Commencement Participation

COMMENCEMENT PARTICIPATION POLICY

• Ordinarily, students must complete all requirements for graduation to participate in commencement exercises. If a student with senior standing has failed to complete satisfactorily all academic requirements for graduation, the college may nevertheless permit him or her to participate in commencement exercises and receive a blank diploma in accordance with the stipulations listed below, at the discretion of the Academic Board.
• Students may be permitted to participate in commencement and receive a blank diploma if all that is remaining towards the requirements for graduation totals no more than four credits fewer than the total credit hours required for graduation, and have achieved a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 overall and in the major. The student must petition the Academic Board to request permission to participate. The Academic Board reserves the right to deny the petition if there is evidence that the student has not made a good faith effort to succeed in the course which caused the deficiency.
• No diploma will be awarded until the student has been certified by the department as having completed all academic requirements and certified by the Bursar as having met all financial obligations to the college. Diplomas will be mailed at the time of commencement each year to those students who have been granted this option and who have subsequently satisfied all requirements.