Preparing for the Ceremony

Commencement exercises will be held at the Townsley Law Arena (700 E McNeese St, Lake Charles, LA 70607). Ceremony times for each college are listed on the main Commencement page.

Regalia and Attire
Guest Information
Decorum for Graduates and Guests
Parking Information
Miscellaneous
Emergency Procedures

Regalia and Attire

All students participating in graduation must wear appropriate academic regalia (i.e., cap and gown). When completing the Application for Degree, students will be asked to provide personal information to ensure that their caps and gowns are fitted properly.

Regalia should be picked up during GradFest.
Beginning the Monday after GradFest (no earlier), students unable to attend GradFest can:

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Caps can be decorated, but gowns cannot! See the Commencement Policy for more information.

Honor Cords & Other Accessories 

• Honor cords will be distributed at the Townsley Arena during rehearsal. The Office of the Registrar and Admissions must wait for all final grades to be posted before calculating academic honors. 

• Other cords, stoles, or medals from your college, department, or organizations must be obtained directly from them. Neither the Commencement Committee nor the Team Store will have information about these items. 

• Cords and stoles not provided by a University entity may not be worn inside the Townlsey Arena. However, you may wear them for pictures before and after the ceremony. 

Recommended attire:

Gentlemen should wear dark pants with an appropriate shirt and soft-soled dress shoes appropriate for standing and walking on concrete. Neckties are encouraged but not required.

Ladies may wear dresses or skirts or dark pants and blouses. We recommend soft-soled dress shoes appropriate for standing and walking on concrete, such as flats or heels less than two inches.

Tennis shoes, sneakers, flip-flops, sandals, and other casual footwear should be avoided.

Anyone whose attire is deemed to be inappropriate for the occasion of commencement may not be permitted to participate in the ceremony.

For questions or concerns about attire, please email commencement@mcneese.edu.

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Guests

Admission:

Tickets are NOT required.
Guests will be admitted into the Arena starting 1.5 hours before the ceremony begins.
Holding or reserving seats is not allowed. Guests should plan to arrive together.

Safety and security:

Only faculty, staff, and graduates will be allowed on the floor of the arena. After the ceremony, please arrange to meet graduate(s) outside of the Arena or at an off-site location.

ONLY CLEAR BAGS no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″ will be allowed inside the arena.
All bags are subject to search. Camera bags and diaper bags are permitted but subject to search.

An elevator is available on the northwest corner of the Townsley Law Arena lobby.

Upper-level seating areas at the Townsley Law Arena feature accessible seating for guests in wheeled chairs or guests unable to use stairs. Space on these landings is limited, so guests wishing to sit on landings are encouraged to arrive early.

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Decorum for Graduates and Guests

Please observe the following guidelines:

Graduates should turn off electronic devices during the ceremony.

Artificial noisemakers (e.g., air horns) are strictly prohibited! Please recognize your graduate with applause only, and be considerate of the other graduates and their guests. Excessive noise after one name is called can prevent the next person’s name from being heard.

Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. (For example: the use or consumption of any substances before or during the ceremony, or anyone who creates disturbances during the ceremony.) Violators may be escorted from the floor or the Arena.

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Parking

Refer to the map below for parking information. Overflow parking for guests will be located on the main campus in the parking lot on the east side of Drew Hall or the parking garage.

Below is a link to download a PDF of the parking map.

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Miscellaneous Information

Honors College graduate medals will be presented by the president during the ceremony.

Honor graduate (cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude) cords and veteran cords will be distributed upon arrival at the Townsley Law Arena.

The commencement ceremonies will be livestreamed on the McNeese YouTube channel for any guests unable to attend in person.

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Emergency Procedures

University and local law enforcement officials will be on-hand during commencement exercises. Should an emergency occur, law enforcement officials will attend to the situation. Should an evacuation of the facility be necessary, attendees will be notified of evacuation procedures, and law enforcement officials will assist in maintaining the safety and security of everyone present during the evacuation.