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Commencement

Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony

December 14, 2024

Joe Green Auditorium
South Texas College of Law Houston
Ceremony begins at 10 am.

The ceremony will be live streamed & recorded. Links will be emailed the week before graduation. The recommended number of guests per graduate is 10 guests.

December 14, 2024 – 10:00 am

Get Directions to South Texas College of Law Houston

Parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis to all faculty, students, staff, and families. 

Graduation Requirements

The Doctor of Jurisprudence degree (JD) will be conferred upon students who have successfully completed all graduation requirements of South Texas College of Law Houston.

Graduation Application via Stanley

All graduates must complete the following prior to graduation:

  • applying for graduation via Stanley,
  • completing the Financial Aid Exit Interview and Group Counseling Session,
  • having a zero balance,
  • and completing the Graduate Employment Survey.
    • To complete the survey:
      1. Login to Symplicity (https://law-stcl-csm.symplicity.com/students/)
      2. Click on “Graduate Employment Survey” under “My Account” on the Symplicity homepage
      3. Complete the Graduate Employment Survey with the information that you have as of now for your employment status AFTER graduation and click on Save Changes (you only have to hit Save Changes once and it is submitted) (ONLY THE INFORMATION MARKED WITH AN ASTERICK AND YOUR NON-STCL EMAIL AFTER GRADUATION IS REQUIRED INFORMATION. THE OTHER INFORMATION IS OPTIONAL. COMPLETE THOSE FIELDS ONLY IF YOU CHOOSE TO DISCLOSE IT.)

2024 – 2025 Graduation Applications:

  • Fall 2024 Graduation Application Deadline: August 12, 2024

Please follow these instructions to submit your application by the deadlines above:

  1. Log onto Stanley and go to Campus Life.
  2. Scroll down to the Student Self-Service section.
  3. Click Apply to Graduate
  4. From the drop down menu select the current term and click Submit.
  5. Click on the checkbox next to Current Program and click Continue.
  6. Follow the prompts on each page to complete your application.
  7. Once you have thoroughly reviewed your Graduation Application summary, click the Submit Request button.

Important Information Regarding Your Application

  • If you wish to be excused from attending the Graduation Ceremony, you must complete and submit a Graduation in Absentia form.
  • It is important that we know the correct pronunciation of your name. Although the pronunciation of many names is obvious, some may require special attention. Please include a phonetic spelling in the space provided on the application.
    • For example:
    • Using ‘sounds like’ format (a ‘sounds like’ is a familiar word that rhymes with your name):
      • Kim Lamagna (Kim La-ma-nya, rhymes with lasagna)
      • Jane Liley (Jane Ligh-lee, rhymes with highly)
    • Using pronunciation format:
      • Leslie Costanzo (Leslie Co-stan-zo)
      • David Baranowski (David Ba-ra-nof-ski)

Once you have submitted your application, all changes must be made through the Student Services Office.

Please contact Student Services at studentservices@stcl.edu with questions.

Please join us for your Graduation fair: Thursday, October 31, 2024 in the atrium from 12 pm to 6 pm.

  • Herff Jones will be available for you to order regalia
  1. If you are graduating with summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude honors you will be able to pick up your honor cord
  2. Bar loan vendor information will be available-if you need to borrow funds while studying for the bar, vendors will be on site to answer your questions
  3. Presentations will be given in Garrett Townes:
  • 1:00 pm: Loan Forgiveness
  • 5:00 pmLife After Law School: What You Can Do Now to be Ready for Your Student Loan Payments

These presentations will be recorded and saved to your D2L account.

Caps, Gowns, Invitations, Diploma Frames & Rings

Order your cap, gown, invitations, diploma frames, and rings from Herff Jones at:  http://herff.ly/stcl. If you  have any questions, contact the bookstore at: gradsw@herffjones.com

Deadline to order Fall 2024 cap and gown: November 1, 2024. Pick up will be at STCL Houston bookstore, pick up date will be announced soon.

Be sure to have your finger sized at your local jeweler before placing your ring order.

Story of the Ring

Strength, resilience, pride.

The South Texas College of Law Houston class ring  features images that reflect these bold  characteristics—personified by the law school’s  graduating students and alumni. The bald eagle, a  widely recognized symbol of American strength and  pride, is presented in the same commanding position  as the bronzed eagle statue on prominent display in the  law school’s front atrium. The scales of justice signify a  conviction to maintain the highest standards of fair and  equal administration of the law — a value that is  underscored and reinforced throughout the STCL  Houston student experience. The substantive, open  book represents the volume of knowledge students  gain throughout the J.D. program, as well as a dignified  understanding that they must continue to learn and  develop throughout their careers.

Number of Guests

The recommended number of guests per graduate is 10 guests. Please contact the Manager of Events at events@stcl.edu with any questions regarding the ceremony.

Graduation Questions

For any questions regarding graduation academic requirements, grades, or confirmation of honor cords (not pickup), please contact the Office of Student Services at studentservices@stcl.edu.

A special part of the graduation ceremony is the hooding of new graduates by alumni relatives or designated faculty instead of faculty hood masters. Guest hooders maybe parents, spouses, siblings, grandparents, significant others, aunts, uncles, and cousins of the graduates. You may also designate a specific faculty member to be a guest hooder. If you are selecting a specific faculty member, you must gain their approval prior to registering them. Guest hooders are required to be graduates of STCL Houston unless you are specifying a current faculty member.

  • Please register your guest hooder HERE.
    • Guest hooder information must be completed by November 20, 2024. 
    • Graduates who have not submitted guest hooder information will be hooded by a faculty hoodmaster.
  • Video instructions to share with your guest hooder: Click here to see how to hood your graduate.

Graduates will be able to have family & friends portraits taken by Marc Nathan Photographers at the following times on December 13th in the South Texas College of Law Houston atrium.

The times are 11:30AM-5:30PM every 10 minutes. This will be the only opportunity for professional family portraits to be taken. 

On commencement day, December 14, 2024 all graduates will be professionally photographed by Marc Nathan Photographers on stage as you shake Dean Rensberger’s hand and when you are being hooded.  You will be able to take your own photos and selfies after the commencement at your leisure. However, individual professional family and friends photography will not be taken on the day of commencement.

You must register online to view all of your photographs. CLICK HERE to register and provide Marc Nathan Photographers, Inc. with your contact information or use the QR Code below.  It is imperative to register by December 12, 2024-PRIOR TO the ceremony. 

You may also go to gradphotonetwork.com the Monday following commencement to view all images from the ceremony.  

If you have any questions, please contact grads@mnathanphoto.com or call 281-549-2367.

Graduates must complete all obligations before their diplomas are mailed.

This includes:

  • applying for graduation via Stanley,
  • completing the Financial Aid Exit Interview and Group Counseling Session,
  • completing the Graduate Employment Survey,
  • and having a zero balance.

Diplomas will be mailed to the address provided when you apply for graduation.

If, once you have applied, you wish to change the address to which your diploma is sent, you may do so by submitting a Change of Name and Address. Address changes made via Stanley do not change your diploma mailing address. If you have changed your address online, you must also submit a change of Name and Address form with the box next to “Diploma Address” checked.

Graduates may order a replacement diploma by completing the Diploma Reorder Form (linked below) and sending it to Student Services with their $50 payment. Online payment can be made here.

Any faculty not attending the commencement ceremony: please inform Dean Barry.

Regalia

Faculty regalia orders are due November 1, 2024.  For questions about your regalia order, contact Sophia Campos at 713 646 2977; scampos@stcl.edu or see La Toya Johnson in the bookstore.

Important note: if you joined the STCL Houston community after December 2023 and need to order regalia, please contact Sophia Campos or the bookstore before November 1, 2024 to order your regalia and guarantee arrival in time for the commencement ceremony.

Adjunct professors: if you are attending commencement or have been asked to hood a graduate, reach out to Sophia or the bookstore to ensure your regalia is ordered.

Hooding

A survey will be sent to all faculty to sign up as a faculty hooder for the event. Please be on the lookout for this email!

Day of Event Instructions

(Coming Soon)

Ringing of the Bell Tradition

December 2024 Graduating Students:

If you would like to ring the bell, you may do so:

  • After 10 pm, December 12, 2024

Why Do STCL Houston Students Ring the Bell?

Since the 1980s, 3Ls at South Texas have rung the replica Liberty Bell that sits on display in the atrium before graduation.

Each graduating senior takes a turn ringing the bell to commemorate completing law school, often surrounded by friends and family.

Students graduating with honors will pick up honor cords during the Scholarships & Awards Ceremony on October 31, 2024 from 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm in the Atrium.

If you are unable to attend the Honors and Awards Ceremony, you may pick up your honor cord in the Office of Student Services, Suite 267 after November 1, 2024.

Honor cord colors by cumulative GPA:

  • Summa Cum Laude (gold honor cord)      3.800 or higher
  • Magna Cum Laude (silver honor cord)     3.650 – 3.799
  • Cum Laude (white honor cord)                   3.450 – 3.649

Please contact the Office of Student Services for any questions regarding honor cords at: graduation@stcl.edu or suite 267.

Graduation Stole Policy

As a part of our graduation ceremony, we offer our graduates the opportunity to showcase their accomplishments and leadership in student organizations by wearing a stole. The stole includes the graduate year, student organization name, and board position.

Following is the policy in place to ensure that the ceremony is conducted with utmost dignity and respect.

  1. Wearing a stole is a privilege, not a right, and any school administrator can require a student to remove their stole for the ceremony if it does not comply with our policy.
  2. Stoles are reserved only for board members.
  3. The stole must not display any political, offensive, or risqué messages.
  4. The stole must be the approved STCL Houston stole sold in the bookstore and designed like the sample below.
STCL Houston Graduation Stoles sample

Hotel Information for December 2024 Commencement Ceremony

December 2024

Courtyard by Marriott

916 Dallas Street, Houston, TX 77002 

Rate: $129/night

Booking Link: Book your group rate for STCL December Commencement

Deadline to book is November 22, 2024

Share Your Photos Using #STCLGrad on Instagram and Twitter!

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