Ceremony Information
Pinning Ceremony
Friday, May 1, 2026, at 10 a.m. *Tickets required
When
Friday, May 1, 2026, at 10 a.m.
Doors open at 8:30 a.m.; students and pinners report to their assigned rooms by 9:00 a.m.; all others are seated by 9:30 a.m.; processional at 10:00 a.m.
Where
Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
3201 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL
parking and maps
Parking Information
Parking is open in the flat lot and garage in front of the event venue.
View it Live
Livestream Link
Actions & Deadlines for BSN Graduating Seniors
- Order your Pin (February 4th Deadline): An email with instructions was sent directly to the graduates.
- RSVP for the Ceremony (March 6th Deadline): Use the student RSVP form below.
- Order Regalia (March 13th Deadline): Standard shipping. Click here for details
- Attend Rehearsal: Dates and times will be communicated to students via email once confirmed.
- Inform your guests: Share the date, time, and location of the ceremony with your guests so they can mark their calendars. There will be a limit of six guests per student for the pinning ceremony.
Deadline: March 6
Student RSVP Form
Deadline: March 20
Faculty & Staff RSVP Form
Frequently Asked Questions
BSN Graduates
- Attire: Academic Regalia Required to participate in this event. Stoles and cords are also encouraged.
- Check-In: All participating students and guest pinners MUST arrive to their designated rooms by 9:00 a.m. on Friday, May 1st.
- Personal belongings (like purses) must be left with a guest. You will not be allowed to pick up your pin if you bring them.
- Phones must be silenced and kept in your pocket. Your hands must be free during the ceremony.
- Pin and name card pickup will occur during check-in.
Guest Information
- Tickets will be required for entry and is limited to six guests per student.
- Guest seating: Please be seated in the University Auditorium by 9:30 a.m.
- Student recess: At the ceremony’s conclusion, students will recess into the atrium stairwell for a group photo.
- Guests exit: Guests will be ushered outside after the ceremony.
- Meeting spot: Please arrange a designated meeting location with your student prior to the ceremony, as student-guest interaction will not be permitted during the event.
- Accessibility: The venue is ADA accessible. Assistance with wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers is available upon request from an usher.
Pinning & Recognition VS. Commencement
College of Nursing
Pinning & Recognition Ceremony
This is a college-wide ceremony welcoming graduating seniors to the profession of nursing, specifically for nursing undergraduates to mark their transition into the nursing profession, hosted by the College of Nursing.
Students will each have their names called, walk across the stage, be pinned and have a photo taken by the official UF Photographer (available for purchase at a later date). Academic regalia is required.
Please note: It is NOT the Commencement (aka – Graduation) Ceremony.
UF Graduation
Commencement Ceremony
This is a university-wide ceremony, and the only graduation ceremony available for undergraduates. The Commencement Ceremony is hosted by the Office of the President. It is the graduation ceremony, where a nationally recognized speaker participates, individuals are recognized during the summer, academic regalia is required and a degree is conferred by the UF President.
history
The concept of the nursing pin dates back to the Crusades when the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem displayed the Maltese Cross on their uniforms. Following the Crusades, some of the Crusaders noted the excellent nursing care provided by the Hospital of Saint John and decided to join the nursing group. Over the centuries, various schools and craft guilds adopted symbols to use on buttons, badges or shields to represent their training, wisdom, strength, courage and faith.
In 1880, Florence Nightingale chose the Maltese cross as the badge to be worn by the graduates of her first school of nursing. As the profession of nursing developed, each school chose a unique pin to be awarded to students completing their programs. The pin then became a public symbol of excellence worn on nurses’ uniforms. Often, the pins first were put on at a “pinning” ceremony during graduation activities.
Graduates continue to purchase their colleges’ pins to wear after graduation. The unique pin provides an outstanding way to display pride in achievements and easily identifies each nurse’s alma mater to others.
For questions regarding the Pinning Ceremony, please contact:
