Fall 2023 Graduation Ceremony Information

Graduation Checklist

• Graduates must complete a graduation application through their myBLINN account.
• All graduation degree, certificate, or occupational skills award courses and requirements must be completed in the semester the student applies for graduation.
• All accounts must be paid in full at the Business Office.
• All holds must be cleared.

Cap and Gown

• For the fall 2023 semester, graduates will need to order their regalia. After applying for graduation, students who are in progress to graduate will receive an email with information on how to order their regalia at no cost.
• Summer 2023 graduates also will be sent instructions to order their regalia.
• Students participating in the ceremony on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, will need to order their regalia by Sunday, November 5, 2023. Regalia will be delivered to Blinn College in early December 2023.
• Students who miss the Sunday, November 5, 2023, ordering deadline will receive information on how to obtain a cap and gown.

Procedures on December 13, 2023 (before the ceremony)

· The ceremony will be held at the Brazos County Expo Center at 5827 Leonard Road, Bryan, TX 77807. Please see map below.

· Do not arrive at the Brazos County Exo Center before 5:00 p.m. This is a regular business day for Blinn College and the staff will not be available to assist graduates or their guests earlier in the day.

• There will be a come-and-go reception hosted by the Blinn College Alumni and Friends Association for the graduates and their guests at the Brazos County Expo Center from 5:00-5:45 p.m.
• At 5:00 p.m, graduates can start checking in and lining up and their guests can start entering the hall.
• Graduates are expected to be at the Brazos County Expo Center no later than 5:30 p.m. Please plan accordingly for travel time and parking so you do not arrive late to the ceremony. Please refer to the map at the end of this document for general directions to the Expo Center.
• There is not a rehearsal beforehand. Blinn College staff will direct graduates throughout the ceremony.
• At check-in, graduates will receive a card with their name and degrees, certificates and/or occupational skills listed. Graduates must keep this card until they reach the stage; then give the card to the reader. The card will be used to read the graduate’s name and later for the photographer for contact information. Graduates who apply for graduation by November 19 and are in progress for Fall 2023 Graduation will have a pre-printed card. For students not meeting these criteria, the card will be completed at check-in.
• Graduates will line up according to degree (AA, AS, or AAS), certificates, and occupational skills. There will be staff members assisting in the line formation process throughout the ceremony.
• Graduates arriving late may be placed at the end of the line.
• The procession begins promptly at 5:50 p.m, following the administration and faculty into the auditorium. Student should arrive at the high school by 5:30 p.m.
• Graduates needing assistance with seating, participating in the procession, or crossing the stage, please contact Kristi Reddoch at 979-830-4174 or kristi.reddoch@blinn.edu by December 1, 2023.
• Please leave all personal belongings (purses, jackets, cell phones, etc.) with your guests or in your vehicle prior to check-in. Blinn College will not be responsible for any personal items left at the Brazos County Expo Center.

Procedure During Graduation Ceremony

• The tassel is worn on the right side of the cap.
• All graduates will walk in single file and remain standing until after the invocation, Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem are completed (men, please remove caps).
• At check-in, graduates will receive a card with their name and degrees, certificates and/or occupational skills listed. Graduates must keep this card until they reach the stage; then give the card to the reader. The reader will confirm the pronunciation of the graduate’s name. The card will be used to read the graduate’s name and later for the photographer for contact information.
• As their name is announced, graduates will walk across the stage, receiving a scroll and shaking hands with the vice-chancellors, the chancellor and members of the board of trustees.
• After crossing the stage, students will be directed to take additional photos and then return to their seats.
• Diplomas, certificates and occupational skills awards will not be distributed to graduates at the ceremony.

Graduation Etiquette

• No corsages may be worn on the graduation gown.
• Keep in mind – the robe is knee- to shin-length. Slacks or knee-length skirts are appropriate.
• Graduates may be standing for an hour or longer, please wear comfortable shoes.
• If graduates decorate their cap, it must be tasteful; no vulgar or inappropriate language. No 3-dimensional items extending from the cap that could block someone else’s view. Decorated caps will be reviewed at the ceremony check-in. If not following the guidelines, the cap will be taken up and you will be given a new cap to wear during the ceremony.

Diplomas

• Diplomas, certificates and occupational skills awards will not be distributed to graduates at the ceremony.
• Final grades are due on Friday, December 15, 2023. Diplomas, certificates and occupational skills awards will be mailed starting January 2, 2024. Please allow three weeks to print and mail the diplomas.

· Please check your account for holds. Diplomas and transcripts cannot be released if a student has a hold on their account.

Guest Attendance

• Each graduate may invite as many family members and friends as they wish. Please note that there is limited seating in the auditorium and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be security on site to prevent reserved seating.
• Graduates and their guests are requested to be respectful to all graduates and the college by attending the entire ceremony.
• Cell phones and other electronic devices should be silenced.
• Absolutely no food, drinks, balloons, air horns or other noise makers allowed in the hall.

Additional Information

• To have their name printed in the ceremony program, graduates must apply by Sunday, November 19, 2023 and be in-progress to graduate in fall 2023.
• For information on obtaining a class ring, please contact the Blinn College Bookstore (Brenham – 979-251-7810 or Bryan – 979-775-1846).
• FLASH Photography is the official commencement photographer. Graduates will be photographed and proofs will be sent to each graduate in the weeks after the ceremony. If you have any questions, please contact Flash directly via their website at www.FLASHphotography.com.
• Check the Blinn Graduation FAQ page.
• For additional questions, please contact Kristi Reddoch in the Brenham Admissions office at Kristi.reddoch@blinn.edu or 979-830-4174.

Tassels, Stoles and Cords

Tassels, Stoles, and Cords
Members of the following organizations may obtain special tassels, stoles or cords from the organization’s coordinators. Please contact the coordinator for price and pick-up location.

Phi Theta Kappa-Brenham
Dillon Phipps
Email: Dillon.phipps@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-830-4098
Office: Academic Building, Office 4

Sophia Polk
Email: sophia.polk@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-830-4134
Office: Disability Services Office,
Administration Building

Phi Theta Kappa-Bryan
Emily Erdmann
Email: emily.erdmann@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-209-8282
Office: A-270

Rachel Valentine
Email: Rachel.Valentine@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-209-7548
Office: Bryan Library

Sigma Kappa Delta-Brenham
Brandi Rebeske
Email: Brandi.Rebeske@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-830-4527
Office: Arts & Science 204

Sigma Kappa Delta-Bryan
Regina Peters
Email: regina.peters@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-209-8978
Office: A 212

Mu Alpha Theta
Matthew Walker
Email: matthew.walker@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-830-4302
Office: Academic Bldg, Office 24

Military Veterans
Dr. Larry Van Meter
Email: Larry.Vanmeter@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-209-7504
Office: A-208

Service Learning-Brenham & Bryan
Joyce Langenegger
Email: joyce.langenegger@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-209- 8991
Office: In Brenham – Library, In Bryan – H 155

Student Government Association-Brenham
Peter Rivera
Email: peter.rivera@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-830-4189
Office: Student Center, Room 111

Student Government Association-Bryan
Christopher Nguyen
Email: christopher.nguyen@blinn.edu
Phone: 979-209-7247
Office: Student Center