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Graduation
Southern Wesleyan University 2011 Winter Graduation Exercises
Information for Graduates and Guests (Updated 08/29/2011)
(For a printable pdf version, click here*)
I. Ceremonies
II. Graduation Timeline
III. Graduation Day Schedule
IV. Academic Regalia
V. Alumni Receptions
VI. Applause
VII. Applications
VIII. Appropriate Attire for Graduates
IX. Baccalaureate
X. Cameras, Photographs, and Videos
XI. Cell Phones and pagers
XII. Diplomas
XIII. Food Service
XIV. Honors
XV. Invitations and class rings
XVI. Memorabilia
XVII. Multiple Degrees
XVIII. Nursery/Childcare
XIX. Parking and Travel time to campus
XX. Processional
XXI. Rehearsal
XXII. Tickets
Top of page
I. Ceremonies:
The 2012 Spring Graduation Exercises of Southern Wesleyan University will be held on Thursday, May 3, 2012 and Saturday, May 5, 2012 in the Newton Hobson Chapel and Fine Arts Center on the Southern Wesleyan University Campus in Central, S.C. There will be two ceremonies. Graduating students will be allowed to participate only in their assigned ceremony. Students are assigned to each ceremony based on their program and location.
Students will participate in the ceremonies as follows:
Thursday, May 3, 2012………….…………………………..…………………..3 p.m.
Students in the Traditional Program receiving the following degrees:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Science
Saturday, May 5, 2012 ……….....……………………………………………...2 p.m.
Students in the Adult and Graduate Studies programs from all locations receiving the following degrees:
- Associate of Arts
- Associate of Science
- Bachelor of Science
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Education
- Master of Ministry
- Master of Science
November 12, 2011 - Initial Traditional Program Application Deadline
January 17, 2012 - Applications mailed to potential AGS graduates
February 15, 2012 - AGS Application Deadline
February 20, 2012 - List of students sent to Herff-Jones for invitations/announcements mailing
March 1, 2012 - Regalia Order to Herff-Jones
March 1, 2012 - Diploma Order to Herff-Jones
March 21, 2012 - List of Candidates to Academic Council/Faculty/BOT for approval
March 23, 2012 - Letter to all students who applied for graduation
April 5, 2012 - Traditional Program - financial obligations must be cleared
April 5, 2012 - Traditional Program - all graduation requirements, excluding current courses, must be complete (including credit by exam, CLEP, & all official transcripts from other Institutions.)
April 5, 2012 - AGS - financial obligations must be cleared
April 5, 2012 - AGS - All transfer course official transcripts and CLEP or DANTES official score reports must be received by Academic Records
April 9, 2012 - Ceremony work assignments emailed to SWU Employees
April 13, 2012 - AGS - Letter to AGS students who applied but are ineligible to graduate
April 18, 2012 - AGS – Honors letter (Approximately 2 weeks prior to ceremony)
April 18, 2012 - Regalia mailed to AGS students who are participating in the ceremony
April 18, 2012 - Letter to all students participating in ceremony (AGS includes tickets)
April 23, 2012 - Final Program to Printers
April 23, 2012 - Traditional Program students pick up regalia from Academic Records
April 30, 2012 - Requested Program Delivery Date
May 3, 2012 - 10 a.m.: Baccalaureate Service
May 3, 2012 - 3 p.m. - Graduation Ceremony for students in the Traditional Program
May 5, 2012 - 2 p.m. - Graduation Ceremony for students in the AGS Programs
May 5, 2012 - Official Degree Conferral Date
May 7, 2012 - 4 p.m. - final grades due for all students in Traditional Program Spring Semester
May 10, 2012 - Diplomas mailed to Graduates who successfully completed all obligations/requirements
May 25, 2012 - Diplomas ordered for late applicants and reorders (all 4 to 6 weeks to receive)
Students assemble in Lower Level of the University Dining Commons for rehearsal. Guests with tickets should go directly to Newton Hobson Chapel and Fine Arts Center. Guests without tickets will be directed to the overflow areas (Newton Hobson Chapel and Fine Arts Center Classrooms) to view the ceremony on closed circuit television. Graduates should make arrangements with their family members ahead of time to keep their valuables. There is not a secure location in the rehearsal area to leave items during the ceremony. Southern Wesleyan University is not responsible for items left in the rehearsal area during the ceremony.
Thursday May 3, 2012 Ceremony
9:30 a.m. - Baccalaureate Service line-up
10 a.m. - Baccalaureate Service
1 p.m. - Graduates must check-in no later than 1:30 p.m. (University Dining Commons)
2 p.m. - Rehearsal (instructions, group picture, name pronunciation check)
2:30 p.m. - Devotions
2:55 p.m. - Processional
3 p.m. - Ceremony
Saturday May 5, 2012 2 p.m. Ceremony
12 p.m. - Graduates must check-in no later than 12:30 PM (University Dining Commons)
1 p.m. - Rehearsal (instructions, group picture, name pronunciation check)
1:30 p.m. - Devotions
1:55 p.m. - Processional
2 p.m. - Ceremony
The style of each academic gown indicates the highest degree earned by the wearer: bachelors–long, pointed sleeves; masters–long, closed sleeves with the arm going through a slit, giving the appearance of short-sleeves; doctors–full, round, and open, with three bars of velvet on each sleeve. The bars may be black or the color designating the major discipline.
Some universities have adopted an official doctoral gown incorporating the school colors.
These are examples worn by several Southern Wesleyan University Faculty:
Clemson University - Purple and Orange
University of Colorado - Gold and Silver
University of South Carolina- Garnet and Black
The academic hood is an ornamental fold that goes around the neck and hangs down the back of the gown. The hood is lined in the official colors of the university that awarded the degree; the color of the facing indicates the degree.
Holders of all degrees wear caps with a long tassel conforming to the degree earned, except that doctors may wear tassels of gold thread.
The following colors have been established by the Intercollegiate Commission:
- Apricot - Nursing
- Brown - Fine Arts, including Architecture
- Citron - Social Work
- Copper - Economics
- Crimson - Journalism
- Dark Blue - Philosophy
- Drab - Commerce, Accountancy, Business
- Gray - Veterinary Science
- Green - Medicine
- Lemon - Library Science
- Light Blue - Education
- Lilac - Dentistry
- Maize - Agriculture
- Olive Green - Pharmacy
- Orange - Engineering
- Peacock Blue - Public Administration, including Foreign Service
- Pink - Music
- Pink - Public Health Salmon
- Purple - Law
- Russet - Forestry
- Sage Green - Physical Education
- Scarlet - Theology
- Silver Gray - Oratory (Speech)
- White - Arts, Letters, Humanities
- Yellow - Science Golden
V. Alumni Receptions
The Alumni Center will be hosting receptions at each regional learning center during the weeks leading up the ceremonies.
VI. Applause:
When your name is called and you walk across the platform, your family is invited to stand in recognition of your achievement. Whistling and boisterous behavior is considered inappropriate. Applause is reserved for those earning honor; after all diplomas have been awarded, all graduates will be applauded.
You must apply to graduate, regardless of whether you plan to participate in the ceremony or not. The deadline to apply is indicated in section II. If you plan to graduate in May 2012 but have not applied, please contact Academic Records immediately. We need your application so that we may check to see if you have met all requirements and so we can order your diploma and regalia. Students who do not meet all the appropriate deadlines will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony and will have to wait until December 2012 to earn their degree.
VIII. Appropriate Attire for Graduates:
This is a time of final honoring of members of the class. When in academic regalia, individuals should not try to draw attention to themselves by wearing flashy clothing or extraneous decorations. Dark trousers and shoes along with shirt and tie are appropriate dress for men; dresses are advised for women. Please press your robe!
IX. Baccalaureate:
A Baccalaureate Service (Formal, Academic Worship Service) will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, May 3, 2012. AGS students wishing to participate in this service should notify Academic Records at least three weeks prior to the ceremony in order to be included in the printed program.
X. Cameras, Photographs, and Videos:
A professional photographer will photograph you receiving your diploma from the president. You will receive an opportunity to purchase copies of these photos directly from the photographer approximately one week after the ceremony.
Cameras are allowed at Commencement, but those using video cameras are requested to sit in the back rows or balcony, in order not to block the view of other guests. Due to limited seating, tripods may not be used.
Video recordings of the ceremony may be purchased from SWU. This is not a professional video, but taping is done from the auditorium sound booth, which allows for better audio and video quality than can be achieved from the audience. To order, please email techsupport@swu.edu.
XI. Cell Phones and pagers:
Please make sure your cell phone and pager are turned off. Also ask your guests to turn off their cell phones and pagers during the service.
XII. Diplomas
During the graduation ceremonies, students will be given a decorative diploma cover. Diplomas will be mailed to graduates once all graduation requirements and financial obligations have been certified as met. The diploma is a ceremonial document which specifies the degree only. Major course of study is indicated only on the official academic transcript. One copy of the diploma is issued at graduation. Additional diplomas may be ordered for a fee from Academic Records.
All Diplomas will be printed with the “Official Degree Conferral Date” indicated in the calendar above, regardless of the ceremony in which the graduate participates.
Pocket diplomas are no longer available to Southern Wesleyan University graduates.
XIII. Food Service:
The on-campus Snack Shop, Java City (Coffee shop) and Campus Dining Services will be open on Graduation Day.
XIV. Honors:
For Latin Honors, calculation of the cumulative grade point average is based on all work attempted in college, at least fifty-two hours of which must be from Southern Wesleyan University. This includes all work attempted at the collegiate level, regardless of whether the credit transferred or not. Based on that gpa, Latin Honors are awarded as follows:
- Summa cum laude ("with highest praise"), indicated by an honor medallion and a double honor cord, denotes a cumulative gpa of 3.80 or above.
- Magna cum laude ("with high praise"), indicated by a double honor cord, denotes a cumulative gpa of 3.60 to 3.79.
- Cum laude ("with praise"), indicated by a single honor cord, denotes a cumulative gpa of 3.40 to 3.59.
- University Honors: In the event that a student is ineligible for Latin Honors but has achieved a cumulative SWU GPA of at least 3.8 on no less than 60 credits earned at Southern Wesleyan University, that student will be assigned the designation of “university honors.”
Αχ recognizes membership in Alpha Chi Honor Society, open to the top ten percent of the senior class (traditional program). The name is derived from the initial letters of αλήθεια (truth) and χαρακτήρ (character). Membership is indicated by the blue and green honor cord.
The Faculty Marshal is the senior faculty member; the Marshal is the junior with highest GPA.
Junior academic leaders serve as ushers.
Latin Honors are not awarded to students earning Masters Degrees. At the graduate level, academic hoods are worn as a part of the regalia, and symbolize the graduate level achievement.
XV. Invitations:
Graduation invitations may be ordered online from Herff-Jones at http://www.herff-jones.com/college/graduation. (The Herff Jones web page is typically available one to two months prior to ceremony.) Class Rings are also ordered directly from Herff-Jones via their web site www.herff-jones.com. Contact SWU’s Herff-Jones representative, Harold Waters, at 864-244-0110 for more information on class rings or announcements.
XVI. Memorabilia:
Southern Wesleyan memorabilia may be purchased from the SWU bookstore at http://bookstore.swu.edu. For the convenience of those attending the graduation ceremonies, the bookstore will be open from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Graduation Day.
XVII. Multiple Degrees:
After December 2003, students may not earn an Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree at the same ceremony. The Associate’s Degree must be awarded prior to the awarding of the Bachelor’s degree.
Students earning both the Bachelor of Arts Degree and the Bachelor of Science Degree have completed an additional thirty hours of coursework, over and above the hours required for the first degree.
XVIII. Nursery/childcare:
Childcare will not be provided. Children are welcome but please note the graduation program is not designed to keep the attention of young children. If necessary, please make child-care arrangements, or use the video-equipped over-flow room. For ticketed ceremonies, children who wish to attend the ceremony must also have a ticket unless they are small enough to be held throughout the ceremony.
XIX. Parking and Travel time to campus
Graduates are expected to arrive on campus two hours prior to their assigned ceremony. Please allow sufficient travel time in order to arrive in time to participate in the ceremony. With no delays, it takes four and one-half hours to travel to Central from the Charleston location. Graduates unfamiliar with the Central campus should allow extra time for finding the campus, parking, and making their way to the check-in station. Shuttle service will be provided from the outlying parking lots. Guests requiring special parking must have a valid Handicapped Parking permit.
XX. Processional:
There will be a Formal Processional across campus leading to each ceremony.
XXI. Rehearsal:
Assemble 90 minutes prior to your assigned ceremony in The University Dining Commons for rehearsal, devotions, and a group picture. To be dressed and ready to go, you should plan to arrive on campus at least two hours prior to your assigned ceremony. (Mirrors are in scarce supply; there may be a line of graduates waiting to adjust caps and collars.)
XXII. Tickets:
Based
on the current number of students scheduled to participate in Graduation
Ceremony on Saturday, the Saturday ceremonies will be ticketed. For the Saturday
Ceremony, graduating students will be issued 5 tickets to the ceremony. All
guests must have a ticket for admittance to the ceremony. Guests without
tickets will be directed to the overflow areas to view the ceremony on closed
circuit broadcast. Tickets and regalia
will be mailed to AGS students a
few days prior to the ceremony. There will not be extra tickets available. Children who wish to attend the ceremony must
have a ticket unless they are small enough to be held throughout the ceremony.
Based on the current number of students scheduled to participate in Graduation Ceremony on Thursday, the Thursday ceremony will not be ticketed. However, in order to provide adequate seating for all guests and family members, graduates are respectfully requested to limit the number of guests they invite to a reasonable number. Traditional students will be notified by email when regalia is ready for pickup from the Academic Records office, Traditional program graduates who are unable to pick up their regalia in person, should contact Academic Records to make alternate delivery arrangements.