2023 SPRING COMMENCEMENT WEEKEND

May 6 through May 13, 2023  |  9:30 a.m. |  General Daniel "Chappie" James Arena

Additional Details will be shared soon.

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Tuskegee University's Spring 2023 Commencement! Commencement Weekend will take place May 6 through May 13, and we look forward to celebrating the Class of 2023! Some preliminary information is shared below, and we will continue to post updates in the coming weeks.

We are excited to announce this year, we will return to campus for our 2023 Spring Commencement Exercises to honor this year's graduates and celebrate their future.

There will be two separate ceremonies as follows:

Saturday, May 6, 2023  |  9:30 am

College of Veterinary Medicine and Graduate Programs Commencement
General Daniel "Chappie" James Arena
Speaker: TBA

Saturday, May 13, 2023  |  9:30 am

Spring Commencement for Undergraduate Programs
General Daniel "Chappie" James Arena
Speaker: TBA

  
Tickets:

Ticket information is forthcoming.

Livestream:

For those who cannot make it to the in-person event, you can still watch the ceremony via livestream on our YouTube channel, starting at 9:30 a.m. CT on May 6 and May 13.
 

School/College Ceremonies:

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COMMENCEMENT DAY INFORMATION

Tuskegee University Spring 2023 Commencement Day Information

Attendance at Commencement is limited to administrators, speakers, special guests, graduates, faculty, and guests of the Graduate who have received an official 2023 Spring Commencement Ticket. Facemasks are required.

Live Stream 

Commencement will be live-streamed on the University's Youtube Channel starting at 9:30 am CT on May 6 and May 13, 2023.

COVID-19 Information for Attending 

• Due to current COVID-19 protocols on campus, we must limit the number of visitors on campus and inside the arena.
• Masks are required for all University-sponsored events.
• Click here to view COVID-19/Coronavirus Resources

COMMENCEMENT WEEK EVENTS

DATE/TIME	COLLEGE/SCHOOL EVENT	LOCATION
Date: TBA  |  Time: TBA	Rehearsal for Graduate School & DVM Graduation	Chappie James Arena
Sat., May 6, 2023  |  9:30 am	Graduation Ceremony for Graduate Programs & CVM	Chappie James Arena
Sat., May 6, 2023  |  immediately following Graduation	College of Veterinary Medicine Oath Ceremony	TU Chapel
Date: TBA  |  Time: TBA	Rehearsal for Undergraduate Graduation	Chappie James Arena
Thur., May 11, 2023  | 7:00 pm	School of Education Induction Ceremony	TU Chapel
Fri., May 12, 2023  | 1:00 pm	Joint ROTC Commissioning Ceremony	TU Chapel
Fri., May 12, 2023  | 3:00 pm	School of Nursing and Allied Health Capping and Pinning Ceremony	TU Chapel
Fri., May 6, 2023  | 3:00 pm	Order of the Engineer Ceremony	Logan Hall
Sat., May 13, 2023  |  9:30 am	Graduation Ceremony for Undergraduates	Chappie James Arena

COMMENCEMENT FAQs

PROCEDURES

Candidates are asked to adhere to the following procedures:

1. All candidates are required to wear approved academic regalia --traditional caps and gowns. Persons who are not in compliance with approved academic regalia will not be permitted to participate in the Commencement Exercises. Decorating of caps and stoles will be permitted as long as they are kept within the Tuskegee University’s tradition of character and excellence.
2. Candidates must wear face mask.
3. Academic regalia is most appropriate when worn without jewelry such as bangles, large necklaces, or large earrings.
4. Chewing gum is inappropriate and not permitted.
5. Smoking is prohibited at all times.
6. Behaviors that disrupt the Commencement (or, Graduation Ceremony) are prohibited. Ex. Gestures, dances, flips, and yelling. 
7. Black shoes and dark clothing should be worn with the cap and gown by all candidates. Comfortable attire is recommended.
8. Men should remove their hats during the Invocation, Benediction and the singing of the Tuskegee Song.
9. All candidates will rise, as a group, when presented to the President by their respective deans.
10. After receiving the diploma cover replica, candidates must return to their seats and remain until the conclusion of the Commencement Exercises.
11. Only University authorized photographers are permitted on the floor to take pictures or video during the Commencement Exercises.

ACADEMIC ATTIRE

THE CAP - The approved cap of the academic costume is the mortar board or Oxford cap- a stiff board nine inches square, usually covered in cotton poplin, Russell cord, or spun rayon, placed on a soft cap made of the same material and jointed in a pointed design in front and back. The front of the cap is shorter than the back, but the color is always that of the gown and is uniformly black for the four-year colleges. The use of velvet material has been reserved for the cap for the doctor’s degree. A silk cord with a tassel made of many strands of threads is attached to a button in the center of the board. The length of the cord and tassel may vary with the degree of the wearer.

THE GOWN - The basic design for gowns is similar for all degrees; the minor variations in fullness and length of sleeves and trimmings are indicative of degree levels. Cotton poplin fabric is used for the bachelor’s and master’s gown, and ribbed rayon or silk material is reserved for the doctor’s gown.

THE HOOD - No longer worn for warmth, the hood has become the colorful standard bearer of academic symbolism. It varies in length from three feet to three and a half feet, representing the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degree, respectively. The colors or colors of the lining of the hood is trimmed or edged in a border of velvet either two inches, three inches, or five inches in width for the bachelor’s, master’s and doctor’s degree. The border color represents the faculty or field of study in which the degree was awarded.
 
Information taken from The Admissions, Academic Records, and Registrar Handbook of Policies and Procedures, C. James Quann and Associates: 1979.

HONORS REGALIA - In recognition of scholarship of high quality, a student may graduate with distinction according to the following cumulative grade point averages:

• Summa Cum Laude (3.75) - Gold shoulder stole/crimson letters 
• Magna Cum Laude (3.50) - Gold shoulder stole/crimson letters 
• Cum Laude (3.25) Cords - One gold and one crimson

Candidates for honors must qualify one semester prior to commencement. Regalia for honor students will be issued at graduation rehearsal. Students are permitted to keep honors regalia.
  
All seniors completing graduation requirements should place orders for graduation regalia with the Tuskegee Campus Bookstore. Order should be placed early to receive regalia in time for the Commencement Ceremony. For more information (regarding regalia and invitations), call 334-727-8844.

COVID-19 RESOURCES

ORDERING TRANSCRIPTS

TRANSCRIPT REQUEST

1. Transcript Request Form (TRF) - copies available from the Office of the Registrar's (OTR) service counter in Kresge Center (1st Floor).
2. Electronic Request:  - via the electronic link        
   • You can request PDF copies which is sent with a secure pass code by the National Student Clearinghouse. The Office of the Registrar does not process PDF requests.
   • You can request paper/mailed copies via the electronic link which is then processed by Office of the Registrar.
3. Cost: $11.75 per copy
4. Available: 72 hours (3 days) - (Except for any unexpected technological issues which the OTR does not control)
5. Transcripts will not be issued if one or more of the following exists, nor can it be temporarily lifted to accommodate the request:  Financial Hold | Judicial Hold 

IN-PERSON REQUESTS

• Complete the TRF
• Pay $11.75 per copy - (Cash or Credit Card) at the Cashier's window in Kresge Center.
• Submit your TRF with Receipt to the Office of the Registrar.
• Same day service is not available.
  • We can Federal Express (with charges assumed by the requestor) or upon receipt of a pre-paid Two-priority or UPS Express package. Please contact our Transcript Processor Mrs. Barnes-Sheppard at mbarnes@tuskegee.edu or 334-727-8505

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• You cannot view your unofficial TU Transcript via Tigerweb if you have a Financial Hold.
• Speak (in person or via phone) with the Cashier in the Bursar's Office located in Kresge Center (1st Floor) to resolve Financial Hold issues.
• Speak with the Dean of Students in Tompkins Hall to discuss Judicial Hold issues.
• No one can pick-up a Transcript on someone else’s behalf.
• Graduates can request an Official Transcript with Degrees/Minors conferred 1 week after Commencement, assuming there is no type of Hold.

ACADEMIC TERMINOLOGY

Academic Terms: “Alumni” and Others

• alumna - Use this singular term for a female graduate.
• alumnus - Use this singular term for a male graduate.
• alumnae - Use this plural term for a group of female graduates.
• alumni - Use this plural term for former students or graduates, whether referring to a group of males or a group consisting of males and females.
• alma mater - A term that may be used when referring to Tuskegee University, the university from which you have graduated.

Degrees

• Bachelor of Arts - B.A.
• Bachelor of Science - B.S.
• Master of Arts - M.A.
• Master of Science - M.S.
• Doctor of Philosophy - Ph.D.
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine - DVM

Tuskegee University Alumni Associations:

• Tuskegee National Alumni Association, Inc. (TNAA)
• Tuskegee University National Athletic Association (TUNAA)
• Tuskegee University Agriculture, Environment & Nutrition Sciences Alumni Association (TUAENSAA)
• Tuskegee Architecture and Construction Alumni Association (TACAA)
• Tuskegee University Nursing Alumni Association (TUNNAA)
• Tuskegee University Band Alumni Association (TUBAA)
• Tuskegee Veterinary Medical Alumni Association (TVMAA)
• Tuskegee University Engineering Alumni Association (TUEAA)

THE TUSKEGEE SONG