Graduation and Commencement Ceremony

Announcements

This year FSW is proud to host the Spring Commencement Ceremony at our Suncoast Credit Union Arena, located on the Thomas Edison (Lee) Campus in Fort Myers.

Spring 2017 Commencement Ceremony Information

Location: Suncoast Credit Union Arena

School of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences School of Pure and Applied Sciences Mainly AA Degrees	School of Business and Technology School of Education School of Health Professions Most Certificates, AS, and Baccalaureate Degrees
Thursday May 4th 5:30 p.m.	Thursday May 4th 5:30 p.m.
Rehearsal (mandatory) Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served	Rehearsal (mandatory) Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served
Friday, May 5, 2017	Friday, May 5, 2017
8:00 – 9:30 a.m. Graduate Check in 10:00 a.m. Ceremony Begins	12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Graduate Check in 2:00 p.m. Ceremony Begins

Please note:

• Please refer to the college catalog or to your academic advisor if you are unsure which ceremony to attend.
• There is no fee to participate in Commencement. Students are required however, to order their cap and gown.
• All graduates and their guests are asked to remain throughout the entire ceremony.
• There is no guest limit in attendance for the ceremony.

All correspondence regarding graduation, commencement ceremony, and regalia will be sent via your BUCS email.

Caps, Gowns and other Regalia

All graduates are required to wear black caps and gowns for the Commencement Ceremony. The cap tassel should be suspended over the left front of the cap.

For additional information regarding FSW’s regalia, please review the official policy governing the Spring Commencement Ceremonies.

Additional graduation and commencement regalia can be ordered at the
FSW Bookstore.

Seating Arrangements

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Limited ADA seating and parking is also available. In order for the college to effectively accommodate guests with disabilities, ADA attendees are permitted to have only one family member to accompany them in the designated area. We would like to thank you in advance for honoring the procedure as it helps ensure that those who require ADA seating have the opportunity to participate equally.

If other accommodations are needed, please contact the Office of Adaptive Services at 239-432-7354 or TTY1-800-955-8771.

Photographs

Proofs of your graduation pictures will be emailed approximately 48-72 hours after commencement.

It is very important that you fill out all contact information on the cards provided at commencement so that you can receive your proofs.

For more information about commencement pictures please visit www.gradimages.com.

Live Stream Commencement

Guest unable to attend commencement may live stream the ceremony via the FSW website. Click here to live stream each commencement: https://www.fsw.edu/livestream/

Keep in Touch

We invite you to stay connected with the College, and consider joining the Alumni Network after graduation. For more information about the Alumni Network and benefits offered, visit www.fsw.edu/alumni and join. Membership is free.

We wish you the very best in all your future endeavors.
Go Bucs!

Auto Graduation

Effective Summer 2016, graduation at FSW is an automatic process, streamlining the necessary steps for students and ensuring their transcripts reflect the degree or certificate earned. Students will be automatically graduated upon completing all degree requirements, and diplomas will be mailed to the address on file. Students may opt out of the automatic process through their student portal or with the Registrar's Office.

Graduation Eligibility

Graduation requirements must be satisfied in order for graduation to be complete and a diploma issued. Students who are unsure if all requirements are met should contact Academic Advising.

It is important to note that participation in the Spring Commencement Ceremony does not ensure that a student’s degree has been awarded. Students must complete all academic requirements in order to be eligible to have a degree awarded.

Diplomas

All graduates will receive their diploma in the mail approximately 6-8 weeks after the beginning of the next semester.

Financial Obligations

All candidates for graduation should pay all fees, fines and other obligations at the Cashier’s Office. Your diploma cannot be released until all financial obligations have been met. This is a requirement for graduation, and degree candidates should contact the Cashier’s Office if they have any questions concerning financial obligations.

Auto Graduation

Effective summer 2016, graduation at FSW is an automatic process, streamlining the necessary steps for students and ensuring their transcripts reflect the degree or certificate earned. Students will be automatically graduated upon completing all degree requirements, and diplomas will be mailed to the address on file.

Students may opt out of the automatic process by contacting the registrar's office. By opting out of auto-graduation a student is indicating that he/she does not want their certificate or degree to be awarded and assigned to their academic record.

What are the differences between Graduation, Diploma, and Commencement?

Graduation is the term used to refer to the actual completion of your degree or certificate. Once you have been graduated, your transcript will note that a degree or certification was awarded and the date it was awarded.

Diploma is the term used to refer to the paper document that shows you have graduated from a particular program of study at FSW. You will receive your official diploma approximately 6-8 weeks after graduation. It will be mailed to the address you have on file.

Contact the Registrar's office to make changes to personal information. Documentation is required.

Commencement is the ceremony held once a year at the close of the spring semester for graduates from all campuses celebrating their academic achievement. Students have the option of participating. If the student chooses to participate, the student must complete and submit the Commencement application through the portal. There is no cost to participate other than the cost of the required cap and gown, which can be purchased at any FSW bookstore.

_{(Please Note: participating in the Commencement ceremony does not ensure graduation. Graduation requirements must be satisfied in order for graduation to be completed and a diploma issued.)}

When will my transcript reflect my degree status?

Graduation notations will be added to the student's transcript within 3-4 weeks after the term in which the student has met their program's requirements. Students can check their status by reviewing their on-line unofficial transcript.

What are “honors” and how is that determined?

Graduates receive honors recognition based on their cumulative GPA at the end of the preceding semester, since all grades will not have been processed prior to the ceremony.

The Associate honors designations are as follows:	The Bachelor honors designations are as follows:
Honors: 3.50 - 3.99 cumulative GPA High Honors: 4.0 cumulative GPA	Cum Laude 3.5 - 3.69, cumulative GPA Magna Cum Laude 3.7 - 3.89, cumulative GPA Summa Cum Laude 3.9 and above, cumulative GPA

Honors cords for those who qualify will be available in the Bookstore and can be picked up with your cap and gown.

For any questions or concerns you may have regarding the awarding of your degree and/or the annual commencement ceremony, please contact the Registrar's Office:

Florida SouthWestern State College
Building S, second floor
8099 College Parkway
Fort Myers, Florida 33919
Phone: (239) 489-9121
Email: