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Information for Graduating Students
Information for Graduating Students
After three years of hard work, sacrifice, and achievement, the most important day of law school awaits our students: Graduation Day. South Texas College of Law has two commencement ceremonies, one in May and one in December, at which our students receive the Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree. Presented here is the key information that students need to know about graduation at South Texas.
Date and Location of Commencement Ceremonies
South Texas College of Law's 2011-2012 commencement ceremony information is as follows:Spring 2012 Commencement Ceremony
George R. Brown Convention Center
Saturday, May 19, 2011, at 11 a.m.
Commencement in General Assembly ABC
Faculty Robing: Room 342 D
Graduate Robing: Room 342 E/F
Reception following ceremony: Hilton Americas Grand Ballroom
Hotel Information
May 2012 Commencement
The Hilton-Americas Hotel: $129 for the nights of May 18-20. The special rate code is 1SC and reservations can be made by calling 1-800-236-2905 or online at the following link click here. When making online reservations, the special rate code should go in the Group Code box under Special Accounts and Rates.
The Hyatt Regency Houston Hotel: $69 per night for the nights of May 17-21. The Rate Code is 91738. You may make online reservations using the following link:
http://houstonregency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp?extCorporateId=91738
ADA Accessibility
Hilton AmericasAll lower level lobbies (A-E) are accessible and elevators are available in all lobbies for access to levels two and three. Access to the Hilton Hotel is available via the sky bridges on levels two and three.
George R. Brown Convention Center
You can view the George R. Brown Convention Center floor plans for all ADA entrances at: http://www.houstonconventionctr.com/Home/FloorPlans.aspx.
George R. Brown Parking Information: http://www.houstonconventionctr.com/Home/MapsParking/ParkingInformation.aspx
GRADUATION PROCEDURES
Below you will find general information regarding expected graduation dates, applying for graduation, diplomas and honors.
Graduation Requirements
- Meet all entrance requirements.
- Earn at least 90 semester hours of credit with a passing grade and a cumulative grade average of 2.000 (C) or better within seven years of the date of first enrollment. No more than 30 semester hours may be earned at other law schools. (See Visiting Student Status.)
- Complete with a passing grade the following required courses for graduation:
- Civil Procedure
- Constitutional Law
- Contracts I and II
- Criminal Law; Evidence
- Federal Income Taxation
- Legal Research & Writing I and II
- Professional Responsibility
- Property I and II
- Torts I and II
- substantial writing (minimum of two hours credit)
- professional skills (minimum of two credit hours).
- Complete the degree no earlier than 24 months and no later than 84 months after commencing law studies.
- Complete all required courses in residence, unless required courses were accepted when a student transferred into the college.
- Make formal application for graduation.
- Pay all fees and tuition charges incurred prior to graduation
- Participate in commencement, unless permission to graduate in absentia is granted by the Dean.
- Attend the college’s bar exam preparation course as a prerequisite to graduation if entering his/her last semester with a cumulative GPA lower than 2.500 (Academic Supervision).
A student can satisfy this requirement only by attending at least 80% of the course’s sessions.
If any of the above requirements is not met, the degree cannot be conferred and the anticipated graduation date will move to the next semester. Examples typically include:
- a grade of “F” or “incomplete” entered on the record or
- credit not received for a course taken as a visiting student. All requirements must be met within a period no later than one year after the original graduation.
The degree will be conferred in the semester when all requirements have been finally met.
Potential graduates will receive their Application for Graduation via e-mail from the Registrar’s office after registration for the fall and spring terms. Upon receipt of the application, potential graduates must review and make any corrections to their information, sign the form and return it to the Registrar’s office on or before the deadline.
- 2012 Spring Deadline: December 13, 2011
Caps and Gowns, Invitations, and Rings
Caps and Gowns, Invitations, and Rings Representatives from Herff Jones are on campus for two days each March and October to measure graduating students for their caps and gowns and take their orders for graduation invitations and class rings. Students may also get measured for their caps and gowns in the campus bookstore during a subsequent week in March and October. For more information on invitations and rings, students can visit Herff Jones online or, for package pricing, click here.
- May 2012 Graduate Fair:
- Dates: March 27-28, 2012
- Times: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Location: By the bell on the first floor
Caps and gowns will be delivered to the bookstore about two weeks before graduation. The bookstore will notify students when their caps and gowns have arrived. The bookstore’s hours are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information about caps and gowns, invitations, and rings, contact the bookstore at 713-646-1756.
Graduation Photographs
While receiving their diplomas and shaking hands with Dean Guter on stage, all graduates will be professionally photographed by Marc Nathan Photographers, Inc. As each graduate walks off the stage, an individual portrait will also be taken. If the graduate will be hooded by a close friend or family member, we encourage them to have their portrait taken together as well as alone. Availability of those images will be sent to each graduate's email and physical address provided by information obtained from each student in the robing room prior to the ceremony. You also may visit www.gradphotonetwork.com on Monday, May 20th, to view all the images from the ceremony.
Wait, there’s MORE!! Following the ceremony, Marc Nathan Photographers, Inc. will be taking professional family portraits in two different locations outside the Ceremony area. Have as many people as you want in the photo!! Please look for the studio lights and umbrella to locate where the photographers will be. These images will also be available online. If you have any questions, please contact grads@mnathanphoto.com or call (281) 549-2367 ext 2.
Diplomas
Graduates must complete all obligations before receipt of their diploma. This includes filling out an Application for Graduation, completing Financial Aid Exit Interviews and having a zero balance. Diplomas will be mailed to the address that is listed on their Application for Graduation. If the diploma is to be mailed to an alternate address, this must be noted on the Application for Graduation. If you wish to change the address to which your diploma is mailed, please submit a Diploma Mailing Address Change form. If your current and/or permanent address has changed, please also submit a Change of Name and Address form so we can update your contact information in our system.
Graduates may order an additional or replacement diploma by completing the Diploma Reorder form and mailing it to the Registrar’s office with their $50 payment.
Graduation Details and Instructions
Each semester, graduating students receive an e-mail from the Registrar’s office containing detailed information about commencement. This e-mail includes all documents related to graduation. Please contact the Registrar’s office at registrar@stcl.edu or (713) 646-1701 with any questions.
Guest Hooders
A longstanding tradition of South Texas College of Law has been for a family member to participate in their graduate's ceremony as a "Guest Hooder." Guest Hooders must be graduates/alumni of South Texas College of Law and be related to the graduate. The Guest Hooder form will be included in the graduation e-mail. Please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at (713) 646-1800 or (713) 646-1803 with any questions.
