Office of the Registrar

Graduation Checklist

Saturday, December 12th, 2009 - Alico Arena - Time - 9:00 AM

If you choose to attend commencement, please complete the online Commencement Registration in Gulfline between October 5th and October 30th.

Participation in commencement is not required to receive a degree.

If you or a family member has a special need that requires assistance at commencement, please contact the Office of Adaptive Services by calling 239-590-7956 or e-mailing us at adaptive@fgcu.edu

READ THE FOLLOWING GRADUATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. PAY ATTENTION TO ALL DEADLINES!

Important Notice to All Candidates
Complete All Degree Requirements
Privacy
Cap & Gown and Graduation Announcements
Honors
National Honor Societies
Student Life Sashes
Certification of Degrees
Re-Application for Graduation

1. Important Notice to All Candidates

Because of growing demand and limited space, it is necessary to strictly adhere to deadlines concerning participation in FGCU Commencement. This fall we will be continuing the ticketing of all guests planning to attend the ceremony. Your cooperation is needed to ensure you do not miss this opportunity. NO ONE WILL BE ALLOWED INTO THE CEREMONY WITHOUT A TICKET.

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THE STEPS.

Applications to graduate this fall must be submitted to your advisor for approval no later than September 18^th. If you fail to meet this deadline, you will not be allowed to register to walk at Fall 2009 Commencement XXlll.
Once your application is approved by your advisor, you must register to participate in Fall 2009 Commencement XXlll and to request tickets for your guests.
Registration for Fall 2009 Commencement XXlll (Saturday, December 12th at Alico Arena) will be conducted online through Gulfline and will begin October 5th. The system will close on October 30th at 5:00 pm.
Registration for Fall 2009 Commencement XXlll is mandatory and the deadline (October 30th) will be strictly adhered to.
When you register for Fall 2009 Commencement XXlll, you will be able to request a limited number of tickets for guests to attend the ceremony. The number of available tickets will depend on the total number of participating graduates and the capacity of Alico Arena.
After you have completed registration, you will then be able to go to the Alico Arena Box Office to pick up your tickets between November 2^nd and November 20^th, Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm.
No guest will be admitted to the Fall 2009 Commencement XXlll Ceremony without presenting a ticket.
If you cannot pick up your ticket allocation, you may have the tickets mailed to an address you have submitted on a self-addressed stamped envelope. Please send this envelope to the following address no later than November 16^th. The Alico Arena Box Office will mail the tickets, on November 23^rd, 2009.

                Alico Arena Box Office
                Fall 2009 Commencement XXIIl Tickets
                10501 FGCU Blvd.
                Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Should you have any questions concerning the steps outlined above, please contact the Registrar’s office by telephone at 590-7980 or by email at orr@fgcu.edu. Thank you.

2. Complete All Degree Requirements

Before the end of this term, you must check with your college advisor to verify that you have met all University and college degree requirements as noted in the university catalog. These requirements must be completed prior to or by the end of this term. It is your responsibility to ensure you meet all the requirements. If you do not meet all the requirements, your degree will be denied by the appropriate college and you will be required to re-apply for graduation.

Verify the following degree/university requirements have been met or will be met by the end of this term.
Meet the foreign language requirements as required by state law. Refer to 'Foreign Language Admission Requirement' in the Undergraduate Admission section of the University Catalog for more information.
Meet the Service Learning hour requirements. Remember to submit all hours to the Office of Civic Engagement prior to the established deadline as noted on the academic calendar. If you do not meet the Service Learning requirements, your degree will be denied and you will be required to re-apply for graduation. If you need additional information, the Office of Civic Engagement is located in 458G and 458I, in the Library. You can also call 239-590-7015 or E-mail Lisa Paige at: lpaige@fgcu.edu.
Pay all fees and fines owed to the university prior to the end of the term. Grades, transcripts and diplomas will be held until fees are paid in full.
All pending transfer course work is received no later than the end of this term. If you choose to take course work elsewhere during this term and have it apply toward your degree requirements, it is your responsibility to request an official transcript be mailed to the appropriate admission office PRIOR TO the last day of the FGCU term. Transfer course work not received or posted to the FGCU transcript by the end of the term will result in denial for the degree and will require re-application for graduation.
All pending grade changes must be approved by the appropriate college and submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the last day of the term. If you expect a grade change for a previously graded course, please advise the appropriate faculty member that you will be graduating at the end of the term so the grade change can be submitted as soon as possible. University policy does not allow grade changes once a degree is posted. Refer to 'Grade Point Average Calculation' in the Registration and Records section of the University Catalog for policy information.
All Incomplete grades should be completed and a Change of Grade form submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the last day of the term. Failure to complete an Incomplete grade will result in the denial of the degree. Advise the faculty member you have applied for a degree and the grade change must be submitted prior to the end of the term. The Incomplete grade process is considered a change of grade; therefore, follows the Change of Grade policy. University policy does not allow grade changes once a degree is posted. Refer to 'Grade Point Average Calculation' in the Registration and Records section of the University Catalog for policy information.

3. Privacy

Your name will not appear in the Commencement Program or newspaper if you have completed a “Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information.” To remove the privacy notice and allow your name to be published, you must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing no later than October 2nd, 2009.

4. Cap & Gown and Graduation Announcements

The University Bookstore will be ordering regalia and announcements. Please contact the University Bookstore at 239-590-1150.

5. Honors

The Honors at graduation designation is based on your cumulative GPA as of Summer 2009. If you receive Honors at Graduation, you will have an opportunity to purchase an honor cord from the University Bookstore.

6. National Honor Societies

If you are a member of a recognized national honor society that is affiliated with the University, you will need to contact your Honor Society Faculty-Advisor for information regarding your honor society cord or sash.

7. Student Life Sashes

As a result of a growing interest from student organizations and student leaders at FGCU, the University has endorsed the wearing of symbolic stoles during Commencement ceremonies. Since 1998, international students at FGCU have worn representative stoles from their respective countries at our commencements. Now other groups of students have followed this positive trend. These symbols celebrate our multicultural heritage, signify campus involvement in registered organizations and represent academic achievement at FGCU. As we build on this tradition, graduating students with affiliation in registered student organizations can wear stoles that symbolize the pride, values and traditions of their organization. Commencement stoles will strengthen the current bond and future affiliation of FGCU students, graduates and Friends of the university. They are a visual display of our diversity and affiliation with organizations which will extend the FGCU community beyond our Estero campus.

Symbols such as stoles, medals, honor cords and colors add to the beauty and solemnity of the occasion which is so important to our students and their families in attendance. Out of respect to the faculty, other graduating students and their families, students are expected to dress appropriately for Commencement and select stoles that add to the ceremony in a positive manner.

To enhance the importance of these symbols, we encourage all organizations that plan to design ceremonial stoles, to develop traditions such as pre-commencement gatherings or ceremonies in which the stoles, medallions, honor cords or medals are given to the graduating students in their organization.

All recognized organizations interested in designing and ordering stoles to be worn during the commencement ceremony are encouraged to contact the Dean of Students’ Office at 590-7900 to discuss their plans.

8. Certification of Degrees

Degrees will be certified by the colleges after the close of the term. Colleges will forward degree certifications to the Office of the Registrar for the purpose of posting to the academic transcript and ordering of the diploma. Transcript requests received with “Hold for Degree” checked, would be issued once the degree has been certified and posted. This process takes approximately four to five weeks. Diplomas will be mailed within eight to ten weeks.

9. Re-Application for Graduation

If your application to graduate is denied by your college, please remember that you must re-apply to graduate during the term you complete requirements.