When and Where

Spring 2023 Commencement Ceremony
Clarence Brown Conference Center
5450 GA-20
Cartersville, GA 30121
Thursday, May 11, 2023
10:00AM and 2:00PM

Chattahoochee Tech will be offering 2 identical ceremonies on May 11th.  Students are able to choose their ceremony time and register.  If one ceremony time fills up, students will be required to choose the remaining ceremony time. Ceremonies are not divided by programs. Guest seating in the ballroom will be first come, first serve.

• 10AM ceremony – Students need to arrive, check in and be seated in the auditorium by 9:15AM for a few quick announcements before the ceremony begins. All guests need to be seated in the ballroom by 9:45AM.
• 2PM ceremony – Students need to arrive, check in and be seated in the auditorium by 1:15PM for a few quick announcements before the ceremony begins. All guests need to be seated in the ballroom by 1:45PM.

Fees

The $40 non-refundable commencement ceremony fee will be paid by Student Activities dollars for our spring ceremony.

Petitions for Graduation

If you have not yet submitted your petition to graduate for Spring semester, make sure to do that before registering for the ceremony. If you have questions about your petition or eligibility to participate in the ceremony, please visit our Petition to Graduate page or email Graduation@ChattahoocheeTech.edu.

Tickets

Free guests tickets will be required. Graduates and small children sitting in laps will not require tickets.

Each graduate will be able to claim four (4) FREE guest tickets. Please only claim the number of tickets you need.

The online guest ticket link will become active HERE on May 4th at 9:00 a.m. and remain live until May 7th at 5 p.m.

• 10 AM Ceremony Tickets
• 2 PM Ceremony Tickets

On May 8th at 10 a.m., any unclaimed tickets will become available. We will not know how many tickets will be released until that morning.

Attire

All students must wear a black regalia set (black gown, cap, tassels) to participate. We encourage you to decorate your caps!  We love to see all the creative designs.

If you do not have a black regalia set, please visit the Cap and Gown Orders page.

Honors

The follow graduation cords will be handed out at the student check-in table on ceremony day:

• Dual Enrollment – turquoise cord
• 3.5+ GPA Honor Graduates – gold cord
• 4.0 GPA Honor Graduates – gold medallion
• Special Populations (non-traditional majors) – green cord
• Student Leadership Academy – gold medallion
• Veterans – red, white, and blue cord

The GPA used in determining eligibility for this honor will be the student’s current cumulative, overall GPA at the time of the mandatory commencement meetings. This grade point average (GPA) will be verified prior to the commencement meetings. The honor cords are provided by the college and will be presented to the respective graduates at the commencement meetings.
Cords and tassels for the members of the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) are distributed by the Office of Campus Life. Please visit Student Clubs and Organizations for eligibility requirements and contact information for club/organization advisors.

Any additional regalia recognizing individual accomplishment or departmental honors must be approved by the Director of Records.

Accessibility

Graduates who require special assistance at the commencement ceremony may contact Disability Services prior to the ceremony date.

For guests that require special assistance, the Clarence Brown Conference Center is ADA compliant. The college is unable to reserve seating for guests with special needs. Please arrive early if you have specific seating needs.

Guests

Commencement is an exciting time for guests and graduates. Please share these details with your guests:

• The ballroom area’s doors will open at 1 hour prior to your ceremony time.
• Please arrive on time. Late arrivals are disruptive to other guests and to the graduates.
• There will be a high volume of traffic in the area so please arrive early to find parking.
• All guests must enter through the front entrance of the Clarence Brown Center.
• Prearrange a designated area to meet your guests following the ceremony.
• Strollers and balloons are not permitted in the ballroom. These items may be left in the guest services area.
• Please silence cell phones.
• Guests are not permitted in the graduate auditorium; it is reserved for graduates and processing staff only.
• Prohibited Items: Artificial noisemakers including air horns, whistles, and confetti cannons.

Photography

A photographer from GradImages® will be taking a candid photograph of all graduates during a special moment of recognition. One or two more photos will be taken during the ceremony in addition to the candid handshake photograph. Graduates will receive a free proof of this photo via e-mail within 2 weeks after the ceremony. Graduates and guests may place orders or obtain answers to questions at GradImages.com or 1.800.261.2576.

Personal photographs may be taken during the commencement ceremony. However, guests and graduates may be restricted from photographing from certain areas.