General Commencement information

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The Registrar’s Office would like to invite you and your guests to the University of South Alabama’s Commencement Ceremony. We hope that you will enjoy this special occasion and congratulations on your success at USA.

The official commencement dates, times and location for the upcoming terms are:

Fall 2008 December 6, 2008 2:00 p.m. Mitchell Center

Spring 2009 May 9, 2009 2:00 p.m. Mitchell Center

The links will provide you with the necessary information and steps to complete the commencement process.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Registrar’s Office at 251-461-1648 or email graduation@usouthal.edu.

Participation in Commencement

All candidates who have a pending graduation application are eligible to participate in the ceremony held for their graduation term. The commencement ceremony for Spring candidates is held in May. Summer graduates and Fall candidates participate in the December ceremony.

Instructions and information for the ceremony will be posted on this website during the term that commencement will be held. You will be notified via your Jaguar1 email account when new information is posted.

To participate in the commencement ceremony complete and submit a Commencement Attendance Form to the Registrar's Office, and complete an online Cap and Gown order.

Candidates with special needs must inform the Registrar’s Office (251-461-1648) of any needed accommodations at least two weeks in advance of the ceremony.

Candidates who do not wish their names to appear in the printed commencement program or to be released to the press, must complete a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information Form through the Registrar’s Office (Meisler Hall, Suite 1100).

Cap and Gown Information

To order your commencement cap and gown and announcements, complete the order process on the USA Bookstore's website - Student Order Form for Graduation Apparel and Announcements. Then, click on the Regalia Rental link, complete the appropriate forms, and submit your order.

All participants must wear academic regalia rented through the USA Bookstore.

Announcements will be available at the USA Bookstore two weeks after you submit your order.

The cap and gown can be picked up from the University Bookstore Monday through Thursday of the week prior to commencement or in the HPE Building (Room 1125) the morning of the commencement ceremony. Return the cap and gown to the University representative after the ceremony in the HPE Building (Room 1125). The graduate-level hood must be returned with the cap and gown.

University academic honor cords will be given to eligible undergraduate students the day of commencement. Any honor society cords will be distributed by those organizations prior to commencement. Students keep honor cords and tassels.

Student Apparel

Men wear dark slacks, white shirt, solid dark tie, dark socks and dark shoes. Women wear white blouse and dark skirt or dark dress and dark pumps. The white collar included with the gown is worn only with the bachelor’s gown. Tassels are worn on the right side of the mortarboard (cap) before the degree is conferred. Only honor cords, honor pins, and honor medallions may be worn with the academic apparel. You may need to bring bobby pins and/or safety pins with you to the ceremony.

All graduate- or professional-level students with the exception of Ph.D. candidates wear their hoods. Ph.D. candidates carry their hoods in the processional and will be hooded during the ceremony.

Instructions for Wearing your Regalia

Hood - To insure proper fitting of your hood, we suggest that men wear a dress shirt and women wear a blouse with buttons or a suit. Hold the hood in your hand by the velvet at the narrowest point. The loop should be hanging straight down. Grasp the loop in your right hand and place the hood over your head so the loop continues to hang straight down the front of your neck. Fasten the loops over a button on your shirt/blouse or jacket, or you may pin it in place. This will prevent the hood from pressing on your throat. Midway down the back of the hood you will find another satin cord and loop. Fasten this loop around the button on the inside of the hood to prevent the hood from falling off your shoulders. This may require the assistance of another person. Be sure to have someone “fluff” the back of the hood just below the button, i.e., turn the velvet side underneath to expose the satin colors on the inside. Assistance will be available by Bookstore personnel in the HPE Building, Room 1125 on the day of commencement.

Personal items are not allowed in the HPE Building or the Mitchell Center.

Photographs

M&A Studios is the official photographer for the USA commencement. M&A Studios will be at the USA Bookstore on October 15-17 for Graduate Appreciation Days.

Academic Honors

Undergraduate candidates eligible for tentative academic honors will be notified through their Jaguar1 email accounts one month prior to commencement. Since commencement occurs before the official end of the term, final grades cannot be determined in time for inclusion in the printed commencement program. Thus tentative honors, based on the student’s academic record through the end of the last term completed, will appear in the printed commencement program and will be recognized in the ceremony. Final official honors will be computed after all grades are processed at the end of the term for the last term of attendance, and will appear on the student’s diploma and transcript.

Students who have at least 60 GPA hours in residence with a grade point average of 3.50 or better at the University of South Alabama are graduated with distinction. Transfer credit hours are not included in the determination of academic honors. Academic honors are not awarded for second degree, graduate degrees, or professional degrees.

Cum Laude 3.50 – 3.69
Magna Cum Laude 3.70 – 3.89
Summa Cum Laude 3.90 – 4.00

Questions concerning tentative honors should be resolved prior to commencement by contacting the Registrar’s Office (University of South Alabama, Registrar’s Office, Meisler Hall, Suite 1100, Mobile, AL 36688).

Guest Information

Click here to view guest information on commencement.

Diploma Information

To check your diploma mailing address on file, go to your PAWS account and view Addresses and Phones under Personal Information. If corrections are needed, you must complete and return the Diploma Mailing Address Change Form to the Registrar’s Office by the posted deadline. After the deadline, the form will not be available on the website and you must contact the Registrar’s Office (251-461-1648 or graduation@usouthal.edu) to make any changes. Diploma covers are only given to students participating in the commencement ceremony.

Your diploma will not be sent if you have any outstanding financial obligations to the University. You can check your PAWS account for any holds. Once the holds are cleared, contact the Registrar’s Office and your diploma will be sent. Unclaimed diplomas become the property of the University after one calendar year and will be destroyed at that time.

Any changes to the diploma name submitted on the graduation application must be sent with supporting documentation to the Registrar’s Office prior to commencement. Contact the Registrar’s Office (251-461-1648 or graduation@usouthal.edu) for further instructions.

To order a duplicate diploma complete and return to the Registrar’s Office (University of South Alabama, Registrar’s Office, Meisler Hall, Suite 1100, Mobile, AL 36688) the Duplicate/Replacement Diploma Order Form including the $25.00 fee.

To replace a damaged diploma complete and return to the Registrar’s Office (University of South Alabama, Registrar’s Office, Meisler Hall, Suite 1100, Mobile, AL 36688) the Duplicate/Replacement Diploma Order Form including the $25.00 fee. The original diploma must also be returned.

For a notarized copy of your diploma contact the Registrar’s Office ( 251-461-1648 or graduation@usouthal.edu.)

If you have not received your diploma 6 weeks after the end of term contact the Registrar’s Office (251-461-1648 or graduation@usouthal.edu.)