Texas A&M graduates will walk the stage beginning Thursday, May 11, with undergraduate ceremonies and closing on Saturday, May 13 with graduate and professional school ceremonies.
The main ceremonies will be held in Reed Arena for College Station graduates with alternate locations for A&M Health Science Center, Law School and Qatar branches, according to the A&M Graduation website. The doors to Reed Arena will open one hour before the start of each ceremony. Ceremony lengths cannot be guaranteed, but are estimated to be three hours per ceremony, according to the A&M Graduation website.
Commercial photographers will be in attendance for all ceremonies to take pictures of graduates as they walk the stage, according to the A&M Graduation website. Each graduate will receive photo proofs by email and mail the week after the ceremony. For those who cannot attend in person, the ceremony will be broadcasted on KAMU-TV television with an option for online streaming.
Guests are not permitted to bring their own “professional cameras,” according to the A&M Graduation website. The site classifies professional camera as any camera with interchangeable lenses, a lens longer than three inches or an external flash. Tripods, noise makers and air horns are also not allowed at the ceremonies.
Guests are required to follow Reed Arena’s clear bag policy. The policy states “bags must be clear and not exceed 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches … one per person,” according to 12thMan.com. The only non-clear bags permitted will be small clutches the size of a hand, with or without a strap, according to the policy.
For families attending the ceremonies, A&M Transportation Services suggests entering from Olsen Boulevard or Penberthy Boulevard and avoiding Wellborn Road to maintain a constant flow of traffic. Free parking is available in Lots 100a-f with Lots 100a and 100b anticipated to fill up early. Lot 100g will be reserved for VIP guests but the lots surrounding Blue Bell Park, West Campus Garage and Lot 61 will also be open for parking, according to A&M Transportation Services.
