Spring Semester Graduation

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021 - 7:00 P.M.

M.D. Ray Field, Airline High School, 2801 Airline Drive,
Bossier City, LA. 71111

CELEBRATING GRADUATES OF SPRING 2020, SUMMER 2020, FALL 2020 & SPRING 2021

ARRIVAL and ceremonial format

GRADUATES WITH RSVP + GUESTS AT STADIUM (RSVP REQUIRED for Graduate)

  • Date: Friday, May 14, 2021
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. (Graduates check-in by 5:45 p.m.)

There will NOT be a rehearsal for the commencement ceremony. Therefore, it is important for students planning on participating in the ceremony to read the following detailed instructions very carefully and to also look over the attached map for graduate parking as well as the entrance and exit to the ceremony.

We will begin the ceremony promptly at 7:00 p.m. Please check-in at the graduate table by 5:45 pm to pick up your name card, provide the correct pronunciation of your name, and find your place in the graduation line. We will need plenty of time to get everyone lined up, so it is important that you check in by 5:45 pm.

After you have checked in and gotten your name card, a BPCC staff member will guide you to your place in the graduate line. Note that you will be walking down the field during the ceremony, so do wear comfortable shoes.

Graduation marshals will escort you to your seat once the processional has begun. We have set up graduate seating so that graduates are safely distanced 6 feet apart. Please be sure to follow the marshal and then remain standing until you are directed to sit in your chair.

Note: Students graduating with honors will be given an honors cord to be worn at the commencement ceremony. The honors cord is being distributed by the advisor of the student honors organization (Phi Theta Kappa, Sigma Kappa Delta, etc.). If you are a veteran, Susan Stakes, Veteran Services Program Manager, will be at the stadium and will have a special honor cord for you.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR GRADUATES AND GUESTS

While we are in a new phase of slowing the spread of COVID-19 after masks have been mandated for over 10 months, it is important that we stay vigilant in protecting high-risk individuals through our actions. Graduates can invite guests to attend in-person. Stadium capacity should allow for not limiting the number of guests, and we want graduates to be able to celebrate the occasion with their family and friends. However, we will enforce safety protocols and social distancing. Therefore, we are making the following requests of graduates and guests.

Graduates:

  • Graduates will be socially distanced while waiting for the processional as well as while seated on the field during the ceremony. Graduate seats will be spaced 6 feet apart on the field.
  • Although the ceremony will be outdoors, it is recommended that graduates wear masks upon arrival and during the ceremony.
  • As a safety precaution, graduates should not shake hands with the members of the stage party when crossing the stage during the ceremony.
  • It is recommended that once graduates have left the stadium at the end of the ceremony (after the recessional), they should avoid lingering in large groups outside the stadium.

Guests & Spectators:

  • While the number of guests for each graduate will not be limited, safety protocols and socially distancing will be enforced in the stadium.
  • Although the ceremony will be outdoors, it is recommended that guests wear masks at all times.
  • It is recommended that attendee entrance should be escorted. Therefore, upon arriving at the stadium, guests will be ushered to the stands where they will be socially distanced from other guests.
  • It is recommended to limit group seating to not exceed 15 people and it should be limited to persons who are members of the same household.
  • It is recommended not to allow physical contact between attendees and BPCC staff.
  • Guests should leave the stadium immediately following the recessional, as it is recommended to eliminate gatherings while entering, exiting, or moving about.

CAPS AND GOWNS

The attire for graduation will be the traditional black cap and gown and black tassel. Graduates planning on attending the ceremony must pick up their cap, gown and tassel in the College Bookstore. Cost is approximately $50 for cap, gown and tassel.

If you missed the submission deadlines to RSVP, please email Graduation@bpcc.edu by May 13, 2021. In the email, please state your full  name, LoLA ID#, program of study, and the semester/year (spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020, or spring 2021) you graduated.

To request that your diploma or certificate be mailed, please contact the Academic Planning Office at Graduation@bpcc.edu. In the email, provide your Full Name, LoLA ID, Program of Study, and Current Mailing Address.

Graduation Policies and Procedures

All candidates for graduation must complete the following to become an official candidate for graduation from BPCC:

  • Schedule classes required for graduation with an academic advisor prior to registration. Complete the Application for Graduation with the academic advisor or the dean of the appropriate division when registering for required classes.
  •  This must be completed by January 21, 2021. Students who previously applied for graduation but who did not graduate must file another application the semester they plan to complete requirements. Once candidates for graduation have registered, they may not change their schedules without seeing their academic advisor.
  • Students who plan to participate in the graduation ceremony will be responsible for purchasing their caps and gowns from the BPCC Bookstore. All information for purchasing caps and gowns and ordering graduation announcements is found on the BPCC website in the Bookstore section.
  • Any student who submits the Application for Graduation to the dean of the appropriate division is considered a candidate for graduation after the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs or the Academic Planning Director has verified the student’s degree requirements.
  • Complete procedural and curricular requirements. Graduating students must make a “C” or higher in all courses which satisfy graduation requirements.

NOTE: An application for graduation must be verified by appropriate college personnel prior to the student’s designation as an official candidate for graduation.

A candidate for graduation will not receive a degree until the above conditions are satisfied.

Graduating students will take their finals May 3 - 6, 2021 Students with more than two finals in one day may request that an instructor allow them to take the final at another time. Students (including candidates for graduation) are not exempt from final examinations. All grades are due to the Registrar no later than noon on May 7, 2021.

BPCC conducts three graduation ceremonies each year – in July, December, and May. Information on BPCC transcripts is the official certification that students have been awarded academic certificates and degrees from the institution (not diplomas or certificates).

If you have any questions about your graduation status, you may contact the Director of Academic Planning at 318-678-6244 or cadams@bpcc.edu.

In the BPCC Bookstore, caps and gowns for graduation are available, and announcements may be ordered.