Graduation at USF

Where Did the Time Go?

I know what you are thinking.  Didn’t we just go through the angst of high school graduation, waiting for acceptance, moving out of the family home, and letting go even more?  It sure is crazy how fast four (or more) college years go by. And now your student is living in the adult world, about to receive their college diploma.  I’m not trying to scare you, and it sure is a time for celebration, but there is some planning involved if you are going to attend the Commencement ceremonies.

**Due to unusual and unprecedented times, situations and circumstances for 2020 continue to evolve daily. Please start all your planning for any event by first checking for Covid updates directly from USF.

Summer Commencement ceremonies, like the spring 2020 commencement, will be done virtually. All graduates that intended to walk in the spring 2020 and summer 2020 are invited to participate in a future traditional in-person commencement, as soon as those ceremonies can safely resume. Most of the helpful information you’ll read below comes from experiencing both the ongoing traditions and evolving modifications of graduation at USF. But 2020 has inserted a very large “Just a Minute” wedge into all of our well-laid plans.

Usually…USF holds Fall, Spring, and Summer Commencements at the Yeungling Center.  Doors open 90 minutes before each ceremony and seating is first-come, first-serve (no tickets required). They are held at different times/days for the different colleges. Parking information and directions.

The first thing you should do is book your hotel if you are from out of town. By now you probably have your go-to hotel choice in Tampa, so check their policies about canceling rooms.  Here’s why: you will undoubtedly have last-minute requests for the family to join you, so booking multiple rooms is a great idea. It is a lot easier to cancel a room than to find one at the last minute (again, check the hotel’s cancellation policy). Another tip is to put the rooms in different names. Depending on the hotel, if you have to cancel a room, they may cancel the entire reservation under that name, instead of just one room.

Fall and Summer graduations can be a tad less crowded and easier to book but be diligent. You also have students moving out in December so that makes for a lot going on. Check the website for which time and day your student’s commencement will be on as it goes by degree level and their specific college.

Disabled or Special Needs Info

There is no pre-assigned seating for guests with disabilities. Wheelchair seating is available and these spaces are given on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be aware that the Yuengling Center does not have wheelchairs or other equipment to loan or rent. Disabled parking is located in parking lot 6, on the north side of the Yuengling Center, by Gate C and D. Deaf or hard of hearing guests may sit in Section 113, close to the stage, as interpreters will be provided near this location.

Cap & Gown Isn’t Cheap

Several companies may try to sell caps and gowns. To be certain that you are getting the USF-approved regalia, please order from the USF Bookstore. Advance ordering of regalia for bachelor and master recipients is available online and during Grad Stampede. Regalia will be on sale at the USF Bookstore beginning the week before finals. Prices start at $65 for bachelor’s set (cap/gown/tassel). Students can order honor society sashes and medallions. Students must apply for graduation through OASIS by the deadline to receive their diploma and have their names printed in the program.

HaveUHeard that the color tassel your student wears depends on their major? They are as follows:

• Apricot — Nursing
• Black — Independent Studies
• Blue (dark) — Philosophy, African Studies, Economics, History, International Studies, Medical Sciences (doctorate), Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Women’s Studies
• Blue (light) — Education
• Blue (Peacock) — Public Administration
• Blue (Rhodes) — Audiology
• Brown — Visual and Performing Arts
• Citron — Social Work, Criminology, Rehabilitation, and Mental Health Counseling
• Crimson — Mass Communications
• Olive Drab — Business
• Green — Medicine; Orange — Engineering
• Pink — Music; Salmon — Public Health
• Violet — Architecture
• Silver — Speech Communications
• Teal — Physical Therapy
• White — Arts and Letters and Humanities, including American Studies, Applied Linguistics, Classics, English, Foreign Language, Interdisciplinary Social Science, Liberal Studies, Linguistics, Religious Studies
• Yellow — Anthropology, Biology, Bio-Medical Sciences, Chemistry, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Gerontology, Information Technologies, Medical Sciences (Masters), Medical Technology, Mathematics, Marine Science, Physics, Speech Pathology
• Yellow (lemon) — Library Science
  Yellow (pineapple) — Hotel and Restaurant Management

If you cannot make Commencement, the ceremonies will be live-streamed on USF’s web page, as well as the Commencement site. And, most importantly, make sure your student has met all of the requirements. They will have a checklist of things to do, but it doesn’t hurt to ask about them.  It would be awful to show up to a commencement only to find out your student has not fulfilled ALL requirements.

Other Reservations

Remember to make your restaurant reservations as well.  Due to the crowds, you will definitely want a reservation, so I recommend you calling the restaurant and asking them how far in advance you need to book it. Check out our Restaurant blog for ideas, and keep in mind that May graduation is the largest, and many restaurants may require a non-refundable deposit that will get applied to your bill. I know you are going to want some great photos. You can check out our photography recommendations. Students may still be able to rent a cap and gown to at least get those fabulous photos. Finally, we’ve got some great graduation gift suggestions including diploma and tassel frames. HaveUHeard you can get a replacement or duplicate diploma should you lose, damage or just need a second one? It will cost you $10.00.

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