The Reif Gymnasium, where Commencement is held, has a seating capacity of 1,000. When you subtract the seats for the graduates, that leaves a limited number of seats for the guests you invite to the commencement ceremony. Based on the number of graduates participating in the ceremony, and past experiences, each graduate participating in the ceremony will be given six (6) tickets to distribute to guests. The tickets will be available to pick up during Senior Salute on Nov. 9th. Distant students will receive their tickets in the mail shortly after Sr. Salute.

The College holds two commencement ceremonies during the year, one at the end of the spring semester and one at the end of the fall semester. In order to participate in either ceremony, you need to have all of your degree requirements successfully completed by the date of your commencement. Students also need to complete an Application for Degree Form (undergraduate) or an Application for Graduate Degree (DNP, DPT, MA, MBA and MED) which can be obtained in the Registrar's Office, through Graduate Studies, or on each Extended Studies site.

Graduation Application provides the College important information to ensure you receive timely information about the commencement ceremony and events, that your name will be announced and printed on your diploma correctly, and verifies where you would like to have your diploma sent after grades are submitted by faculty.

In addition, a graduation checklist is generated only when a student completes an Application to Graduate. The Graduation Checklist Form is circulated to your department chair and to your advisor by the Registrar. On this form, the Registrar indicates where you stand in terms of credits, upper division credits, etc. Once your department chair receives the form, they indicate where you stand in terms of department requirements for your major. The Graduation Checklist form is then routed to your academic advisor who indicates where you stand in terms of distribution requirements. When the form is returned to the Registrar's Office, a copy is mailed to you. Your advisor also retains a copy of the form.

Caps, gowns, and tassels will be available to purchase at Senior Salute November 9th. (There is no pre-ordering of regalia for commencement.) Orders can be taken over the phone for Extended Studies students after those dates, or they can be purchased in the CSS Bookstore in November.

Two different styles of announcements will be available during Senior Salute or through the bookstore. The first type is the Universal, which includes an insert card with the date (no pre-ordering is required); the second, the Personalized, requires a pre-order (these take three weeks to be delivered). The CSS Bookstore can be reached at (218) 723-6622.

The fall commencement ceremony will last approximately one and one half hour. The Alumni Reception will begin immediately following the ceremony. The reception will be located in Storm's Den on the ground floor of Tower Hall.

Detailed procedures will be posted on the commencement Web site, along with a short video and graduate line-up list. Volunteers will be available on the day of the ceremony to answer questions and to help you find your spot in the procession. When the ceremony begins, Dr. Beth Domholdt will instruct students when to sit, stand, and move tassels.

The College does not distribute honor cords for commencement. To graduate with Honors for Bachelor students requires a GPA of 3.50 and with Highest Honors requires a GPA of 3.75. These academic honors are dependent upon the final grades of the last term of all graduates. "With Honors" designations will be printed in the commencement program for students who have earned the above criteria with current graded coursework at the point of commencement. Once final grades and credits have been calculated and you have met the criteria, the designation of "With Honors" or "With Highest Honors" will appear on both your transcript and your diploma. A minimum of 48 St. Scholastica credits with grade points are required to graduate with Honors or Highest Honors.

DNP/DPT/MA/MBA/MED/MS Graduates do not have honor designations. Due to the nature of the programs, it is an understanding that all graduates are graduating with high cumulative GPA's.

"Graduation" refers to the completion of degree requirements; "commencement" refers to the ceremony at which degrees are conferred. The College's graduation dates correspond to the end of each term. So, the date of your graduation would correspond to the term in which you complete your last degree requirements.

Grades are not due from faculty until December 29 2009. Diplomas and final grades will be mailed by mid-January. Be sure to verify your mailing address in the Registrar's office.

Master students will receive their academic hood when they purchase their regalia and will wear their academic hood during the ceremony. Doctoral graduates will be hooded on stage before receiving their diploma cover.

Graduates and their guests can park in either Lot 2 (the lower Burns Wellness Commons lot); or Lot 3 (the Mitchell Auditoroum Lot). Since Commencement is held on a Saturday, we do not anticipate parking problems. Click here to view a map of the College.

In addition, we recommend that guests enter the Burns Wellness Commons in the southeast entrance (closest to Lot 2). This entrance is located at the ground level and does not require stairs to enter the gymnasium.

A graduation fee of $30 is assessed to all Bachelor graduates and a fee of $50 is assessed to all Doctoral/Master graduates when you apply for graduation. It covers the various expenses associated with graduation such as your diploma, diploma cover, and academic hood.