Graduation timeline (for graduation coordinators)

Pre-term

The online grad app opens the first day of finals two semesters prior.

💡Things you may want to do

• Spring only – identify students who are eligible to participate in graduation but aren’t graduating (prior fall, future summer grads) and invite them to apply.

• Compare submitted graduation applications to your list of expected grads and provide intervention as needed.

• Review completion of degree requirements of prospective grads to give advice for any changes needed to term registration.

• Review students’ program/major/minor/certificates. If any changes are needed AFTER a student has submitted a grad app, contact our office before making any changes to curricula.

Beginning of the term

The Graduation Coordinator will send out the semester’s graduation dates and deadlines the week after the add period ends to all graduation coordinators [LINK: grad coordinators list]

💡Things you may want to do

• Spring only – follow up with eligible non-grad participants who haven’t submitted a WP app.

• Compare submitted graduation applications to your list of expected grads and provide intervention as needed.

• Make your initial degree certification appointment.

• Review completion of degree requirements of prospective grads.

• For any prospective grads who won’t complete requirements, contact our office to cancel the app. You will want to follow up with those students to notify them they will need to apply in a future term.

• Submit any needed petitions

• Submit pointer change requests

During the term

Students who are participating in Commencement prior to completing their degree requirements are referred to as Walking Prior (WP). [LINK: WP App] Students should complete the form and submit to the graduation coordinator for review, and as appropriate, submit to our office.

Spring only - The program list includes all students whose names will be printed in the Commencement program. Note that students who have elected full confidentiality will not have their names printed in the program. This list includes spring graduates and students who submit a WP/WF app.

• Students who submit a WP app after the program lists are due to UMC will not have their names printed in the Commencement program, but they can participate in the ceremony. While our office generates the list for your review, the program lists are submitted to UMC.

The degree checkout list includes all students who have applied to graduate. Departments should use this list to:

• Make sure all students who should apply have applied

• Ensure the correct spelling of names

• Ensure the program, majors, minors, and certificates are correct

• Reviewing diploma names and addresses (no Chinese characters, no PO boxes)

All students who apply for graduation, including students those who are participating (WP/WF) will have a graduation application hold preventing registration automatically applied to their record. The Office of the Registrar will remove the grad app hold from the records of WP students. Grad app holds for graduates continuing in a future term will be ended after the addenda period.

Faculty use the major/minor/cert certification tool to indicate whether a student has satisfied the major/minor/cert requirements. This tool is used for undergraduate students only.

💡Things you may want to do

• Spring only – follow up with eligible non-grad participants who haven’t submitted a WP/WF app.

• Compare submitted graduation applications to your list of expected grads and provide intervention as needed.

• Review completion of degree requirements of prospective grads.

• For any prospective grads who won’t complete requirements, contact our office to cancel the app. You will want to follow up with those students to notify them they will need to apply in a future term.

• Submit any needed petitions

• Submit pointer change requests

End of term

On the last day of classes, grading opens, and instructors can now enter grades. Grading closes at the conclusion of the addenda period (two weeks after degree conferral).

Also on the last day of classes, degree certification starts. During this period graduation coordinators should review records to identify students with all grades posted and certify them in Banner as they become eligible.

On the first day of finals, the online grad app closes. From this point until the end of the addenda period, new applicants should use the PDF to apply. Once approved by the graduation coordinator, it should be submitted to our office. Applications are accepted until the end of the addenda period, which lasts two weeks after degree conferral.

As grades are posted, review students’ records to identify those who have completed degree requirements. Certify students as they become eligible.

Degree certification appointments with our office begin the week of degree conferral. Certify as many as students as you can, but students who have grades posted after degree conferral can still be certified during the addenda period. This period is considered the initial degree certification period, but addenda appointments may be considered as time allows. Preparing for degree certification appointments >

During the appointment, graduation coordinators will meet with Registrar staff to verify degree certification. We will work together to ensure our lists of certified students match and update inconsistencies as needed.

After the last initial degree certification appointment, certification temporarily closes, and will re-open as indicated in the graduation dates and deadlines email.

💡Things you may want to do

• Follow up with your program faculty about missing grades (our office also sends reminders)

• Submit pointer requests as needed.

• Submit petitions as needed.

• Review records and certify students as they become eligible.

Degree conferral

On the date of degree conferral, all certified records will be awarded in bulk. The following degree conferral dates apply to most students:

• Spring – Commencement Day

• Summer – August 15

• Fall – December 31

See all conferral dates >

Addenda

The two weeks after degree conferral is the addenda period. During this period, our office will accept graduation applications, grading will remain open, and we will offer degree certification appointments to continue certifying and awarding degrees.

Post-addenda

When the addenda period ends, degree certification ends and grading closes for the semester. No further degrees will be awarded.

After the addenda period, the Registrar’s Office will:

• Start ordering diplomas

• Close grading

• Inactivate all graduates not continuing in another program in a future term

• Remove the grad app hold from students who are continuing in another program in a future term

• Inactivate grad apps for all students who submitted a WP application (did not complete degree requirements, only participated in Commencement)