Commencement at Oklahoma State University
An Overview

From celebrating the achievements of six graduates in 1896 to those of over five thousand in 2004, OSU commencement day has always been an "orange letter day." As Oklahoma A&M College grew in size and complexity to become Oklahoma State University, graduation ceremonies have likewise undergone changes to accommodate university's growth.

By the late 1990s, the commencement ceremony took place in what is now Boone Pickens Stadium and college graduation convocations were held inside Gallagher-Iba Arena and at other campus venues throughout the day. The highlight of the college convocations was individual recognition of graduates. Commencement featured a speaker, Bennett Awards and perhaps an honorary degree. Graduates were recognized en masse by college.

Former President James Halligan desired to enhance the University Commencement so that students would feel more a part of the larger entity -- the University. A number of changes were implemented to accomplish this objective. A "grand march" through campus to the commencement ceremony has now become a much anticipated highlight of the day. Candidates are presented medallions and lithographs of campus scenes to commemorate their participation in commencement activities. Individual recognition of graduates is a key component of the ceremony itself. College convocations were replaced with college receptions during the renovation of Gallagher-Iba. These receptions also serve as the staging areas for the grand march at spring commencements,.

In spring 2002, completion of the renovation and expansion of Gallagher-Iba Arena made it possible to move commencement ceremonies from the stadium to this indoor venue. Two ceremonies, each including three undergraduate colleges and graduate and professional students, were conducted. A Graduate College hooding ceremony continued to take place on the evening before commencement.

Former President David Schmidly further enhanced commencement activities with the introduction of December ceremonies beginning in 2004. Previously, university commencement was a once per year event in the spring with only college recognition available in December. This transition also included elevating the graduate hooding ceremony to a full commencement ceremony. Thus recognition of students' academic achievement is comparable regardless of the time of year they complete their degrees.