In honor of our UTEP graduates, we would like to highlight the history of UTEP Commencement. First founded in 1913 as the State School of Mines and Metallurgy, UTEP is the second oldest academic component of The University of Texas System. However, it wasn’t until 1980 that the graduations acquired a bit more school pride💙🧡, when drama department faculty member C.L. Etheridge suggested that the school should stop borrowing regalia for special occasions and develop its own unique regalia.
President Haskell Monroe then established the University Heritage Commission to raise funds for the creation of official regalia, which included a mace, chains of office for the President and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, a UTEP banner and seal (picture 2), and a banner and seal for each of the colleges! Each banner bears a unique seal with symbols and colors to represent each college.
This year, UTEP will be celebrating the largest graduating cohort in UTEP’s history, with more than 3,140 spring and summer graduation candidates!🎉
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Want to congratulate your grad with a piece of home? We’ve got a giftbox just for that🤩🎓
