Commencement

Congratulations from President Oldham

As you prepare for graduation from Tennessee Tech University, let me be among the first to congratulate you on your outstanding accomplishment.

Whether you are a first generation college graduate or this is your second or third degree, there’s no doubt you have worked hard to reach this milestone.

Along with the faculty and your friends at TTU, I applaud your commitment to finish your degree. In the years to come, you will appreciate the lasting value of a diploma from Tennessee Tech University, as it is a critical step toward reaching other goals in your life. Commit to being a lifelong learner, and the knowledge you gained at TTU will be just the start of applying wisdom to your daily decisions about career, family and other pursuits.

This is your day. Enjoy it, and take pride in being an awesome alum of Tennessee Tech University.

All the best,

Commencement Information

Directions to Campus and to Hooper Eblen Center. Click in the upper right corner to find Directions to Campus. Scroll down the A-Z listing until you see "Hooper Eblen Center."

Spring 2013 Commencement
Fall 2013 Commencement

The Spring 2013 commencement ceremony will be Saturday, May 11, 2013 at the Hooper Eblen Center. Please see below, under "Graduation and Rehearsal" for times.

The last day for undergraduates to apply for Spring 2013 commencement is December 14, 2012.

Diploma

Diplomas will be mailed to all those undergraduates who graduate in the Spring. They will be mailed to the address that you provide to the Graduation Office during the Spring semester in response to an email with a weblink. Please make sure this is an address where you can receive mail at that date.

Caps and Gowns

Cost of the cap and gown is included in the General Access Fee paid each semester – no additional charge.
The supplier has a variety of sizes to choose from.
Senior Salute is March 27, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. and March 28, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Tech Pride Room of the Roaden University Center.
If you cannot attend either of those dates, caps and gowns will be available in the University Bookstore on the ground floor of the Roaden University Center.
Staff from the bookstore will be at the commencement ceremony with a limited supply of caps, gowns and tassels.
Those candidates receiving commission from the ROTC department may wear their uniform under the cap and gown but are required to wear the mortarboard.

Dress

Men: slacks (no jeans or shorts), shirt, and comfortable shoes (no sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes)
Women: dresses or skirts, slacks or capri pants (no jeans or shorts) and comfortable shoes (no tennis shoes or flip-flops)
There is no place for personal belongings to be left so please leave those with family members.
Keep in mind that you will be standing for quite a while so choose clothing and shoes for comfort.

Behavior

Anyone under the influence of alcohol is subject to being removed from the line of march.
Use of cell phones during ceremony is prohibited.
Use of air horns and other such devices is prohibited and may be confiscated.

Graduation and Rehearsal

Spring 2013 commencement ceremonies on May 11, 2013, will be divided as follows:
- 9:30 a.m. ceremony in the Hooper Eblen Center: The Colleges of Agriculture and Human Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Engineering & The School of Interdisciplinary Studies (and graduate students from each of these colleges);
- 2:00 p.m. ceremony in the Hooper Eblen Center: The Colleges of Business and Education (and graduate students from each of these colleges).
Rehearsal will be May 9, 2013, at 4 p.m. CDT in the Hooper Eblen Center - attendance is not required but helpful.
Candidates need to enter at the ticket office entrance. There will be signs directing you to the appropriate area of the concourse for lineup.
Undergraduate candidates are lined up alphabetically with their college or school.
Graduate candidates are lined up alphabetically by degree level.
Personnel from the Graduation Office, the Graduate School, or other staff will be checking the line of march
You must check in with the person for your line; otherwise your name will be removed from the list and your name will not be called out.
Tickets for guests are not required – seating is first come, first served.

Special Facilities

Any candidate requiring special facilities to participate in the ceremony due to a physical disability should contact the Graduation Office at 931-372-3543.
Questions concerning disabled parking areas may be directed to University Police at 931-372-3234.

Attendance

Candidates who plan to participate are required to stay for the entire time.
No participants are allowed to leave until the ceremony is over.
Participation in the ceremony does not confirm clearance for receipt of a diploma. Do not cite participation as evidence of graduation.
All candidates participating will receive a diploma cover as they cross the stage and will receive their diploma in the mail after confirmation of graduation.
Those graduating in absentia will receive their diploma in the mail.

In Absentia Status

Spring 2013 candidates - Candidates choosing to graduate in absentia must complete and submit the information in the website http://www2.tntech.edu/grad. Please do not access the website until after April 1, 2013.

Honors

Graduation with honors (cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude) for the listing in the commencement program and what is announced at commencement ceremony is determined by the overall GPA (all TTU coursework plus transfer credit - not overall combined) at the beginning of the final semester.
Honors notation on the diploma and student transcript include the final semester's coursework.
Graduation honors are only available for undergraduate students.
Cum Laude (3.50-3.69), Magna Cum Laude (3.70-3.89), Summa Cum Laude (3.90-4.0)
Students graduating with a 4.00 GPA will also receive the W. A. Howard Award and plaque. A notation of the award will appear on the diploma and transcript.

Photographs

Photographic Services will have their professional photographers at the commencement ceremony.
As you approach the ramp to go on stage, you will be asked to pause for a picture. Another photo will be taken as you shake hands with the president.
You will be contacted when the proofs are available online by Photographic Services.
Photographic Services' phone number is 931-372-3305.

Requirements

Outstanding University Debt

Chapter 654 of the Public Acts of 1976 prohibits state institutions of higher education from issuing diplomas, transcripts or grade reports of any nature to any student unless the student has satisfied all debts or obligations owed to the institution.
Spring 2013 candidates - Parking tickets or other outstanding debts must be cleared with the Business Office (DH100) by 3:30 on the Friday before commencement.

Speakers

Beth Harwell will address graduates during the 9:30 a.m. ceremony.

Beth Harwell currently serves as Speaker of the House, a position to which she was elected by her House colleagues. She is the first female Speaker in both Tennessee and the entire Southeast. Harwell represents State House District 56, which includes a part of Davidson County. Beth has been a strong advocate for tougher sexual abuse laws, victims' rights, welfare reform, children's issues and most notably, education. She was prime sponsor of the state's public charter school law, having been an advocate for charter schools for many years. A friend of small business, Beth has twice been awarded the coveted Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federal of Independent Businesses (NFIB). In addition to her legislative career, Beth served as chair of the state Republican Party from 2001 to 2004. During that time she was instrumental in the Republicans taking control of the State Senate for the first time in 140 years. While serving as chair, she also contributed immensely to George W. Bush's presidential campaign, and served as a Bush Pioneer. Representative Harwell has won numerous awards over her career, including the Harold Bradley Legislative Leadership Award, the American Cancer Society Legislative Leadership Award, Champion for Children Award, and the Junior Leagues of Tennessee's 2012 Legislator of the Year Award. Harwell received her Bachelor of Arts degree from David Lipscomb University, and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt. She has been an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Belmont University. She and her husband, Sam, have three children - Allie, Sam, and Tucker.

Millard Oakley will address graduates during the 2:00 p.m. ceremony.

A 1947 graduate of Livingston Academy High School, Oakley attended TTU and earned a bachelor of laws degree from Cumberland University School of Law in 1951.

He has served four terms in the Tennessee General Assembly, with one term at the Constitutional Convention. He is a former member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, and he serves on the Tennessee Tech Foundation. From 1971 to 1973, Oakley was general counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Small Business. From 1975 to 1979 he served as commissioner of insurance and commerce for the state of Tennessee; he had jurisdiction over state savings and loans, securities and other regulatory matters.

He is the namesake of TTU's Millard Oakley STEM Center, which has reached thousands of students, educators and visitors through its hands-on programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics since opening in 2010. The public library in Overton County bears his name as the Millard Oakley Public Library, and The Millard and J.J. Oakley Administration Building at Volunteer State Community College is named for him and his wife. He is the principal shareholder of the First National Bank of Tennessee and serves on its board of directors.

The Fall 2013 commencement ceremony will be Saturday, December 14, 2013, at 10 a.m. CST at the Hooper Eblen Center.

There is no commencement ceremony for students who complete their degree requirements in the Summer semester. This began Summer 2010. Undergraduate students who want to participate in the Fall commencement ceremony may do so by supplying the Graduation Office (DH122) with that information Students graduating in the Fall will receive an email during Fall semester with the respond date included.

The last day for undergraduates to apply for Fall 2013 commencement is August 9, 2013.