special Access?
Graduates or guests requiring special arrangements because of mobility or other concerns should contact Rose Smith, 713.743.4001 for specific instructions. Handicap parking is available beside Hofheinz Pavilion lot 15B for those with parking permits. For graduates with out parking permits they may request one by contacting Rose Smith, 713.743.4001. Entrance into the building is wheel chair accessible. Guests may request assistance from the officers on duty directing guest on parking on the day of the event. If any other special accommodations are needed, please contact Rose Smith to assist in working with Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD).
“Students or guests who have disabilities attending Commencement activities can request reasonable accommodations through the (CSD) at (713) 743-5400, TDD: (713) 749-1527 or uhcsd@mail.uh.edu. Please give 7 Business Days prior notice to arrange accommodations. Any accommodations that are made should be relayed to Rose Smith 713-743-4001 to help facilitate the process.“
How long does the ceremony last?
The CLASS Commencement should last approximately three hours, from 9:00AM until 12:00.
Attention Baccalaureate Candidates Graduating with Honors
Undergraduate students who complete their degree requirements will graduate with the stated academic honors if they achieve the following grade point averages earned in the last sixty-six (66) hours completed at the University of Houston.
Further, the honors calculation will include all hours completed in the semester in which the first of those final sixty-six (66) hours was completed.
| Honors Categories and GPAs | |
| Summa Cum Laude | 3.75 to 4.0 GPA |
| Magna Cum Laude | 3.50 to 3.74 GPA |
| Cum Laude | 3.25 to 3.49 GPA |
Once the Spring 2008 semester has officially ended and all grades have been
posted, your honors status will be updated accordingly and will be engraved
upon your diploma.
Undergraduate students who have completed the graduation requirements of the Honors College may graduate with special honors designations. Please see your advisor in the Honors College for more information.
Undergraduate students who successfully complete a senior honors thesis/project and who are not members of the Honors College graduate with "Honors in Major."
Attention Doctoral Graduates and Candidates
At Commencement, each doctoral graduate and candidate will be hooded by the CLASS professoriate. Doctoral students drape their unbuttoned hoods over their right arms as they proceed, accompanied by the chair of his/her dissertation committee or major professor. It is the responsibility of each doctoral graduate or candidate to issue the advisor the invitation and to notify him or her of the pertinent information. There will be time in the ceremony so that one professor may hood several people if necessary.
Is the Ceremony recorded?
The ceremony is recorded and made available to for all to view online shortly after the ceremony. The ceremony video can not be purchased, to view the Spring 2008 ceremony click the link below.
- Spring 2008 Commencement ceremony (Quicktime Player required; video opens in standalone player)
When and where do I show up, and what do I do?
When?
You should arrive in full academic regalia no later than 8:00 AM for Commencement.
Where?
Students should report to Yeoman Field/Sports Court in the Alumni Center. Family and guests should be directed to Hofheinz Pavilion. Please do not be late. If you arrive late, it may be difficult to find a nearby parking place, and it will be difficult to get you into the processional.
Special note: Women graduates, for safety precautions, please leave your purses with your families. The CLASS commencement staff cannot be responsible for safeguarding your personal belongings. Because faculty members from your department will sit with you, when you have gone across the stage for your recognition, you will not return to the same seat so purses should also not be left in the seats.
What do I do?
Assembly for the processional will be in Yeoman Field/Sports Court (back area of the Alumni Center).
- Find the check-in table for your primary major. These will be labeled with big signs.
- At the table, someone will give you a card with your name on it. Do not lose or destroy the name card! (You will have to give your card to the person collecting cards before you cross the stage).
- Verify the information pre-printed on the front of your card: name, major, degree, honors (if applicable) and email address. If your name is difficult to pronounce, please spell it phonetically on the line provided. (You do not need to provide a phonetic spelling if your name is not frequently mispronounced.)
- Verify that the information pre-printed on the front bottom of your card to make sure your address is correct.
- Find the banner for the department of your primary major. Students are to line up in that area in alphabetical order by classification: Bachelor’s, Masters, Doctoral students with their professors. Commencement officials will be there to assist you with finding the right spot.
Tassels
Undergraduates, please wear your tassels on the right side of the mortarboard.
Graduates
Please wear your tassels on the left side of the mortarboard.
The Processional
- When the processional starts, follow the person in front of you. Keep the line moving in an orderly manner. Please do not stop the processional to wave at family members or to pose for photographs.
- Take your seat, keeping your name card in hand!
Recognition of graduates and candidates
Recognition will proceed in departmental order, beginning with Anthropology. Each graduate will be announced in alphabetical order starting with Bachelors, then Masters, then Doctoral.
Doctoral students will remain on stage to be hooded as a group by their major professors.
As you approach the edge of the stage
- Give your name card to the person collecting the cards.
- Walk across the stage to shake hands with the Dean and other dignitaries.
- Go back to your seat.
- Remain seated until all students have been recognized.
- Follow the person in front of you when the recessional begins.
The line should be continuous. Staff will direct candidates and graduates to the stage, a few rows at a time. Many people have volunteered to help direct this special event. Just follow their instructions, watch the person in front of you and enjoy family members, friends, cheering, clapping, and flashing cameras. Have a great time!
How do I get a good photograph?
Family and friends should feel free to bring cameras and video recorders and take as many pictures as they desire. However, they must remain in their seats during the ceremony. They must not stand in the aisles, and under no circumstances will they be permitted on the floor of the hall! We also suggest that family photographers take photos at home and at other locations on campus prior to the ceremony.
A professional photographer, "Flash Photography," will be on hand taking individual photos during the ceremony. "Flash Photography" will send the proofs to you so that you can decide if you want to order additional copies. The photographer will already have your mailing address. If you do not receive the proofs within 30 days of your commencement program please contact:
"Flash Photograpy" at 800.410.8070 or visit their web site.
When do I actually get my diploma?
Diplomas are normally mailed eight weeks after grades have been posted. Decisions of awarding degrees does not begin until May 27th.
Congratulations to all on this momentous occasion!
