Student Services

Commencement

Wednesday, May 24, 2023, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC)
123 Vivian Street, Durham, NC 27701
www.dpacnc.com
Driving Directions 

Watch it streamed live on Facebook

Parking

Parking fees are in effect until 7 p.m. Please visit the DPAC parking webpage for nearby parking options, including cost and acceptable payment methods.

Student Marshals, arrive by 2:00 p.m.  

Enter through the main doors of DPAC. Please wear black pants and a shirt, and your marshal sash. View Student Marshal information (pdf).

Student Graduate Check-In and Line-Up, 6:00 p.m.

Enter through the main doors of DPAC. Bags will be searched upon entry. Small bags that can be hidden are recommended. Graduates will need to be dressed in full regalia to participate in the ceremony. Follow the signs to check in at the second floor orchestra lobby. Follow the volunteers or student marshals' directives. Graduates will be lined up to enter the auditorium and directed to their seat.

After graduate receive their diploma, they should return to their seat for the remainder of the ceremony.  After the ceremony concludes, graduates, friends, and family can gather in the DPAC lobby. Reminder: no balloons or flowers are allowed in the venue. View Graduate information (pdf)

Doors Open for Guests, 6:30 p.m.

Guests will enter DPAC through the main entrance. Tickets are required and will be scanned, and bags searched upon entry. Guests should immediately proceed to the theatre and follow signs to find their seat. Balloons and flowers are not allowed in the venue. Guests will be asked to return those items to their vehicles. View Guest information (pdf)

Faculty should arrive by 6:45 p.m.

Enter through the main doors of DPAC. Bags will be searched upon entry. Small bags that can be hidden are recommended. Faculty should be dressed in regalia. Faculty will gather on the third floor. A student marshall will direct you to your seat. View Faculty information (pdf)

Commencement, 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Invited guests, students, faculty, and staff are all cordially invited to attend Durham Tech’s commencement ceremony. The focus of the ceremony is the achievements of students from curriculum (college) and College and Career Readiness (High School Equivalency, Adult High School, Gateway) programs. Since this is a formal occasion, students and faculty who march in the processional are required to wear academic regalia to be admitted in the theatre. Other faculty and staff must show their Durham Tech badges to enter. Business formal attire is appropriate for all.

Accessibility Accommodations

Graduating students with documented disabilities who need to request accommodations for the duration of the ceremony (e.g. interpreters for persons with hearing impairments or alternate print materials for persons with visual impairments, etc.) should contact Accessibility Services at 919-536-7200, ext. 1105 or accessibilityservices@durhamtech.edu to make arrangements. The College may not be able to properly accommodate last minute requests.

Guests of graduates with seating and mobility concerns or who need wheelchair access and/or hearing amplification can make a request directly to DPAC.

Honors Recognition

Students graduating with high cumulative grade point averages in program courses will be recognized as honor students. Honors are calculated according to the cumulative GPA of the student's courses in the program of study not by the total cumulative GPA of all classes taken at Durham Tech.

There are two potential ways that an honor student is recognized at commencement. First, in the commencement program, all students who graduate with a program GPA of 3.25 or higher are indicated on the graduation program with an asterisk showing that they are Cum Laude (honors) graduates. Second, all those students who have a program GPA of 3.75 or higher receive honor cords indicating Magna Cum Laude (high honors), which should be worn over the gown during the commencement ceremony. Students graduating from a college associate degree program or a college diploma program with a program GPA of 4.0 indicating Summa Cum Laude (highest honors) will receive an honor medallion, which will be worn over the gown during the commencement ceremony.

Cultural or Religious Accommodations

Students with questions or requests involving the commencement ceremony that are related to religious or cultural concerns should make these requests in a timely fashion to allow adequate time for the college to respond appropriately. For more information, call 919-536-7200, ext. 8091.

Graduate Photos

PhotoSpecialties, Inc., will be present at the commencement ceremony and will take a picture of every student as he and she receives his and her diploma and exits the stage. Every student will be photographed, but there is no obligation to purchase these photos. Students interested in receiving proofs of their photos will have the opportunity to provide contact information when checking in for the ceremony.

Cap and Gown

To participate in the ceremony, graduating students must wear a commencement cap and gown. Students should not use borrowed or previous years' caps or gowns. Please note that commencement regalia is included in your student fee. There is no additional charge. To purchase your cap and gown for the ceremony Please visit: durhamtech.shopoakhalli.com You will need your 7-digit student ID number to log in and place your order.

Commencement regalia can be ordered online (deadline has passed) and will be mailed to the address provided when placing your order online. If you require assistance, please contact:

• Curriculum students –  graduation@durhamtech.edu
• College and Career Readiness (HiSET, GED, AHS) students – ccr@durhamtech.edu
• Oak Hall website issues – customercare@oakhalli.com or call 800-456-7623
   

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to participate in Commencement 2023?

Fall 2022 graduates, Spring 2023 and Summer 2023 prospective graduates are eligible to participate. Spring and Summer students must have completed a graduation application and received an official graduation audit.

Any unresolved issues must be cleared with the Admissions, Registration and Records Office (Wynn Center, room 10-201 or email graduation@durhamtech.edu) by May 1, 2023.

Adult High School (AHS), GED, and High School Equivalency (HSE) students should contact O’Keishe Wright in the White Building, room 1-108 or email ccr@durhamtech.edu.

Names cannot be added to the printed graduation program after May 8, 2023.

Do I have to order a cap, gown, or tassel?

Yes. There is no cost for regalia (cap, gown, stole and tassel) as it is included in your student fees. 

Commencement regalia can be ordered online (deadline has passed) . If you require assistance, please contact:

• Curriculum students –  graduation@durhamtech.edu
• College & Career Readiness (HiSET, GED, AHS) students – ccr@durhamtech.edu
• Oak Hall website issues – customercare@oakhalli.com or call 800-456-7623

How will I receive the regalia?

You will receive a confirmation email immediately upon ordering. When the order ships, you will receive another email with the tracking number and hyperlink, shipping via UPS. If the shipping address is a post office box or military address, USPS priority mail will be the shipping method.

Honors Recognition

Honors are calculated according to the program GPA of the student's courses in the program of study through Fall Semester 2022 at Durham Tech.

Students with a program GPA of 3.25 - 3.74 are indicated on the graduation program with * indicating that they are Cum Laude (honors) graduates.

Students with a program GPA of 3.75 - 3.99 are indicated on the graduation program with ** and receive honor cords indicating Magna Cum Laude (high honors).

Students graduating from a college associate degree program or a diploma program with a program GPA of 4.0 are indicated on the graduation program with *** and receive an honor medallion indicating Summa Cum Laude (highest honors).

Honor cords and medallions will be received during check-in at the Commencement program.

Do guests need a ticket? How many tickets can I get?

Yes, tickets are needed for the Commencement ceremony. Seating will be on a first-come-first-served basis. Students may request a maximum of five tickets for the commencement ceremony. Each guest requires a ticket, including children. The only exception are infants that don't require a seat. Students will use their caps and gowns as their “tickets” to enter DPAC.

Ticket Pick up will take place Monday, May 8, 2023 from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm and Tuesday May 9, from 8:00 am - 6:00 pm, in the Academic Advising Office located in the Wynn Center (Building 10), room 200. Bring your Durham Tech Student ID Number and a photo Identification (your Durham Tech Student ID or Driver’s License).

Is there a dress code for the event? Am I supposed to wear something specific?

There is no specific dress code for the event other than the Durham Tech issued cap, gown, tassel and stole. However, you will have an opportunity to take photographs or purchase ones from the professional photographer who will take a photo of each student accepting their credential. The most important thing is for you to be comfortable and to wear something underneath your gown that you don’t mind having captured in photos.

Arrival Time

Please arrive between 5:45 - 6:00 p.m. to ensure you have enough time to park and check-in. Please come dressed and ready. Students will not leave until after the ceremony has concluded. The Commencement Ceremony begins promptly at 7:30 p.m.

Is there a rehearsal?

There will be no rehearsal. Check-in and graduate line-up will be conducted before the ceremony starts at 7:30 p.m. 

Parking

Parking fees are in effect until 7:00 p.m. Please visit the DPAC website for nearby parking options, including cost and acceptable payment methods.

If you have questions or need assistance contact:

• Curriculum Students – graduation@durhamtech.edu
• College and Career Readiness – ccr@durhamtech.edu