Students Prepare to Walk the Stage for Summer Commencement

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Media contact: Lori Fogleman, (254) 710-6275

WACO, Texas (Aug. 10, 2016) — As Baylor University’s summer sessions come to a close, graduating students prepare for the culmination of their years of hard work and studying: walking the stage to receive their diplomas. This summer’s commencement will include an expected 535 graduates, the largest class ever to graduate from Baylor in August. This follows a record-breaking spring graduation, when 2,574 students received their Baylor degrees.

Baylor University Commencement

Commencement for students from all colleges and schools, with the exception of Truett Seminary, will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in the Ferrell Center. Diplomas will be presented first to students earning their bachelor’s degrees, then to those earning their master’s and finally to doctoral candidates.

Students should arrive at the Ferrell Center no later than 8:30 a.m.

Baylor interim president David Garland, Ph.D., will give the traditional charge to the graduates and present them with their diplomas.

The invocation will be given by Krista Howell, B.S.Ed. (secondary education) '86, M.S.Ed. (educational psychology) '91, assistant dean for undergraduate programs in the Hankamer School of Business, and the benediction will be given by Robby Barrett, D.M. ’02, minister of education, First Baptist Church of Waco.

The ceremony is expected to last approximately two hours.

Truett Seminary Commencement

Commencement for seminary students will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12, in the Paul W. Powell Chapel at Truett Seminary.

Bearer of the Mace

The ceremonial Bearer of the Mace will be John T. Rose, Ph.D., a retired faculty member in the department of economics.

The mace is a symbol of authority consisting of a base and center pole made of timber from one of Old Main’s towers, walking canes belonging to Rufus C. Burleson, former Baylor president, and Gen. Sam Houston, and a sword presented by President Andrew Jackson to Cyrus Baylor for his bravery during the War of 1812. It is used in all Baylor commencements and special ceremonies.

Parking and Seating

Tickets are not required to attend the ceremony.

The Ferrell Center will open 90 minutes before the start of the ceremony, and seats may be saved until 15 minutes prior to the ceremony.

Guests with wheelchairs or walkers, or who need handicap parking or curbside drop off, should arrive early to avoid heavy crowds. There are seating areas available for wheelchair-bound guests.

Free parking will be available in the Ferrell Center parking lot.

Live Streaming

The ceremony will be live-streamed online here beginning 15 minutes before the start of the ceremony.

Photography and Videography

An official photographer will photograph each student as he or she receives the diploma and leaves the stage. Students will receive information via email about ordering prints, or they may contact Flash Photography at 1-800-410-8070.

Students or guests may also order videos or DVDs of the ceremony from Dub-L Tape. Order forms will be available at the ceremony along the Ferrell Center concourse.

To learn more about photo and video opportunities, visit this website online.

by Karyn Simpson, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.