Your graduation ceremony is a formal celebration of your achievement, and graduates are encouraged to dress appropriately. Most degree candidates wear business professional or business casual attire under their gowns. Because candidates walk long distances to and from the ceremony, we also recommend that you wear comfortable shoes. Jeans, t-shirts, flip flops and shorts are not acceptable and should be avoided. Honor cords/stoles by societies recognized by Centenary, are allowed to be worn at the commencement ceremony.

Tips and Reminders:

• Students are permitted to wear jewelry.
• Students are not permitted to wear roller skates.
• Students are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes. Please note the tarp covering the gymnasium floor may be uneven.
• Students are encouraged not to carry cell phones, purses, etc.

Since you will not be allowed to carry any of your personal items into the graduation ceremony (for example, purses, cameras, cell phones, etc.), you will need to leave these belongings at home, with your family or friends, or in the trunk of your car.

Remember, balloons are not allowed on stage or in the audience. Wear clothing that will allow your essential valuables, such as your car keys, to be placed in your pockets under your gown.

Students are responsible for ordering the academic regalia required to participate in the commencement ceremony. If you did not participate in the Graduate Fair, hosted by the Campus Store, you can place your order here. The cap and gown will be shipped directly to you. Once you order your cap and gown online, it takes about 2 weeks to receive your order. The order deadline is April 9 in order to get your caps and gowns in by May 1^st. Only stoles sanctioned or awarded by the College may be worn.

Order Caps and Gowns Here >

DECORATING YOUR CAP

For those of you that are planning to decorate your cap, we encourage you to do so, but there are some parameters to follow.

• Decorations should be flat (like glitter, paint or bejeweling) so nothing should be hanging/dangling off of the cap or sticking up or out of the cap.
• Please remember that this is supposed to be a dignified ceremony, and an opportunity for you to shine among friends and family who have supported you on your journey, so if it is deemed that you went overboard (as judged by College officials) we will need to replace your cap with a plain one.
  
  Note: It is rare that we ever have an issue, but if you’d like me to preview your cap decorations feel free to send a pic via email to cwhitt@centenary.edu
• Please note that no balloons are allowed in the Gold Dome.
• Only stoles sanctioned or awarded by the College may be worn. Multiple stoles should be pinned at the neck area to maintain proper placement.
• The white collar, included in the regalia package, is optional for women.
• Students are allowed to wear one tassel.

Additional Tips:

• Mortarboards (caps) are worn parallel to the floor with the tassel on the right, decorations are allowed but should be in good taste, be a positive representation of Centenary College and our academic programs and be family-friendly (since graduation is a family event). Decorations should be limited to the top of the graduation cap. Graduates with decorations that do not meet these guidelines may be asked to remove their decorations prior to the ceremony.
• Keys, wallets and cell phones must be carried in a pocket underneath the gown, not held in the hand.
• Cap and gown should be removed from the plastic bag at least 48 hours prior to the ceremony to allow folds produced as a result of packaging to relax.
  
  The only item you will be carrying in your hands will be your name card!

Scheduled during Senior Week, prospective graduates are required to attend Commencement Preview to ensure name pronunciation is correct, receive graduation instructions, review ceremony procedures and secure gold tassels if receiving institutional honors. Preview is typically held the Thursday before the commencement ceremony.

Concession stands on the second level of the Gold Dome will be open for family and friends.

Graduates who complete degree requirements at the end of the Spring semester, but elect to enroll in a May module, will be considered a May graduate. Those who complete degree requirements in the summer will be considered a Summer graduate. Graduation dates will reflect the actual semester of completion. The graduation date is determined by the semester in which all grades are posted and the academic record is sealed.

Parking at the Gold Dome is reserved for family members and visitors to campus parking(see campus map for details). Due to the limited number of spaces available, faculty, staff, and students will not be permitted to park at the Gold Dome and will be redirected to park on the main campus. All students, faculty, and staff are asked to walk from the main campus to the Gold Dome.

To aid in a seamless graduation experience, click here to view the graduation checklist.

Centenary College determines institutional honors based on final cumulative GPA. Final honors are printed in the Commencement program, on the diploma and official transcript. Honor students receive a gold tassel during Commencement Preview. Graduate students do not qualify for honors.

If you believe you qualify for this honor and it does not appear on the preliminary undergraduate graduate list, please contact the Registrar’s Office. Honor cords/stoles are available through respective honor societies.

To aid in finalizing lodging accommodations, click here for a list of hotels in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

Graduates are asked to report at the designated time for lineup.  Upon arrival, graduates should locate the lineup area for their respective degree (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Business Administration). Since honor graduates lead the line of march, they will lineup in a separate area.  Failure to arrive at the appropriate time may result in removal as a participant.

Graduates are expected to use the list (posted on the wall) to ensure they are in order for the line of march.  As you stand in line, you will receive a certified numbered card displaying your name and designating your place in line.

• Graduates are expected to remain seated for the duration of the commencement ceremony.
• Men are expected to remove caps while seated.
• Eligible graduates will receive their diplomas on the stage.
• Graduates are to enter the left of the stage and walk down the center aisle to return to their seats.
• At the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates are required to hold their positions in the assigned seating areas until given directions by the Student Marshal.
• Graduates will be directed by the Student Marshal to clear the ceremony area before dispersing to greet family and friends.

Herff Jones not only serves as the official vendor for cap and gown, but also for announcements/invitations, rings and diploma frames. Click here to check out graduation products.

Exhibitions by class of 2024 seniors:
Suspended in a Sunbeam by Emerson Horne

Adjusted hours leading up to graduation weekend:
April 22 – 26, 12-3 p.m.
April 29 – May 3, 12-3 p.m.

1. Processional
2. Welcome
3. National Anthem
4. Invocation
5. Hymn
6. Scripture Reading
7. Anthem
8. Introduction of the class and commencement speaker
9. Commencement address
10. Conferring of honorary degree
11. Alumni Association induction
12. Conferring of honors and degrees in course
13. Alma Mater
14. Benediction
15. Recessional

All graduates, family members and friends are invited to attend a reception, hosted by the President of Centenary College of Louisiana, immediately following the Commencement Exercises.

Graduation is a joyous and special occasion. It is a time for celebration and merriment. However, you are reminded that Commencement is a formal College function. You are requested to maintain the order and solemnity of the proceedings. It is a courtesy we owe each other and our guests.

Department of Public Safety (DPS) coordinates requests for handicap parking permits for graduation. If graduates have family members that need parking spaces closer to the Will-Call door of the Gold Dome, they should visit the DPS office to retrieve Centenary tags, limited to two per student. These tags will allow your family or guests to park in the lots by the Gold Dome that will be designated as Handicap parking. Spaces are not guaranteed so we recommend guests arrive early. Permits are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

NOTE: If the vehicle in question already has a state issued handicap placard, there’s no need to request a handicap parking permit from DPS.

Graduates must retrieve handicap parking permits from the DPS between 1 and 5pm, Monday through Friday.

Handicap seating will also be reserved within the Gold Dome but these spaces will be on a first-come, first-serve basis as well.

Centenary College Class of 2024 will live stream commencement exercises at Centenary.edu/live or the college's official Facebook account. Viewers will be able to see the live stream on graduation day once the live stream has started.