Tyler Junior College

Tyler Junior College (TJC) holds its commencement ceremonies twice a year — in May and December — in Wagstaff Gymnasium. According to TJC’s graduation information page, there is no guest ticket limit, and graduates are advised to arrive early for check‑in.

At TJC, the graduation gown and cap are provided free to students who commit to participating in commencement. Honor cords for institutional honors (Cum Laude, Magna, Summa) are distributed at check‑in. TJC also offers a veteran’s stole and pin to military graduates, as a formal component of their academic regalia.

TJC restricts additional regalia: only approved cords, stoles, medals, or pins from recognized TJC organizations or academic programs may be worn alongside the gown. The college publishes a list of approved regalia by student organizations, such as athletics (white stole with gold trim), BSA (black stole), Chi Tau Epsilon (pink cords), Honor Society (various cords or stoles), PTK (blue/gold cords), and program‑specific stoles like purple for Dental Hygiene or maroon for Surgical Technology. Students may wear only one stole at commencement.

Decoration of the mortarboard cap is allowed, but TJC enforces strict guidelines: only flat, respectful designs are permitted, and anything protruding or with overhangs is banned. During ceremony check‑in, caps are reviewed for compliance.

Faculty participating in commencement wear traditional academic regalia based on their highest degree‑granting institution. The publicly available TJC catalog and commencement policy do not offer a detailed color‑chart for tassels or velvet trim on faculty hoods. In summary, Tyler Junior College’s commencement emphasizes a classic academic appearance — graduation gown, cap, honor cords or program‑specific stoles — while carefully controlling which regalia items are approved for graduates.