Commencement

Ceremony Details

The Commencement Committee has finalized the details for the 2021 Commencement Ceremony and is currently planning to hold the ceremony outdoors on May 1st at 10 AM in the field behind the cross. If due to weather we are forced to move the ceremony indoors, we will send communication to all students at least 48 hours in advance.

The Commencement Ceremony will be outdoors on the field by the cross. You may be walking across soft grass, please wear appropriate shoes. Graduates will get ready in robing rooms before the ceremony, then will walk together in line to the stage. We encourage graduate to come in their regalia, minimizing time and capacity in the robing rooms. Be aware that the gowns will be creased from their folds in the packages, we recommend ironing before-hand; there will not be irons available in the robing rooms. Please be sure to continue to wear masks per county guidelines.

Tickets & Livestream

In order to follow CDC COVID guidelines, we will be limiting each grduate to 3 guests. Tickets will be given to graduates when they pick up their regalia. Guests will need these tickets to gain entrance to the Commencement ceremony. If you are not going to use your tickets, you may give them to a fellow graduate. If you need more than 3 tickets, we encourage graduates to re-distribute them among themselves. The Registrar's Office will not keep track of those who want extra tickets.

Due to the limit on the number of guests we can allow graduates, we will be livestreaming the event for anyone who would like to watch. Please join the following Zoom meeting on Saturday, May 1st @ 10 AM to join virtually:

Class of 2021 Commencement Livestream
Time: May 1, 2021 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Click this link to join: https://zoom.us/j/95376131014?pwd=NG9GNjZTNnZHRnlwLy9pRkszUWwvQT09

Or use the following meeting ID and passcode to join:
Meeting ID: 953 7613 1014
Passcode: 021038

Regalia

Regalia will be ready to pick up towards the end of March or early April. Graduates should check their Simpson student email for communication regarding regalia.

Pick Up Locations:

• Traditional Undergraduate & Masters: Registrar's Office, Owen Center 201
• Degree Completion Degree Completion Office, Owen Center 202
• If you would like your regalia mailed to you, please fill out the Request to Mail Cap and Gown form and return to registrar@simpsonu.edu.

Honor cords are calculated by your final semester’s midterm GPA. (We won’t know your final GPA until after graduation). They will be handed out to you with your regalia.

Master’s Hoods will be handed out in the robing room the day of the commencement ceremony.

Name pronunciation: In order to make sure your name is properly pronounced at the Commencement Ceremony, please let our Registrar's Ofice (or Degree Completion) staff know when you pick up your regalia.

Tickets will also be handed out with your regalia. If you do not want all or some of your tickets, you may keep them to give them to other graduating classmates or leave them with the Registrar’s Office.

• Cum Laude: 3.5-3.59 GPA (1 Cord)
• Magna Cum Laude: 3.6-3.84 GPA (2 Cord)
• Summa Cum Laude: 3.85-4.0+ GPA (3 Cord)
• Distinction: 3.8+ GPA (Degree Completion only)
• Highest Honors (Degree Completion only)

Commonly Asked Questions

• Q: Will my graduation fee be refunded if I choose not to participate in Commencement?

  A: No, students will not receive a refund if they do not participate in Commencement. Graduation and Commencement are separate. Graduation is completing your requirements, receiving your diploma, and having your degree posted on your transcript. Commencement is the ceremony where you walk across the stage. The graduation fee funds many aspects of graduation, including administrative costs, graduates’ diplomas, mailing, etc. This fee is paid by all students whether or not they participate in the Commencement ceremony. (See Simpson University Catalog).

• Q: When do I get my diploma?

  A: Diplomas are mailed 8-10 weeks after the conferral date. The conferral date is the date listed on your transcript as the date your degree was received, and for SP21 graduate, the conferral date is May 8, 2021.

• Q: When will my degree appear on my transcript?

  A: Degrees cannot begin to be posted until all final grades are in after the conferral date. It generally takes 1-2 weeks to post all degrees. Please be sure you do not have any outstanding balances on your account; this may cause your degree to be delayed. If you need proof of your degree before your degree is posted or before you receive your diploma, please fill out the Enrollment Verification form and return the Registrar’s Office or registrar@simpsonu.edu.

  If you have outstanding courses (for example, you are finishing credits at Shasta College and their term ends after ours) you will need to fill out the Graduation Exception Petition form and return this to the Registrar’s Office. If approved, this allows you to still walk in the SP21 Commencement and still have your degree posted for the SP21 term, even though you are technically finishing after the term ends.

  Transcripts take time to process; please allow 2 weeks for processing. To request a transcript, please fill out the Transcript Request Form and return to registrar@simpsonu.edu.