The time has come for students to prepare for the spring graduation ceremony on May 16, said Kim White, bookstore finances and student accounts coordinator.

White said the bookstore has a section where students can purchase all of the items they need to be ready for graduation.

The package includes a cap, gown and tassel for $35 plus tax.

White said the bookstore also has announcements students can purchase. A package of five announcements is $6 plus tax.

“Not everyone buys them, but we do have those also,” said White.

White said the first step for students —before they even enter the bookstore — is to make sure they are on the list of students who are eligible to graduate this semester.

An OCCC ID or valid state driver’s license is needed to start the verification check.

Students whose names are on a list created by the graduation office are cleared to buy a cap and gown, White said.

If a student’s name does not appear on the list, the bookstore will call the graduation office and, in some cases, send the student there.

“The graduation office provides us with a list of eligible graduates,” White said.

“We check that list for [the student’s] name, and if [it isn’t] on the list, we send them to the grad office to check their progress … .

“Sometimes they just haven’t caught up the list from the people who have newly applied.”

Once the bookstore confirms a student is eligible, White said, bookstore staff will help the student find the right sized gown.

“We have them … tell us their height, [then] try on a gown and see what size works best for them,” she said.

Caps, gowns, tassels and announcements will be available in the OCCC Bookstore through May 16, graduation day.

Buying caps and gowns sooner rather than later is a good idea, White said.

Although the bookstore keeps a good stock of caps and gowns, she said, running out of a student’s size is a possibility.

“We generally do not sell out completely.

“The only thing [is] if you wait until the last minute, like the last few days before graduation, it is possible that we may run out a size so it’s best to come before then.”

For more information, call 405-682-1611, ext. 7688, or email kwhite@occc.edu.