Commencement

  MSU Commencement Information
May 13, 2023 Graduation

Graduates, please be aware and share with your guests that parking will be limited due to the closure of several parking lots for the construction of the new hotel.  Please refer to the attached Parking Map and plan to arrive early.  The map provides the locations of the open parking lots, including some at the J.S. Bridwell Agricultural Center, where a tram will be available to and from the venue. There will also be an MSU Texas shuttle van assisting in other parking lots for those who may not be able to walk long distances.

The doors will open at 8:30 a.m. for the 10:00 a.m. ceremony.  Graduates should arrive no later than 8:30 a.m.  Report through the main front doors of the MPEC - Ray Clymer Exhibit Hall (separate building adjacent to the Wichita Falls Kay Yeager Coliseum).  Use the entrance to the left of the flags.  Signs will indicate where the graduates will line up.  (NOTE: graduates who arrive late, after the lines have moved to the coliseum, will be seated at the back and will cross the stage in that order, instead of sitting with others in the same programs.)

Family members and guests will not be allowed in the graduate line up area and should proceed to the Wichita Falls Kay Yeager Coliseum.  As commencement draws a large audience, elderly persons and others who need special assistance should plan to arrive as early as possible.  We anticipate the ceremony will last about two hours.  After the recessional, graduates will proceed outside to meet family and guests. 

Regalia:  Your MSU Bookstore is now selling caps and gowns, along with all of your graduation needs for May 2023, in store and on our website, https://msutexas.edu/bookstore.  Custom announcements and the MSU ring may be ordered from Herff Jones at https://herff.ly/msutexas.  Bookstore hours are Monday – Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.  Bookstore hours for Graduation Day, May 13, will be 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. for your shopping convenience.  For more information, please call the Bookstore at 940-397-4303.

Honors: Cords for Honor bachelor's candidates (cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude) will be available for sale in the bookstore beginning Monday, May 8, 2023 thru Saturday, May 13, 2023.  The MSU Bookstore will be set up on Saturday in the MPEC-Ray Clymer Exhibit Hall for last minute purchases.  You can contact the MSU Bookstore at 940-397-4303 for purchase information.  Please note: If your instructors have not posted your final grades, your honor status could possibly change.  You can view your GPA by logging in to your Degree Works or your portal account.        

Dress: All graduates will wear an Academic Gown and a Mortar Board.  All tassels should be worn on the right and will be shifted to the left together, except for master's candidates who will wear their tassels on the left the entire ceremony.  Casual wear is not appropriate.  Graduates may not wear jewelry or flowers on the gown and may not carry a purse or camera.  There will be no secure place to leave valuables during the ceremony.  Pin car keys to the inside of the gown if necessary.  All master’s candidates will have hoods which they will carry on the left arm so they can be hooded during the ceremony.  The hoods will be issued by the Bookstore.

Decoration of Mortar Boards: The administration has stated that mortar board decorations must adhere "flat" to the top (square portion) of the mortar board only.  Decorations are not to be placed anywhere beneath the top of the mortar board, neither attached to the cap portion supporting it, nor dangling from any part of the mortar board.

Diplomas: When you walk across the stage, you will be handed a diploma cover.  Grades for May graduates will be submitted the week following commencement.  If all of your degree requirements are completed and all financial, academic, and financial aid obligations are met, diplomas will begin being mailed on June 12, 2023.  Students who did not complete degree requirements will be notified by email.

Photographer: The University has arranged for a photographer to take pictures as you shake hands with Interim President Lamb and additional poses after you exit the stage. The photograph with the Interim President is candid, so you do not have to stop to pose for that photo.  Proofs will be emailed to the email account you indicate on the line-up card.  If your email or address changes, update your records in WebWorld and contact the Audit Team in the Office of the Registrar at graduationconnection@msutexas.edu.

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Attendance at Commencement is a degree requirement for May graduates unless officially excused. If you are absolutely unable to be here, contact the Office of the Registrar to obtain a form to request permission to graduate in absentia.

Congratulations from the Office of the Registrar!  If you have any other questions, please contact us at (940) 397-4116.