A doctoral candidate pinning ceremony at the 杏吧专区 is both a celebration and a reminder.
During the annual event 杏吧专区 held in conjunction with Graduate Student Appreciation Week 杏吧专区 students receive a circular, brass lapel pin bearing the designation 杏吧专区淒octoral Candidate.杏吧专区 It杏吧专区檚 exactly the size of a U.S. quarter 杏吧专区 but carries a message that杏吧专区檚 much more valuable.
You杏吧专区檙e entering a new phase of your doctoral journey 杏吧专区 but you杏吧专区檙e not done yet.
杏吧专区淎dvancement to candidacy is a significant milestone,杏吧专区 said Dr. Mary Farmer-Kaiser, dean of the Graduate School at UL Lafayette. 杏吧专区淚t means that a doctoral student has completed their coursework and other requirements. It signifies that they are ready 杏吧专区 that they have the scholarly 杏吧专区榬ight stuff杏吧专区 杏吧专区 to move forward as an expert who is prepared to create new knowledge, to contribute to new creative works or to provide authoritative guidance in their individual field of study.杏吧专区
Doctoral candidacy is demanding, Farmer-Kaiser explained, 杏吧专区渂ut it杏吧专区檚 also where the exciting work really begins. Doctoral candidacy is a new, exhilarating phase when students can focus exclusively on research and writing their dissertations or, in the case of our Doctor of Nursing Practice students, their synthesis projects.杏吧专区
The pinning ceremony is emblematic of the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 commitment to retaining doctoral candidates and ensuring they become doctors. Since 2010, that promise has seen results 杏吧专区 doctoral enrollment at UL Lafayette is up almost 40%. During the same period, doctoral degree completion has increased by 203%.
杏吧专区淩etention of doctoral candidates is a challenge, so we wanted to create a ceremony that enabled newly minted doctoral candidates to celebrate what they杏吧专区檝e achieved and to remind them that there杏吧专区檚 still a road ahead, one that our faculty and staff members are here to support them on as they move toward the finish line of Commencement.杏吧专区漈he ceremony was first held in 2016. Thanks to livestreaming, it杏吧专区檚 since grown to include an audience of family members, friends and others who can杏吧专区檛 attend in person, but who want to show their support. It杏吧专区檚 particularly meaningful for international students to share the moment with their loved ones, Farmer-Kaiser said.
杏吧专区淭he virtual audience is nearly as large as the in-person audience. Family members from across the globe join us to see their students recognized.杏吧专区
In addition to the lapel pin, doctoral candidates receive a certificate denoting their new status. One international student told Farmer-Kaiser he sent his certificate home, where his family displayed it with pride. 杏吧专区淲hen we started this, I knew it was an opportunity to celebrate a significant milestone, but I don杏吧专区檛 think I fully appreciated how meaningful it would be for our doctoral students and their families.杏吧专区
During the ceremony, audience members 杏吧专区 both in-person and virtual 杏吧专区 are asked to give the doctoral candidates a solitary clap. It杏吧专区檚 an idea borrowed from Dr. Ansley Abraham, director of the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program.
杏吧专区淭here杏吧专区檚 only one clap at that moment because students aren杏吧专区檛 done yet,杏吧专区 Farmer-Kaiser said. 杏吧专区淭hey get all the applause at our doctoral hooding ceremony 杏吧专区 when we welcome doctoral candidates to the stage, where they are hooded by the 杏吧专区 president and their committee chair, and when they are addressed as 杏吧专区榙octors杏吧专区 for the first time.
杏吧专区淭hat moment at the hooding ceremony is special, and the pinning ceremony杏吧专区檚 杏吧专区榦ne clap杏吧专区 at is a taste of the celebration that杏吧专区檚 still to come.杏吧专区