For the Graduate

Important Ceremony Details

All Fall Graduates are invited to attend Graduation on

Saturday, December 9, 10 AMin the Raising Cane’s River Exhibition Hall (275 South River Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802). The Graduation ceremony will begin promptly at 10 AM. We do not anticipate the ceremony lasting longer than 2 hours. If you have lunch plans, please allow time for exiting the River Center and parking garage.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING THE PROCESSIONAL (ENTRANCE OF GRADUATES): All Exhibition Hall doors will closed promptly when the ceremony begins. These doors will remain closed until the conclusion of the National Anthem as not to disturb our processional and/or distract graduates as they process in. Therefore, please ensure that your guests arrive in plenty of time prior to the ceremony, or they risk being held in the lobby outside of the Ex Hall during the processional.

Please remember that it remains impossible to guarantee a COVID-free environment. Because of the nature of the coronavirus, anyone working or participating in Graduation must understand that they are assuming the risk of potential community spread. This includes all graduates, FranU employees, AND guests! FranU requests that everyone planning to attend Graduation personally monitor his/her health status and NOT attend if experiencing fever or other symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

All attendees will be required to observe and follow any/all River Center procedures that may take effect between now and Graduation.

Guests and Ticket Information

The ticket policy for Graduation is still to be decided. Please continue monitoring your FranU email for the latest updates.

Student Instructions upon Arrival at Graduation

Students will be asked to arrive to the River Center one (1) hour before the ceremony start time.

After entering through the Galleria, all graduates should proceed to the student holding room (on the same floor as the entrances) to check-in with the Registrar, receive line-up instructions and your name card, and take a brief electronic Graduation survey (via scanning a QR code with your phone).

Your name card will include your full name as it will be announced during the ceremony. If you notice any mistakes, please notify the Registrar immediately. Do not crumple, tear, or write on it. Please keep this card and carry it with you during the ceremony (and when you approach the stage). The names of graduates are read from the cards of those in attendance rather than from a list of all graduates. You may receive a colored card with your name card. Please keep this one as well. Further instructions will be given to you once you are approaching the stage.

It is extremely important that once you check-in with the Registrar that you stay in the vicinity of the holding rooms at all times. Thirty (30) minutes prior to the ceremony, all students will be gathered into the holding rooms for the final time to begin line-up for the procession. IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE STUDENT HOLDING ROOM AT THIS TIME, you risk not being able to process/sit with your classmates.

Guest Instructions and Seating

After entering through the Galleria, your guests will go down the escalators (or elevators) to the Exhibition Hall to be seated. Guests should NOT linger upstairs near the student holding rooms.

Once your guests arrive to the Ex Hall downstairs , FranU staff will show them to their seats. Your guests will sit in the family section behind the student and faculty sections. There will also be handicapped seating available. Please inform your guests that once seated, they should not get up unless it is absolutely necessary.

Graduate Seating

Once you complete check-in with the Registrar and enter the student holding room, you will wait here to line up to process into the Ex Hall. Please follow all instructions carefully during line-up, the processional, and once you enter the Ex Hall. Once seated, please do not get up unless it is absolutely necessary. Copies of the Graduation program will be on your seats when you arrive. All graduates will sit by program: Doctorate students at the front, then Master’s, then Undergraduates by school.

Flow of Ceremony

When it is time for the awarding of diplomas, you and your classmates will be prompted to make your way to the stage. All guests should remain seated. Please follow instructions to maintain your place in line while approaching the stage. As your name is announced, you’ll walk across the stage to receive your diploma (and be hooded, if applicable). If you are a Master’s or Doctoral graduate, staff will assist you in draping your hood over your arm before walking across stage. More specific hood instructions will be emailed to you the week of Graduation.

You will have a photo taken with the FranU President and a member of the Board of Trustees as you receive your diploma (and are hooded, if applicable). Once you step off stage, you will take a photo in front of a backdrop and receive gifts from the Alumni Association and Campus Ministry before returning to your seat. Again, please observe and follow all staff directions.

There will be a closing prayer and exit instructions to conclude the ceremony after all students have received their diplomas. Please follow directions to exit promptly.

Important Notes

Please come to Graduation dressed in full regalia (cap/gown/tassel) to ensure that you have all items. Extra caps/gowns/tassels will NOT be available. It is YOUR responsibility to remember to wear any Honors cords/tassels, etc. given to you at your Pinning and Awards Ceremony. All regalia pieces you receive are yours to keep.

FranU and/or the Raising Cane’s River Center are not responsible for your personal belongings. Please give them to family and friends prior to the start of the ceremony.

Ceremony Etiquette

Please remember that while Graduation is an important and exciting celebration, it is still an academic ceremony of dignity. Your families are encouraged to recognize you when you receive your diplomas. Their enthusiasm is warranted; however, the use of air horns/artificial noisemakers is inappropriate.

Photographs

Guests may bring cameras; however, students will be asked to give all cameras/phones to your loved ones prior to the ceremony. Please note that students are not allowed to have anything in your hands or over gown, e.g., a purse.

Barclell Studio will take a photo of you as you receive your diploma and are hooded (if applicable) on stage. Once you exit the stage, they’ll take an individual portrait of you with your diploma in front of a backdrop. You can pre-purchase photos using the form attached. They will also post all proofs to their website after Graduation, and a link will be emailed to you so that you can order from there. All pictures that you order will be mailed to you from Barclell. Questions? Please call (225)791-1951 or email them at BarclellStudio@yahoo.com.

Dress and Decorum

Graduates will be issued a cap, gown, and tassel. All regalia pieces you receive are yours to keep.

It is strongly suggested that you wear all regalia to ensure you have all items. Extra/additional caps, gowns, or tassels will NOT be available.

Honor Graduates

BACHELOR DEGREE HONOR GRADUATES

Summa Cum Laude graduates will be awarded gold tassels and gold Honor’s cords to be worn with the gown. Magna Cum Laude graduates will be awarded gold tassels and gold and navy Honor’s cords to be worn with the gown. Cum Laude graduates will be awarded gold tassels. All gold tassels and Honor’s cords become the property of the graduate. Tassels and Honor’s cords will be awarded at check-in on Graduation Day.

Graduates in a Bachelor degree program can graduate:

Cum Laude – 3.5 to 3.74 Overall GPA

Magna Cum Laude – 3.75 to 3.89 Overall GPA

Summa Cum Laude – 3.90 or greater Overall GPA

ASSOCIATE DEGREE HONOR GRADUATES

Highest Honor graduates will be awarded gold tassels and white and navy cords to be worn with the gown. Honor graduates will be awarded gold tassels. All gold tassels and white and navy Honor’s cords become the property of the graduate. Honor tassels and cords will be awarded at your school pinning and awards ceremony.

Tassels

Tassels should be worn on the right. During the ceremony, when the degrees are conferred by the President, you will be instructed to shift the tassel to the other side.

TASSEL COLORS

Doctor's and Master's Hood - Color by Discipline

Master’s Hoods

All graduates completing a Master’s Degree will receive a hood at your Pinning Ceremony. The hood will be awarded on stage at Graduation.

Doctoral Hoods

All graduates completing a Doctoral Degree will receive a hood at your Pinning Ceremony. The hood will be awarded on stage at Graduation.

Dress Code

SUGGESTED MALE DRESS CODE

Male graduates should wear dress shirts with ties, dark dress pants and dark shoes.

SUGGESTED FEMALE DRESS CODE

Female graduates should wear skirts or dresses and neutral colored shoes (black, brown, tan, white, etc.). If you decide to wear pants, they should be dark. Please remember that you will be walking across stage as well as up and down stairs so no excessively high heels should be worn. You will not be allowed to carry a purse of any sort or size onto the area floor. A small cross body style purse may be worn under your gown if necessary.

IMPORTANT DRESS/DECORUM REMINDERS

Under no circumstances are embellishments to the academic gown and/or cap permitted. You may be dismissed from the processional for inappropriate attire. In such instances, your diploma will be mailed to you.

Recessional / "Second Line" Information

At the conclusion of the Graduation ceremony, the faculty will exit the Exhibition Hall first to traditional recessional music. Then, the graduates and platform (those sitting on stage) will recess to a “Second Line”. Each graduating program will receive two parasols for their graduates to decorate for the Second Line. You can decorate the parasols however you would like- beads, glitters, feathers, sequins, etc. Be creative and make them unique for your program!

The parasols will be distributed to the students by their programs' Academic Coordinators or Administrative Assistants. All decorated parasols are due back to the President’s Office by Wednesday, May 10 at 5 p.m. When you drop off the parasols, be sure to include the name of your program and the names of the students who will carry the parasols for the Second Line. All graduates who do not carry parasols will have FranU handkerchiefs on their chairs to wave during the Second Line. The handkerchiefs are yours to keep as a mementos from the Graduation ceremony.