Admission is free to all functions. No tickets are required and invitations are not
limited.
Seating for the Pre-Commencement and Commencement is on a first come first served
basis. Handicap seating is available; please notify the venue staff at arrival.
Any student applying for initial licensure in any state other than Louisiana must
contact that state's board of nursing for initial licensure application information,
NCLEX registration, and temporary RN licensure.
Ordering instructions • Select your degree: Bachelor, Master or Doctoral (PhD students, see below). • Enter your LSUHSC email address and student ID number. • Select your height, and weight. • Input your address to complete the order.
Regalia will be distributed in the Bookstore in April and students will be notified
when pick-up is available. The only shipping option is for Bookstore delivery. Students
will not be able to ship to home.
Regalia is included in the student fee bill, so you will not need to enter any payment
information on the website. Note: this excludes PhD students.
PhD students are now required to wear the custom LSUHSC purple regalia. PhD students have the
option to either purchase or rent and will need to contact the Bookstore to order.
Pricing for PhD Student Regalia
Item
Rental
Purchase
Gown
$92.00
$770.00
Hood
$54.00
$186.00
Tam/Tassel
N/A
$124.00
April 18, 2025
Last day to purchase BSN Pin:
Purchasing a BSN Nursing Pin is optional. If purchasing a pin, student must do so
through the LSUHSC Bookstore.
Please review the Pinning Request information below for more information on having
a family member pin you during the pre-Commencement Award Ceremony on Wednesday.
March 18, 2025
Last day to submit Special Request for Diploma Presentation:
Students must submit an official, written request to the Dean of the School of Nursing,
Dr. Demetrius Porche, to have someone other than the Dean present diplomas. Considerations
are given for a family member employed as a LSUHSC full-time faculty or an elected
official. The request must include: student name, name of presenter, relationship,
and LSUHSC affiliation.
April 25, 2025
Last day to satisfy all financial obligations with the university, submit name change
forms and verification document, and update the "Other" personal email and mailing
addresses in self-service.
Diplomas for graduates will be emailed and mailed to the address on file following
commencement.
Graduation candidates should arrive no later than 05:30 p.m.
Louisiana Health Sciences Center Shreveport
Medical School (Building C),
Zadeck Conference Room,
1501 Kings Hwy, Shreveport, LA 71103
Deadlines
Date Forthcoming
Last day to purchase BSN Pin:
Purchasing a BSN Nursing Pin is optional. If purchasing a pin, student must do so
through the LSUHSC Bookstore.
Please review the Pinning Request information below for more information on having
a family member pin you during the pre-Commencement Award Ceremony on Wednesday.
Date Forthcoming
Last day to submit Special Request for Diploma Presentation:
Students must submit an official, written request to the Dean of the School of Nursing,
Dr. Demetrius Porche, to have someone other than the Dean present diplomas. Considerations
are given for a family member employed as a LSUHSC full-time faculty or an elected
official. The request must include: student name, name of presenter, relationship,
and LSUHSC affiliation.
July 18, 2025
Last day to satisfy all financial obligations with the university, submit name change
forms and verification document, and update the "Other" personal email and mailing
addresses in self-service.
Diplomas for graduates will be emailed and mailed to the address on file following
commencement.
Ordering instructions • Select your degree: Bachelor, Master or Doctoral (PhD students, see below). • Enter your LSUHSC email address and student ID number. • Select your height, and weight. • Input your address to complete the order.
Regalia will be distributed in the Bookstore in April and students will be notified
when pick-up is available. The only shipping option is for Bookstore delivery. Students
will not be able to ship to home.
Regalia is included in the student fee bill, so you will not need to enter any payment
information on the website. Note: this excludes PhD students.
PhD students are now required to wear the custom LSUHSC purple regalia. PhD students have the
option to either purchase or rent and will need to contact the Bookstore to order.
Pricing for PhD Student Regalia
Item
Rental
Purchase
Gown
$92.00
$770.00
Hood
$54.00
$186.00
Tam/Tassel
N/A
$124.00
Date Forthcoming
Last day to purchase BSN Pin:
Purchasing a BSN Nursing Pin is optional. If purchasing a pin, student must do so
through the LSUHSC Bookstore.
Please review the Pinning Request information below for more information on having
a family member pin you during the pre-Commencement Award Ceremony on Wednesday.
Date Forthcoming
Last day to submit Special Request for Diploma Presentation:
Students must submit an official, written request to the Dean of the School of Nursing,
Dr. Demetrius Porche, to have someone other than the Dean present diplomas. Considerations
are given for a family member employed as a LSUHSC full-time faculty or an elected
official. The request must include: student name, name of presenter, relationship,
and LSUHSC affiliation.
Date Forthcoming
Last day to satisfy all financial obligations with the university, submit name change
forms and verification document, and update the "Other" personal email and mailing
addresses in self-service.
Diplomas for graduates will be emailed and mailed to the address on file following
commencement.
BSN students have the opportunity to purchase a BSN Nursing Pin. Purchasing a Pin
is optional.
The LSUHSC SON pin was developed in 1958 to identify the graduates of this program
with both the University and the broad service area to which these graduates would
contribute as professional nurses. The caduceus embedded in the floor of the lobby
of the oldest building in the Louisiana State University Medical Center provided the
central ides for the design of the pin. This Assyria-Babylonian symbol represents
the Greek God Hermes, who is credited by historians with performing medical functions;
it consists of a wand entwined with two serpents and bordered by two griffins. A band
enriches the replica of Hermes' caduceus on which the name of the University and the
abbreviation for the degrees, BSN, is represented in raised Gothic letters.
Wearing the nursing pin is a source of pride; it symbolizes the right to serve others,
acceptance of the responsibilities of the practice of Nursing, and the educational
preparation of the wearer as graduates of this program. Pinning is a rite of passage
that signals the transition of the student nurse to the professional nurse.
If purchasing a pin, the student must do so through the LSUHSC Bookstore by the deadline
listed above.
The pin will be picked up from the bookstore by the Office of Student Affairs and
will be taken to the venue for the ceremony. The student will be given the pin when
lined up to walk on stage. The student will be pinned by the Program Director.
The BSN student may have a family pin them on stage during the ceremony. The student
must submit a written request to be pinned by a family member. The family member must
be a Registered Nurse and a graduate from the LSUHSC School of Nursing. The Office
of Student Affairs will follow up with the student to confirm the request has been
approved or denied. The student must order a BSN Nursing Pin to request to be pinned
during the ceremony.
If requesting a family member to pin, the Pinning Request form must be filled out
by Date Forthcoming.
Students must submit an official, written request to the Dean of the School of Nursing,
Dr. Demetrius Porche, to be excused from participating in Graduation. The request
must include the reason for not participating.
Rehearsal: Business casual attire or school uniform are acceptable. Follow Guidelines for Clothing below.
New Orleans Pre-Commencement & Awards Ceremony AND Commencement: Academic regalia: cap and gown, as approved for the degree. The following sash and
cord approved: Baccalaureate Honor cord, Class Officer’s sash, DEI sash and cord,
NSNA cord, SGA sash, SNA sash and cord, STTI cord, and SVA sash and cord.
Decorations to Academic regalia are not allowed.
Do not wear, denim, shorts, scrubs (tops, bottoms, or sets), torn or tattered clothing.
Under academic regalia please wear dress slacks {jean, shorts, scrubs are not allowed},
dress shirt, dress)
Closed toe shoes preferred (Flip flops, casual sandals, tennis shoes, cowboy boots
are not allowed)
No purses during ceremony as there is no security guard to watch over.
Gum chewing, electronic devices, bull horns/air horns are not allowed.
Students will be asked to leave if inappropriately dressed
OCIS Shreveport Pre-Commenement Ceremony: Business professional attire is required for graduating students attending the OCIS
Shreveport Pre-Commencement Ceremony.
Blank Commencement announcements, with the official Health Sciences Center seal, may
be purchased from the LSUHSC Bookstore.
Students can also purchase diploma frames through the Bookstore (no shipping fee)
or two different websites and have it shipped directly to their home. The websites
are listed below.
A commencement ceremony, honoring candidates for degrees of the respective professional
schools of the LSU Health Sciences Center, will be held. Payment of all financial
indebtedness to the LSU System prior to commencement, as well as attendance at commencement,
unless excused, in writing by the student's Dean, is a degree requirement
Summer graduates are allowed to participate in the Fall ceremony. A student must contact
the School of Nursing Office of Student Affairs if interested in participating in
the Spring Commencement: nsstuaffairs@lsuhsc.edu. Names will not be printed in the Fall Commencement program.
*Additional School of Nursing requirements include: completion of all end of course
evaluations, Skyfactor's Benchworks exit survey (formerly known as EBI), must attend
rehearsal and awards ceremony. Additional information is listed in the Nursing section
of the LSUHSC Academic Catalog/Bulletin.
Graduating students must complete all end of course evaluations AND Skyfactor's Benchworks
exit survey.
Additional information is listed in the Nursing section of the LSUHSC Academic Catalog.
Students will be notified of any changes to the information above as soon as possible.
