Document No. I-04-05
PROPOSAL TO THE ACADEMIC SENATE
TITLE: Participation in May Commencement Short of Required Credits
SUBMITTED BY: Academic Policy Committee
DATE:
ACTION: Consultative
Background
1. Official conferral of degrees at the
2. Although degrees are awarded in August, UD no longer has an August commencement. Thus if a student just falls short of the required hours to participate in the May Commencement, she/he must wait until December to participate in commencement exercises. This probably will not happen and thus the student and parents will not have the positive aspect of the ceremonial rite-of-passage.
Proposal
It is proposed that undergraduate students be allowed to participate in May commencement short of the required number of hours for graduation. Note that this is an exception to the current policy. The following is the wording of the proposed exception:
However
undergraduate students who are short not more than seven credit hours prior to
the May commencement may, with the approval of their dean, participate in the
May graduation ceremony. Such students must be registered for sufficient hours
to complete degree requirements during the subsequent summer terms at UD, or
have attained approval to fulfill their remaining requirements at another
institution, and must provide official
documentation of work completed no later than the official date for submission
of grades at the conclusion of UD’s second summer session. Any exceptions to
this policy are the decision of the dean of the student's academic unit. After all degree requirements are met, the degree will be
conferred on the next conferral date as noted on the official university
academic calendar.
Attachment 1 shows the wording change as would be incorporated
in the University’s commencement/graduation policy statement; Attachment 2
shows the current version, and Attachment 3 shows the wording changes.
Rationale for wording of statement:
1. Undergraduate Students – The exception only applies to undergraduate students for many reasons. Graduate students often do not attend commencement. Many graduate students pursue their degree part-time—thus it is difficult to establish an appropriate cut- off that would cover all. Since many graduate students are local, they can more readily postpone attendance at commencement to December. Finally, if the policy were to apply to graduate students as well, it would greatly extend the length of the May commencement ceremony and possibly create problems for hosting commencement at UD Arena because its capacity.
2. May Commencement Only - For those not completing requirements in time for the May commencement, there is no commencement ceremony in the immediately following Summer terms (August). For those short of credits to participate in the December commencement, there is a commencement in the immediately following term (May)
3. Seven Hours – The assumption was that students should be within less than a full term of course work from completing their required number of hours to participate in commencement. A full-time student takes 12-18 during the regular term. In the summer session a full-time student can take 12 hrs across the two terms. Since a full-time student takes 12 hrs, 50% would be 6 hrs. But since some of the required hours may include a lab, 7 credits were chosen as the magic number.
4. Restrictions for Make Up – As part of granting this exception to participate in commencement, students must indicate that they plan to complete the requirements by registering for the summer term at UD or elsewhere. If they are unwilling to make this commitment, then the exception should not be granted. The date for official notification of grades was set after conferring with the Associate/Assistant Deans of the Schools and College.
5. Exceptions – Policy cannot cover all possible circumstances. Exceptions can be made by the deans. This adds flexibility to the policy.
Attachment 1
Proposed Commencement/Graduation Policy Statement
Commencement at the
If the student is declaring candidacy for Graduation, a #7 Form must be
completed either online (http://www.udayton.edu/~registr)
or via hard copy and turned into the Registrar's Office, located on the second
floor of Albert Emanuel Hall. If a student is receiving two degrees, two
separate #7 forms, one for each degree, must be completed. For further
information visit the Registrar's website at http://www.udayton.edu/~registr.
After
the summer of 2002, students completing their degree requirements during the summer term will receive a diploma
and their academic transcript will denote an August graduation date, but they
will have to wait until December to participate in a graduation ceremony.
Attachment 2
Current Commencement/Graduation Policy Statement
Commencement at the
who
are graduating from the University. Consequently, University policy limits
participation
in commencement to students who have completed all the require-
ments
for their degree. Exceptions to this policy are granted only under the most
extraordinary
circumstances. Receiving an incomplete or failure in a course neces-
sary
for graduation or personal conflicts with scheduled commencements are, for
example,
not considered extraordinary circumstances.
Students wishing to appeal this policy
can do so by submitting a written request
to
the Registrar. The final decision
concerning any appeal is made by the Graduation
Appeals
Committee consisting of the Registrar, a faculty representative, and an
undergraduate
student selected by the Student Government Association. All ap-
peals
must be submitted at least two weeks before the graduation ceremony in
question.
If the student is declaring his candidacy for Graduation a #7 Form must
be
completed and turned into the Registrar's Office, located on the second floor
of
Albert
Emanuel Hall. If a student is receiving two degrees, two separate #7
forms,
one for each degree, must be completed. For further information visit the
Registrar's
website at http://www.udayton.edu/~registr.
After the summer of 2002, students
completing their course work during the
summer
term will receive a diploma and their academic transcript will denote an
August
graduation date, but they will have to wait until December to participate in
a
graduation ceremony.
Attachment 3
Shows revisions of Current Graduation/Commencement Policy
(Bolded are additions; Strikeouts are deletions)
Commencement at the Exceptions to this policy are
granted only under the most extraordinary circumstances. Receiving
an incomplete or failure in a course necessary for graduation or personal
conflicts with scheduled commencements are, for example, not considered
extraordinary circumstances.
Students wishing to
appeal this policy can do so by submitting a written request to the
Registrar. The final decision concerning
any appeal is made by the Graduation Appeals Committee consisting of the
Registrar, a faculty representative, and an undergraduate student selected by
the Student Government Association. All appeals must be submitted at least two
weeks before the graduation ceremony in question.
If the student is declaring
candidacy for Graduation, a #7 Form must
be completed either online (http://www.udayton.edu/~registr)
or via hard copy and turned into the
Registrar's Office, located on the second floor of Albert Emanuel Hall. If a
student is receiving two degrees, two separate #7 forms, one for each degree,
must be completed. For further information visit the Registrar's website at
http://www.udayton.edu/~registr.
After the summer of 2002,
students completing their degree requirements during the summer term will receive a diploma
and their academic transcript will denote an August graduation date, but they
will have to wait until December to participate in a graduation ceremony.