2020 Diploma Ceremony for SPHTM Students

Saturday, May 16, 2019

Mahalia Jackson Theater
1319 Basin Street
New Orleans, LA 70112 

Ceremony: 3:30 pm — approx. 5:00pm (guest seating begins at 2:00 pm)

Commencement Parking: 550 parking spots will be available at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for $15 CASH ONLY, AND IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE.

• Spots cannot be reserved, and there is no valet.
• The lot will open for parking at noon.
• Cars may remain in the lot until 7:00p.
• Other parking options in the area can be found here here.

Day of Details

• There will NOT be a secure place to store personal items during the ceremony. Graduating students are only required to bring their academic regalia (cap & gown).
   
• Students will be lined up to march and be seated by their major and will process onto the stage to receive their diploma cases. (Actual diplomas will be mailed out by registrar’s office)

2:00 pm – Graduates Arrive (Grads MUST arrive on time and with cap and gown. Late arrivals may not be allowed to participate.)

2:45 pm – Doors open for guests to begin seating before the ceremony

3:30 pm – Graduation ceremony begins

5:30 pm (approx.) – Ceremony ends with a second line recessional. Guests are asked to remain seated until all graduates and faculty are out of the building. Reception with refreshments begins in Mahalia Jackson Theater’s park

6:00 pm – Second line to Jackson Square begins. All graduates and their guests are welcome and encouraged to participate.

Attire: Regalia (cap & gown) is REQUIRED to participate in the ceremony. Graduates that arrive late or do not have academic regalia will be turned away. You can purchase your regalia through the Tulane Bookstore (link) and at Grad Fest (link). Purchases made after April 15 will incur a $30 late fee.

Additional attire: The Society and TASA would like to purchase Kente Graduation Stoles for our Spring 2020 Black graduates. If you are expected to graduate this Spring, please put your fill out this form. The deadline to sign up is April 1. 

Special Accommodation: Students and guests requiring special access/accommodation and ADA accessibility due to physical limitations should email Lacey Allen (lallen8@tulane.edu) no later than Wednesday, May 6 for ceremony accommodations.

Second Line

A traditional New Orleans second line will leave from Mahalia Jackson theater 30 minutes after the ceremony concludes. The 30 minute gap will allow students, families, and faculty to mingle and take pictures. The second line plays brass while the crowd dances behind through the French Quarter. This is a much loved tradition of the SPTHM graduates. It’s highly recommended for those who want to experience New Orleans. If you and your family decide to join the second line, please makes sure to wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather!

• Second line map (coming soon)
• List of places to stop, bars, dinner, photo ops (coming soon)

Other: No flash photography is allowed during the ceremony. Guests and graduates are asked to remain through the ceremony to avoid interruptions to other grads and their families. No alcohol or outside food will be allowed into the theater. Concessions will not be sold.

Photography

Candid Campus Photography, the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine’s official graduation ceremony photographer, will photograph graduates receiving their diploma covers. Photographs can be viewed and ordered within 48 hours after the ceremony at www.candidcampusphoto.com.

• A proof order form will be sent out approximately 5 to 7 days following graduation. This form may be used to order official photographs by mail. For faster service, order online. For customer service, please call Candid Campus Photography, Inc. at 1-800-233-3686 or e-mail customerservice@candidcampusphoto.com.

Graduates should go to www.candidcampusphoto.com/sphtm/ to pre-register in order to receive their proofs as quickly as possible following the diploma ceremony.

Diploma

Graduates will be handed an empty diploma case as they walk across the stage. Official diplomas will be mailed after the ceremony by the registrar’s office.

Live Stream

The 2020 SPHTM Graduation ceremony will be live streamed and the recording will be available within 14 days of the ceremony. Details on how to access the live stream will be posted here closer to the ceremony.

Additional Questions/Concerns

Contact Lacey Allen (lallen8@tulane.edu) for any questions or concerns regarding TU School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine’s graduation ceremony.