Next commencement won’t feature the same ‘old’ thing
Louisiana Tech’s spring and summer commencement celebrations have been postponed because of COVID-19 and its impacts on gathering limits in the state.
We don’t know exactly when commencement will be held, but we do know this: when commencement is finally held, the Tech regalia will be new.
“We have been talking about changing regalia for several years now and (Tech Registrar) Bob Vento made it all happen this year,” said Laura Taylor, general manager of Barnes & Noble @ Louisiana Tech and one of several members of the planning and item review team who worked with Vento on the project. “We met with a group of students and Tech faculty and staff to make this exciting change happen. We all wanted to make the new regalia custom, classic, and unique to Louisiana Tech.”
Tech provost Dr. Terry McConathy, Senior Associate Registrar Josh Chovanec, Administrative Program Manager for the Registrar Christol Michele Sterling, and University Communications Executive Director Tonya Oaks Smith played large roles in making the new regalia a reality, as did SGA President Abi Olsen, Student Affairs staff representatives, and Graduate School staff representatives, including Graduate School Dean Dr. Ramu Ramachandran.
Each shared in various duties, including precise color selection, correct branding choices, and negotiating with and navigating through contract issues and requirements concerning the regalia company, Oak Hall.
On Oct. 10 the group met with Tech President Dr. Les Guice, who approved that the University move forward with the designs for all future commencement ceremonies.
The new look
The associate’s degree regalia will feature a Loyal Blue gown with Louisiana Tech-branded sleeves and a blue mortarboard with red and blue tassel. Students may also wear a Tech stole or honor society/club stoles or cords.
The bachelor’s degree regalia will be a traditional black gown with Tech-branded baccalaureate sleeves and a black mortarboard with red and blue tassel. A Tech stole or honor society/club stoles or cords permitted.
Master’s degree recipients will wear a traditional black gown with blue piping and custom Tech tabs on the front yoke along with Tech-branded master’s degree sleeves. They will also have hoods in colors appropriate to their degrees and featuring Tech red and blue satin lining. Finally, these grads will wear traditional black mortarboards with red and blue tassels.
Each doctoral-degree candidate will proudly wear a Tech blue gown accented with a silver-threaded Tech seal on the front panels, which are also trimmed in red piping. They will also have doctoral hoods with degree-appropriate colors and red and blue satin lining. Each will wear a tam with a silver tassel.
