May 8, 2008, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Austin Convention Center (map)
500 East Cesar Chavez Street
Graduates from the summer 2007 and fall 2007 semesters and the eligible spring 2008 graduation candidates are invited to participate in Austin Community College's annual commencement exercises on Thursday, May 8th.
Graduation is a time to celebrate our students’ achievements, but it is also a dignified occasion honoring important educational accomplishments. Decorum and courtesy are important to graduates, their families, and to fellow graduates and their families. Students are expected to respect this tradition by observing the following instruction, and to communicate information about appropriate behavior, which is expected of all guests at the ceremony.
Graduates are requested to arrive at 6:00 pm.
- Parking in the Convention Center’s Trinity Street or Fourth Street garage will be free of charge to all students, faculty and guests at the ceremony. Parking coupons will be distributed at the parking garage entrances. Parking anywhere other than the Convention Center garage is not covered by the College.
- Enter the building at the Fourth Street (North) entrance. Take the escalator to the fourth level. Elevators are also available.
Guests--Family and Friends
- Tickets for entry are not needed for families and guests, nor is there a limit on the number of guests that graduates may invite.
- Special seating for those using wheelchairs and with limited mobility is available; those individuals needing such assistance should arrive early to secure reserved seating. Sign language interpreters will be present at the ceremony; those needing sign interpretation should sit in the areas reserved for sign interpretation. Please ask an usher to direct you to the reserved seating area.
- All guests should arrive and be seated before the ceremony begins, promptly at 7:00 p.m.
- Guests who arrive after the ceremony has started will be ushered in only after the full processional of faculty and students has concluded. Seating for guests is limited to safety code standards.
- Guests must remain seated throughout the ceremony and should remain until the conclusion of the program; disruptive guests may be escorted from the Center.
- Immediately following the ceremony, guests and graduates are invited to a reception in the north hallway.
Participants must wear a black gown and mortarboard.
- The graduation office will mail an informational letter the first week of April to all eligible participants and this letter must be shown to bookstore personnel upon purchase.
- Caps, tassels, and gowns with collars may be purchased at any ACC bookstore. The cost is approximately $28.00.
- If you have access to a standard black graduation cap and gown in good condition, you may wear it and purchase just the tassel from an ACC bookstore.
- Official invitations are also available at the bookstores and are in stock beginning in April. These are sold in packages of 5.
- Please contact an ACC bookstore for more information.
Conduct for Graduates and Guests
In keeping with the dignified nature of our commencement ceremony, alcoholic beverages, inappropriate substances or objects are not permitted, and will be confiscated. Security personnel will be in attendance. The commencement ceremony is the capstone of the academic experience for you, other students and your family and friends. We appreciate your consideration for the rights of others to enjoy the ceremony free from disruptive or otherwise inappropriate behavior. Once seated, all students and guests are expected to remain seated until the conclusion of the ceremony marked by the recessional.
Upon entering the building, participants will be directed to meeting rooms 18A-D for assembly.
- ACC staff members will be on hand to assist with robes, questions and to distribute name cards.
- Prior to the ceremony, you will be given two index cards with name and address will be pre-printed for each graduate:
- One card will be given to the captioner sitting at the computer as you walk up the ramp to the stage, so that your name will appear on the screen above the stage. This card will later be given to Phototech, the company taking pictures. They will mail you proofs of your pictures.
- The other card will be given to the Director of Admissions at the podium, as you cross the stage. Your name will be read from the card.
- At 6:45 p.m., two student processional lines will be formed.
- The first in line will be comprised of students that are receiving an award and/or need special assistance.
- The remaining lines will not be organized in any particular order. You may decide if you wish to be toward the front, back or any other row. The Phi Theta Kappa students generally sit together.
- All cell phones should be stored with belongings secured in the meeting room or turned to silent. No photography or videotaping may occur in the graduate sections of the auditorium.
- At 7:00, ACC representatives will escort the procession to the auditorium.
The stage party and faculty will enter the auditorium first with the graduates following in double file.
- Students should not slow or stop the processional until arriving at their seat.
- Students should remain standing until all candidates have arrived on the floor. You will continue standing for the National Anthem.
- Late arriving participants will be ushered in after the processional, but must wear the required cap and gown.
Graduates are recognized by award (AA, AS, AAS, Certificate or GED) during the ceremony. A speaker will ask graduates to stand when their degree or certificate award is called.
Scholastic Leadership, Scholastic Excellence and Presidential Honors are awarded to students with an ACC G.P.A. of 3.50-3.74, 3.75-3.99, and a 4.0 respectively. Final grades are not submitted prior to the ceremony; hence, recipients will not be recognized at the ceremony. Diplomas will have the award designation.
When it is time for graduates to cross the stage, a speaker will make the announcement.
- ACC staff will direct students one row at a time to the left side of the stage.
- Give your first name card to the captioner and the second one to the Director at the podium.
- When the Director says your name, proceed to the center of the stage.
- Move your tassel to the left side of your cap before you receive the diploma cover and shake hands with the College President and Board of Trustee members who may also greet you.
- A photographer will take your picture as you shake hands.
- Continue across the stage and down the ramp.
- Another photographer will take your picture in front of a special backdrop.
- Return directly to your seat down the front aisle. All graduates are required to remain seated until the conclusion of the ceremony marked by the recessional.
- An ACC staff member will be available to guide you to your seat if needed.
At the end of the ceremony:
- In the Recessional the official Stage Party and faculty will exit the auditorium first. All graduates will follow the faculty as directed by ACC staff.
- Graduates will exit double file by row down the middle aisle with the last rows exiting first.
- It is requested that graduates continue down the north hallway in order to keep the doors clear for the entire exiting processional.
- Graduates may also return to the room 18 to pick up any purses, coats or personal items left during the ceremony.
- If you have questions regarding your eligibility to attend the ceremony, wish to update your mailing address with the graduation office or need special assistance during the ceremony, please contact the graduation office at twelch@austincc.edu or jtorrez@austincc.edu.
Commencement is a memorable occasion. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty and staff, you are encouraged to participate.
