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College of Arts and Sciences

Graduation and Commencement

Spring 2020 Commencement has been postponed to December. 

Commencement ceremonies will take place December 11 and 12, 2020. More details to follow.

See Provost Taber's announcement about Commencement.

Questions about regalia? See the note below from the K-State Campus Store.
We have received many inquiries about the possibility of returning Graduation Regalia that has already been purchased. For items that were purchased in store or at the Grad Expo, In light of the current situation, we will allow full refunds on Graduation Regalia. 

If you purchased your Regalia online from CBGrad/Balfour directly, then you will need to reach out to them regarding their returns policy. They can be reached at either https://www.cbgrad.com or 800-433-0296.

 Regarding the process to return Regalia purchased in store or at the Grad Expo can be mailed back to the following address. It is crucial to include your name and phone number with your return, as without your contact information, there is no way for us to process the refund.

ATTN: Graduation Returns
K-State Campus Store
020 K-State Student Union
Manhattan, KS 66506

Please, let us know if you have any questions. While the store is closed, the best way to contact us is via email. The best email to use is 1336gm@follett.com.

 K-State Campus Store Staff

 

The CDC recommends events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out with adherence to guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene and social distancing. Therefore, the university has decided to postpone its in-person commencement ceremonies, which were scheduled for May 9, May 15 and May 16 on the Manhattan and Polytechnic campuses. They will now be held on December 11 and December 12, 2020.

Remember to check k-state.edu/COVID-19 for updates, the latest on cancellations and postponements, and answers to frequently asked questions. 

 

Audience Seating Help

Students graduating with a degree from American Ethnic Studies through Journalism & Mass Communications will cross the stage from the west to the east.

Students graduating with a degree from Life Science through Statistics will cross the stage from the east to the west.

Commencement Do's and Dont's

DO show up early. Plan to arrive at 7:30 so we can have everyone lined up and run the event on schedule.

DON’T enter through the wrong doors. All graduates need to enter Bramlage through the southwest doors, near the Ticket Office. All other doors will be for family and guests to enter through.

DO find your lineup area ASAP upon arrival. There will be signs hanging on the concourse that will indicate where each major will line up. If you’re double majoring, you get to choose which one you want to line up with.

DON’T bring a jacket, bag, or anything else with you to line up. Bramlage does NOT have any storage facilities for people to leave their personal items, so…

DO make arrangements with your family and friends to leave any personal items (jackets, bags, phones, umbrellas, flowers, gifts, etc.) with them so they are not lost during the ceremony.

DON'T bring other individuals into the ceremony area. For the safety of all, only graduate candidates participating in the graduation ceremony are allowed inside the roped off area on the Coliseum floor. Candidates may not be accompanied across the stage except in instances requiring ADA accommodation and when arranged in advance.

DO contact artsci@ksu.edu should you need special accommodations if you are i.e. visually impaired, deaf, wheel chair, crutches etc. These accommodations should be requested two weeks prior the commencement ceremony.

DO wear comfortable/functional shoes. Extreme high heels may make it difficult to walk and keep up in the commencement line.

DON’T decorate caps or gowns. This distracts from the program and may interfere with ceremonial photographs. University policy prohibits the decoration of commencement regalia (caps and gowns).  Graduation regalia is not ornamented.  Wearing of corsages, boutonnieres or any other ornamentation is not appropriate to academic protocol.   The only cords permitted are those that pertain to scholastic honors earned at Kansas State University.

Finally, DO have fun. This is a great day and we look forward to celebrating with you.