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FALL 2023 Commencement

A Celebration Like No Other

Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony

calendar icon Wednesday, December 13, 2023

map-marker icon  Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center

clock icon 6:00 PM

Celebrating all graduate students at Augusta University 

Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony

icon Thursday, December 14, 2023

map-marker icon Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center

icon 10:00 AM

Celebrating all undergraduate students at Augusta University. 

 

Before Commencement

Don't forget your tickets! While tickets are digital, guests are encouraged to bring a hard copy of the ticket to the ceremony as well. Graduates, don't forget to bring your Grad Pass when you check in. This is your "ticket" into commencement and can be accessed through your Marching Order account. 

Day of Commencement

Stay tuned for more information to come for the Fall 2023 commencement ceremonies!

Show Your Pride

On social media, tag Augusta University and your college's social media handles. Don't forget to use the hashtag #AUGGrad!

 

Marching Order 

Students turning their tassels at commencement

Marching Order is the system used to manage commencement operations, including graduate RSVP's, guest ticketing, graduate communications, and grad passes. Graduates must create an account in Marching Order to RSVP for the ceremony, access their guest tickets, and ensure their name is pronounced and listed correctly for the commencement ceremony.

Commencement registration is now open for Fall 2023 commencement ceremony participants. Graduates received this information through their Augusta University email (fall graduates) or their post-graduation email (summer graduates). Commencement registration is open through November 15. RSVP today! 

Having trouble with Marching Order? Email the Commencement Team with any questions. 

Log in to Marching Order

 

Look back on an experience #LikeNoOther

Feeling nostalgic leading up to commencement, graduates? Fill out one (or both!) of these Instagram story templates and tag us on social media, @aug_university. 

AU Photo MemoriesAn Experience #LikeNoOther - Memories

 

In Case You Missed It

All Summer and Fall graduates received this newsletter recently detailing more information about this fall's ceremonies.

Fall 2023 Commencement Newsletter

fall 2023 Commencement

Important Dates to Remember

President Keel shakes student's hand at commencement

"As president and as an alumnus of Augusta University, our traditions are near and dear to me. Traditions like the ringing of our arsenal bell, which symbolizes healing and hope. And traditions like commencement, to celebrate the accomplishments and hope for the future of our graduates. These traditions create meaningful experiences that last a lifetime."

- President Brooks A. Keel, PhD

 

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 15

Fall 2023 Commencement

GradPass, RSVPs & Commencement Tickets Close

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 13

Fall 2023 Commencement

Graduate Hooding & Commencement Ceremony, 6:00 pm

THURSDAY DECEMBER 14

Fall 2023 Commencement

Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony, 10:00 am

video icon WATCH

Spring 2023 Commencement Ceremony

Check out the replays of our spring commencement ceremonies:
 
Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony, May 11, 2023, 6 pm: 
 
Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony 1, May 12, 2023, 10 am:
 
Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony 2, May 12, 2023, 2 pm: 
 
 
A digital copy of the program is also available for your viewing pleasure:
SPRING 2023 COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM

Graduates

Before Commencement

Undergraduate, Specialist, and Graduate Academic Regalia

Academic regalia includes the cap and gown, as well as other distinguishing hoods, stoles and cords that denote traditions of academic achievement. Official Augusta University regalia is used by all participants in the graduation ceremony. Orders for regalia are limited to graduates participating in the Fall 2023 ceremonies. All other orders will be cancelled.

For Associates and Bachelor graduates:

Regalia orders may be placed online via the Jostens website. Graduates may purchase regalia beginning September 11th through October 25th on the Jostens website. Orders placed after October 25th will need to be placed in-person at the RoarStore. The regalia package for associates and bachelors graduates is $49. Students need to use their AU email address to complete their order. This regalia package includes the robe, cap, and tassel. Customized stoles are permitted to wear with your cap and gown. Tassel colors are not guaranteed for any orders placed after the order deadline. All Associates and Bachelor graduates will keep their regalia at the conclusion of commencement. Please notify the RoarStore should you be unable to participate in commencement after ordering your regalia. 

For Masters and Specialists graduates:

Regalia orders may be placed online via the Jostens website. Graduates may purchase regalia beginning September 11th through October 25th on the Jostens website. Any orders placed after October 25th will need to be placed in-person at the Roar Store. The masters and specialists regalia package is $99. This regalia package includes the robe, hood, cap, and tassel. Customized stoles may be worn with your cap and gown. Hood and/or tassel colors are not guaranteed for any orders placed after the order deadline. Masters and Specialists graduates will keep their regalia at the conclusion of commencement.

Business attire is appropriate under the gown. The event will be a combination of standing and sitting, so make sure you dress comfortably for both. For those wearing pants, consider dark pants and shoes.

Website

Doctoral Academic Regalia

For Doctoral Graduates:

Doctoral students may rent or purchase regalia for graduation from Jostens. Graduates may place orders for regalia beginning September 11th through October 16th on the Jostens website. Please be mindful of this deadline, as doctoral regalia is custom-made to fit your measurements. The rental regalia package for doctoral students (including PhD, DNP, DPT and EdD graduates), costs $179. Rental regalia will be paid for at time of pick-up. For a $15 shipping fee, your regalia can be shipped to a home address by notifying the RoarStore with your name, ship to address, and phone number. Regalia rentals will be available for pick-up at the Summerville Campus RoarStore beginning Wednesday, November 29th.

If doctoral students wish to purchase their regalia, a package is available for $997.80. This package is only available for purchase online through the Jostens website. Students may come to the RoarStore to get measured for this regalia or submit their measurements with their order.

If regalia is rented, doctoral students must return their regalia following the ceremony. Returns can be made immediately following the ceremony, or at the Summerville Campus RoarStore during operating hours. The return deadline for rental regalia returns will be announced at a later date. Please contact the RoarStore if you have any additional questions. 

Business attire is appropriate under the gown. The event will be a combination of standing and sitting, so make sure you dress comfortably for both. For those wearing pants, consider dark pants and shoes.

Website

Faculty Academic Regalia

Faculty members need to RSVP for commencement and indicate whether or not they will need to rent regalia to participate in commencement. Faculty who need to order regalia may do so between September 11th and October 16th. Faculty may pick up their order at the Summerville Campus RoarStore or can be shipped to you for a small fee. Contact the RoarStore if you haven't made plans for renting regalia. 

Follow the website below to learn more about what faculty need to know in preparation for commencement. 

Website

Guests

All commencement ceremonies are ticketed events; and all guests attending must have a ticket, including children. Babies younger than one year old will not require a ticket. The amount of tickets offered to graduates will be announced at a later date. 

All ticket information will be announced through AU email. Students will be required to use their augusta.edu email address and student ID number to log in to the portal to claim their tickets. 

All seating is general admission and there are no VIP tickets for guests of graduates. Doors will open approximately 90 minutes prior to the start of the graduate hooding and commencement ceremony and the 10 am undergraduate commencement ceremony and 60 minutes prior to the start of the 2 pm undergraduate commencement ceremony.

If you haven't been to Augusta before, the link below will show you some more about our city, some fun things to do (and eat!) and more!

Website

Marching Order

Marching Order is the system used to manage commencement operations, including graduate RSVP's, guest ticketing, graduate communications, and grad passes. Graduates must create an account in Marching Order to access their guest tickets and ensure their name is pronounced and listed correctly for the commencement ceremony. Graduates must indicate whether or not they attend to participate in commencement through Marching Order. Graduates may use the link below to log in and access their Marching Order account. 

Website

Grad Pass vs. Name Card

Graduates will access their Grad Pass, their "ticket" into commencement, through their Marching Order account. Students can access their Grad Pass by logging into their Marching Order account they created when they submitted their RSVP and selecting "GradPass." Name cards are what students will need to have their name announced as they cross the stage. Name cards will be placed in graduates seats to use during commencement. 

Graduation Announcements

Graduation announcements and additional items may be ordered directly from the Jostens website.

Website

Dual Degree Recipients

Graduates who are graduating with dual degrees may opt to attend one ceremony or both ceremonies, depending on which ceremony their degrees are being conferred in. Contact the Commencement Team if you have any questions: commencement@augusta.edu

Graduating with Honors

Undergraduate students graduating with honors will be designated in the commencement program. Qualifying students will be notified via email. If you're unable to pick up your honors cord prior to commencement, students may pick up their cords when checking in for commencement at the Marriott. Please make sure to bring a photo ID if picking up cords at commencement. 

Website

Legacy

Augusta University celebrates generations of families continuing our rich tradition by listing graduates whose parent, step-parent, or grandparent graduated from Augusta University or one of her legacy institutions (ex: Augusta College, Augusta State University).

Graduates who are part of our Jaguar legacy family will receive a specially designed pin for commencement to recognize their family’s Augusta tradition. If you believe you qualify as a legacy graduate, please email our Commencement Team, commencement@augusta.edu, with your relative's name, their graduation year and the institution they graduated from through October 16 for the Fall 2023 commencement ceremonies. The Office of Alumni Affairs will be in touch with these students about obtaining their legacy pin they will receive to wear at commencement.

Contact Us!

Do you still have any questions about the commencement ceremonies this semester? Email the Commencement Team: commencement@augusta.edu. 

Graduates: for any questions you may have about your diploma or graduation application, please email gradapp@augusta.edu. 

 

Learn our Alma Mater 

"Augusta: The Bell Rings for Me" 

Get ready for commencement by learning the words to our Alma Mater!

 

Smile!

Are you stumped about where you can go to take your graduation pictures? We've got you covered! We've compiled a list of some photo opportunities around Augusta University's campuses as well as some fun spots around Downtown Augusta. Tag us in your social media posts: @aug_university

Augusta Photo Ops

 

Graduates & Guests

Day of Commencement

Guest Tickets, Seating and Special Accommodations

All commencement ceremonies are ticketed events; and all guests attending must have a ticket, including children and infants. 

All convention center seating is general admission and there are no VIP tickets for guests of graduates. Guests are not allowed on the floor before or during the ceremony. Doors will open approximately 90 minutes prior to the start of each commencement ceremony.

If your guest requires special accommodations, seating is available on a limited first-come, first-served basis. Due to limited seating in the accessible areas, a maximum of one person will be allowed to accompany the person with a disability in the designated seating area.

Parking

The Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center's address is 2 10th Street, Augusta. Students and Faculty participating in commencement will park at no charge in the Georgia Cyber Center parking deck, located at 1 11th Street, Augusta between 11th and 12th streets in Downtown Augusta. Family members of graduates may ride with their student and use this deck as well if it works best for ceremony travel accommodations. 

Commencement guests can park in the Reynolds Street parking deck at no charge and use the bridge to access the convention center. Guests who wish to park here will need to tell the parking attendant of their attendance at the AU Commencement Ceremony. Guests will not need to present vouchers upon entry or departure from this parking deck. No commencement guests will be allowed to park in the designated reserved parking spaces in the Reynolds Street parking deck.

Additionally, there are parking lots available on 9th-10th streets, many of them first come, first serve. Please plan accordingly!

ADA Parking Accommodations

ADA Parking is available at the following parking decks:

Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center Parking Garage (located at 9th & Reynolds Street)

Augusta University Nathan Deal Campus Parking Deck at the Georgia Cyber Center 

Graduation Photography

GradImages will be on site to take professional photos of your graduate that will be available for purchase following the ceremony. Text "Grad22" to 39771 for more information. 

Website

Watch Livestream

Non-ticketed observers will be able to watch the ceremony live online. A playback of each ceremony will be uploaded to YouTube following the ceremonies. 

Website

Diploma Information

Graduates can expect to receive your diplomas 6-8 weeks following commencement. Diplomas will be mailed to the address listed on your graduation application. Email gradapp@augusta.edu if you have any questions about your diploma issuing. 

Website

 

Commencement Speakers

Woman speaking at podium
man smiling
man speaking at podium
woman smiling at podium
woman speaking at podium
man speaking at podium

Brittany Kisner, pictured left in top row, served as our keynote speaker for the Spring 2023 Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony. Doug Burks, pictured middle in top row, and Wade Rakes, pictured right in top row, served as our keynote speakers for the Spring 2023 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies. Thank you, Mrs. Kisner, Mr. Burks, and Mr. Rakes, for providing great words of wisdom for our graduates! 

Katie Foley, an alumna of the College of Allied Health Sciences (pictured bottom row, left), was selected as our graduate student keynote speaker, providing the invocation for the Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony. Jasmine Coleman, an alumna of the College of Education and Human Development (pictured bottom row, middle), and Isaiah Maddox, an alumni of the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (pictured bottom row, right), were selected as our student speakers for the Spring 2023 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies. Fall 2023 graduates, this could be you at your commencement ceremony! Learn more about the application process. 

We want you to lend your voice to commencement! 

Applications are open for the Class of 2023 to represent your class at commencement as the featured soloist or speaker for your commencement ceremony. For the student speaker applicants, please submit an audition video via Box to SGA President Dee Mallory sharing a sample of your message to the graduating class. Share why you wish to be the student speaker and what qualities you possess that would make you an outstanding representative for your class at commencement. 

For the student soloist applicants, please submit a video audition via Box to SGA President Dee Mallory of the National Anthem in Bb major (starting on the pitch "F") and the AU Alma Mater in FM. Please also include why you wish to be the student soloist, and any experiences you've had performing solos or in a vocal ensemble in front of an audience of about 2,500.

Commencement Speaker Application

Commencement Soloist Application

If selected as the student speaker for your ceremony, the undergraduate speaker will bring remarks on behalf of the graduating class at the end of the ceremony. The graduate student speaker selected will bring the invocation at the graduate hooding and commencement ceremony. 

If selected as the student soloist for your ceremony, you will lead the singing of the National Anthem and/or the Augusta University Alma Mater. The sheet music and lyrics for the Alma Mater are linked below for your use: 

Alma Mater Sheet Music

Applications are due Monday, October 23. Email SGA President Dee Mallory if you have any questions. 

 

Location

Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center

Both commencement ceremonies will be held at Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center in Downtown Augusta

Commencement News

Young lady sings at commencement ceremony

SGA seeks student speakers, soloists for Fall Commencement

The Student Government Association is looking for student speakers and soloists to represent the graduating class at Fall 2023 Commencement.

Keynote speaker on stage at Augusta University's Spring 2022 Commencement

Augusta University welcomes keynote speakers for Spring 2023 Commencement

Augusta University's Spring 2023 commencement ceremonies will feature three distinguished keynote speakers: Brittany Kisner, Doug Burks and Wade Rakes.

man wearing a health care professional coat leans against a window and smiles

The power of a smile: Dental College of Georgia graduate inspired to serve community

Guillermo Castro has a picture he keeps close to remind him of why he has worked so hard to graduate from the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University and become a dentist.

woman wearing a graduation cap

‘I’m going to be the different one’: Miss Augusta University aims to empower women to lead in male-dominated fields

"I love being the different one, so when I signed up for that first class in high school, and I was one of only two girls in a class of 30 boys, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m sticking with this. I’m going to be the different one,'" said Cierra Williams.

Show Your Jaguar Pride

Celebrate with Us

We encourage the entire University community, including graduates, families, friends, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, to post their photos and messages on social media to honor the moment and celebrate our graduates using the commencement hashtag:

#AUGGrad