August 2014

Students apply for a degree at the beginning of their junior year. One such student was Richard "Trey" Good, of North Dinwiddie, Virginia, who was pursuing a bachelor's degree in packaging systems and designs.

"The diversity of the program drew me to it," said Good, a Presidential Scholarship Initiative recipient, of his major. "We have graduates who go on to do engineering roles, sales, design, marketing. It made a lot of sense to me. I could go in any direction; there aren't many products you can think of that are not packaged. I could go into any industry." The job opportunities are there with few graduates coming out into the field with this major." Degree in hand, Goode is now an associate packaging engineer with Newell Rubbermaid.

January 2016

Throughout the semester, the registrar's office monitors whether students who intend to graduate in May are on track.

March 2

Students must apply for spring graduation by March 2 in order to receive a diploma and be listed in the commencement program. Tech is one of the few large universities to hand out actual diplomas during commencement.

March 24-April 15

The office finalizes commencement arrangements, such as designating college and department representatives for diploma distribution. After faculty members enter tentative grades, the office checks graduation statuses.

April 21

The office receives 5,091 diplomas from an outside vendor.

April 22-28

Staff members — including Clyde Cridlin, associate registrar for academic programs and compliance — proofread diplomas, ordering corrected versions as necessary. The window to enter tentative grades is closed at midnight on April 27. The office conducts another clearance check.

May 9-13

Each envelope is labeled with a student's name, major, and commencement year and term. Diplomas are sorted according to the commencement schedules. As additional degree clearances are performed, staff members adjust diplomas.

May 13

5 p.m. — As faculty submit grades, the office runs a final degree clearance. Staff members check for University Honors requirements and levels of distinction, such as cum laude. If spring grades change a level, the diploma is replaced with a letter promising an updated diploma by mail.

Late into Friday night and early Saturday morning, the office conducts a final check, verifying the accuracy of each diploma and ensuring that each envelope is in the appropriate box.

Saturday, May 14

Even though some ceremonies take place on Friday, diplomas can't be distributed until Saturday, regarded as the official commencement day by the university's accrediting bodies.

6:30-8:30 a.m. — Registrar Rick Sparks begins distributing diplomas. Representatives, including Stephanie Hart, director of the College of Natural Resources and Environment's (CNRE) Advising Center, retrieve their boxes.

Saturday, May 14

8:30 a.m. — As other ceremonies are held across campus, CNRE Dean Paul Winistorfer congratulates Trey Good in the Moss Arts Center.

2016 spring commencement!