March 6, 2023
Dear Class of 2023,
Commencement weekend at Tulane is an experience like no other, and we cannot wait to welcome your friends and families to New Orleans to celebrate your remarkable accomplishments. As we count down to the Unified Commencement ceremony on May 20, please read the following in its entirety as it contains important information for all students planning to participate in commencement exercises this spring.
Unified Commencement – May 20, 2023 – Yulman Stadium
The Unified Commencement ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. in Yulman Stadium. At this special milestone ceremony – featuring an academic procession, keynote speaker, live jazz and fireworks display – President Michael Fitts will officially confer degrees upon all Tulane University degree candidates (undergraduates, graduates and professionals).
Inclement Weather Planning
Unified Commencement will proceed rain or shine, unless severe weather (lightning, tornadoes, flooding, etc.) poses a significant threat to the safety of graduates and attendees.
In the event of severe weather, the University will communicate to graduates and guests one of two scenarios:
- Rain Delay: In the event of a rapidly moving weather event, the start time of the Unified Commencement ceremony could be delayed by up to two hours.
- Postponement: In the event that severe weather conditions are expected to persist throughout the evening, the Unified Commencement ceremony would be postponed until Sunday, May 21 at 9 a.m. in Yulman Stadium. Postponement would only occur in extreme circumstances.
The university will update students and guests on any changes due to severe weather via:
- Commencement website
- Text message from the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response. Please sign up for these updates by texting tugrad to 888777.
- Social Media:
Instagram- @tulaneu
Twitter- @Tulane
School Ceremonies
In addition to the Unified Commencement ceremony, graduates are invited to the ceremony of the school awarding their degree. At these ceremonies, graduates’ names are called to cross the stage individually. For a full listing of these ceremonies and events, visit commencement.tulane.edu.
Applying for Graduation
All students intending to participate in Commencement exercises MUST complete their application for graduation by March 7 to have their names published in the Commencement program. Applications can be accessed through the student tab of the Gibson online portal.
Apply to be the 2023 Student Speaker
All undergraduate, graduate, and professional students receiving their Tulane degree in May are eligible to apply to be the student speaker for the University Commencement Ceremony. A separate email will be sent on Monday, March 13 with details on how to apply.
Student Information Records
If a student has chosen to withhold directory information from public disclosure by selecting the confidentiality box in their Gibson account, their name will not appear in the Commencement print program, newspaper listings of university graduates, or any other public reports. This confidentiality flag can be updated through the Gibson online portal by March 7.
Tickets
For school ceremonies in the spring and the Unified Ceremony, there are no tickets issued, except for the School of Medicine Ceremony. Generally, all of the venues are large enough to accommodate graduates and guests without limiting the number of guests graduates can invite. Yulman Stadium has enough capacity to accommodate all of our graduates and guests for the Unified Ceremony. Please note, some of the school ceremonies do get close to capacity depending on the size of the class, so we recommend arriving early for those events.
Regalia
Students must wear regalia at all in-person ceremonies in order to participate and cross the stage at commencement. Regalia should be ordered online by April 16. Once the deadline for online ordering has passed, regalia will need to be purchased in person at the Tulane Bookstore.
If you have any additional questions, please visit the Commencement website or email the planning team at TUgrad@tulane.edu.
Congratulations!
The 2023 Commencement Planning Team
