• Official commencement stage party invitations and RSVP requests are sent to the university President, Provost, Vice Presidents, the Chair of the Faculty Senate, the Dean of each College/School, and Department Heads. 
• Invitations are sent after the commencement schedule is set for the semester via email, based on a list from Faculty Affairs that denotes the individuals and their direct assistants. 
• Please note, formal invitations are not sent to individual faculty. Department Heads are encouraged to invite their faculty to participate in commencement. 

• For safety and security, only graduates and commencement staff with credentials are permitted in the graduate line up rooms and ceremony floor. 
• At this time, volunteer assistance is not needed in the graduate line-up rooms.

• Stage party members must confirm their attendance at commencement by the RSVP deadline.
• Due to limited stage party seating, we cannot guarantee stage party seating availability after the deadline. 

Regalia

• Hooding Faculty are required to wear academic regalia and are encouraged to arrive wearing their regalia. We suggest that you do not bring belongings with you, as there will not be a room to store them in during the ceremony. Please note: all students, faculty, staff, and guests will be subject to a bag search upon entry into Reed Arena, and clear bags are required (review Reed Arena's clear bag policy).

 

Parking and Check-in

• On the East side of Reed Arena, near lot 100g, use the entrance marked with the banner “Stage Party & Processional Faculty Enter Here” to enter Reed Arena.
• Once inside, please follow the signs for "Hooding Faculty" to the Hooding Faculty check-in area in the lower level. Hooding Faculty check-in will begin an hour before your designated ceremony start time. The Hooding Faculty check-in table is located outside of the lower-level gym.  
• Hooding Faculty check-in will be organized by the college of your primary affiliation and then by last name. Please be checked-in and in line at least 20 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. 
• Hooding Faculty will be seated on the arena floor and are asked to stay for the duration of the commencement ceremony. Once out of the facility, there will be no re-entry.

Processional

• Hooding faculty members will process onto the Reed Arena floor following the stage party. All hooding faculty members will be seated in the front, right section of seats on the arena floor.

Ceremony

• A Graduate and Professional School staff member will prompt you and your student to head to the stage. Graduate and Professional School staff will do a final line order check before you and your student go onto the stage.  
• If you bring any belongings, you will need to take them with you on stage since you may return to a different seat than you were originally sitting.  
• Once the student is called by the caller, you will pause to take a photo with them after they receive their diploma. Please walk behind the student on stage.   
• Proceed to the hooding box and stand on it, facing the crowd. The student will stand in front of the box. A Graduate and Professional School staff member will take their hood and hand it to you, at which point you hood the student. 
• Graduate and Professional School staff will be positioned by the stairs and will provide directions for committee chairs/co-chairs who are hooding multiple students. 
• After hooding the student, move forward down the stairs and off the stage to the photo area. After taking your photo, return to your seat. All graduates and chairs/co-chairs should plan on attending the entire ceremony.

After the Ceremony 

• Hooding Faculty will process out of the arena after the stage party at the conclusion of the ceremony.
• Hooding Faculty members will exit the arena from the same place they entered.

Safety and security measures will be in place. Commencement is a celebration of each student’s accomplishments and every effort is made to ensure the safety and decorum of a public event befitting student success. All guests are encouraged to refrain from disruptive behaviors that may negatively impact this special moment for our students and their families. If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact us at doctoralhooding@tamu.edu.

Stage party members are required to wear academic regalia

• Regalia is available for purchase or rental from:
  • Barnes & Noble at Texas A&M University 
    • Place an online order.
    • Questions can be directed to the Barnes & Noble at Texas A&M University Graduation Department at tm572@bncollege.com or (979) 458-8751.
  • Texas Aggieland Bookstore
    • Phone: (979) 846-4518

• The week prior to graduation, a day of details letter is sent to individuals that have RSVP’d to participate in the Stage Party. 
• Stage Party Members are requests to be robed and in line at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. 
• The ceremony will begin with the stage party processional and will conclude with a recessional. Stage party members will be seated on stage and are expected to stay for the duration of the commencement ceremony.