In addition to guidelines for attire for graduates outlined in the Student Handbook, students may elect to add items to their attire as follows: Students participating in commencement ceremonies may elect to wear on their robes up to two (2) recognition or membership pins identifying their participation in recognized campus organizations or programs including, but not limited to, national or regional honorary, social, professional and service entities. These pins must be approved prior to commencement and may not take up more than seven (7) square inches (the size of a standard business card) on the left breast of the commencement robe. For any pins that are not preapproved before the commencement rehearsal, students shall make known their intentions to wear a pin(s) by bringing the pin(s) to the rehearsal for review by representatives of the Student Affairs division. These representatives will determine the appropriateness of the pin(s) and proposed display. Preapproved organizational pins will be displayed on the Academic Records’ Web page. Prior to the commencement processional, Student Life monitors will walk the line of graduates checking for appropriate adornments. Variations from the approved attire will be noted and corrective actions taken. Graduates will be reminded that failure to comply is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Any student who violates the policy during the ceremony will be referred to Student Affairs for appropriate disciplinary action as established in the Student Code of Conduct and Student Handbook.

Approved: February 5, 2013

Honors and Ceremonies Committee

March 20, 2009

Effective beginning Fiscal Year 2009-2010 the University of Tennessee at Martin will offer two commencement ceremonies annually.  One ceremony will be held in May and the other will be held in December.

Degrees will continue to be conferred three times annually.  Conferral will occur in May, August, and December.  Degree candidates will participate in the ceremony which falls immediately after completing all degree requirements for their respective degrees as follows:

• Degree requirements met during spring semester—Participate in May ceremony
• Degree requirements met during Maymester—Participate in December ceremony
• Degree requirements met during summer semester—Participate in December ceremony
• Degree requirements met during fall semester—Participate in December ceremony

Students who complete degree requirements during the Maymester or summer semester will have their degrees conferred and awarded in August.  Their transcripts will reflect the completion of their respective degrees, and their diplomas will be mailed early during the following fall semester.

Only students who plan to complete degree requirements during the spring semester and who have been declared as spring degree candidates may walk during the May ceremony.  Students will only be allowed to participate in one commencement ceremony per degree earned; therefore, if a student fails to meet a degree requirement in time for the planned semester of graduation, but is granted permission to remain as a participant in the planned ceremony, then they will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony at the time of degree conferral.

Generally no exceptions to the participation schedule listed above will be made.  However, requests will be handled on a case by case basis and approved by the registrar, dean of student’s college and the vice chancellor of academic affairs.

Time

Commencement begins promptly at 11 a.m. or the designated time, on the respective Saturday. Check the "Important Dates" page for the date of commencement.

Graduates

Graduates should arrive at the Elam Center one hour prior to the beginning of Commencement. A full hour is needed to complete instructions and final preparations. Caps and gowns should be picked up in the UC Bookstore prior to commencement day, during regular business hours.

Students with disabilities should contact

Public Safety
(731) 881-7777

Graduation Tickets

• The University of Tennessee at Martin holds two commencement ceremonies per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. Both ceremonies are open to the public; however, due to limited seating in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center, tickets may be required for attendance.
• Each graduate may be issued a limited number of tickets, depending upon anticipated number of graduates for that semester.
• If additional seating is needed, an overflow area with a video and audio feed of the ceremony will be provided in the Skyhawk Fieldhouse for any guests without tickets.

Distribution of Tickets

• Graduating students will receive their tickets after the Grand Finale Walk and commencement practice in the Elam Center. When a Grand Finale Walk is not held, tickets will be distributed in the Office of Academic Records, Room 103 Hall-Moody Administration Building.
• Please return any tickets that you are not using to the Office of Academic Records, 103 Hall-Moody Administration Building so they can be made available to other students.
• A limited number of additional tickets may be available to graduating students, the campus, and general public, on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last beginning the day after commencement practice. These may be picked up in the Office of Academic Records.
• Any tickets not claimed by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before Commencement, will be distributed to the general public at a designated area outside the Elam Center beginning at 9:00 a.m. on the day of the Commencement Ceremony.

Additional Information

• Children 2 and under do not require a ticket.
• Generally spring semester is a ticketed event; however, fall has generally not been a ticketed event.
• Graduates will receive additional information about important graduation information at their campus email address.

www.gradimages.com

Customer Service - 800.261.2576 (United States)

Customer Service email – service@gradimages.com

The diplomas of graduating seniors show honors categories based on the following scale:

Cum Laude: 3.2 through 3.49 GPA
Magna Cum Laude: 3.5 through 3.79 GPA
Summa Cum Laude: 3.8 through 4.00 GPA

To qualify for one of these honors categories, a student must complete at least four semesters (60 semester hours minimum) in The University of Tennessee system. These honors categories are based on a student's cumulative average at the end of the semester preceding the graduation semester. (Students transferring work from other colleges or universities must qualify on both their cumulative average and the University of Tennessee at Martin average. The honors designation is based upon the lower of the two averages.)

Diplomas and transcripts will be held until all outstanding financial obligations with the University are cleared.

Watch UT Martin's Spring 2013 Commencement live at 11 a.m., May 4.
Go to www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com and click on "UT Martin Graduation."