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Dear campus community,

I am pleased to share that the University has restored the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony as part of spring Commencement activities.
The ceremony will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, in the Student Union Bayou Bijou Theater. 

This event will recognize our doctoral graduates in a more intimate setting — alongside faculty mentors, dissertation and synthesis project chairs, colleagues, friends and families — and will celebrate the culmination of years of study, research and creative work. Graduates also will be recognized during their respective college Commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 15.

As part of this restoration, we will be inviting our Fall 2025 doctoral graduates to return and participate. While the ceremony was not held last fall as a cost-saving measure, it is important that we recognize the significance of this milestone for every doctoral graduate.

The Graduate School will share more details soon.

The return of the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony reflects something larger — our commitment to being responsive to students.

In recent weeks, we have had conversations with graduate student leaders from the Graduate Student Organization and the Student Government Association. One message was clear: the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony is a deeply meaningful tradition for our graduate students, the faculty who guide them and the communities who have been part of that journey.

We listened, and the ceremony is back.

Commencement is a time of celebration across our University. The Doctoral Hooding Ceremony is a moment to recognize the achievements of our graduates and the essential role of faculty mentorship in graduate education. I look forward to celebrating with our graduates and their families during this ceremony and throughout Commencement week.

Let’s finish the semester strong — and Geaux Cajuns!

Dr. Ramesh Kolluru
President