Eligibility for Commencement Participation

The following information was approved by the Faculty Senate on October 26, 2011.

Any student who has earned a degree and has not participated in a previous Drake Commencement ceremony for that degree is encouraged to participate.

Beginning in December 2011, Drake University will hold two commencement ceremonies each year; one in December, the other in May.

December Ceremony Participation Eligibility:

Those who expect to complete all degree requirements in December (registered, with appropriate number of hours, adequate GPA, and all requirements met).

Those who completed their requirements the previous August, have had degrees awarded, but choose to participate in the December ceremony rather than the previous May.

December Ceremony Program Eligibility:

Names to be included in the December Commencement Program are students who will be participating in that event.  Students are expected to meet the stated Program preparation deadlines to ensure their name is printed. These dates are published here.

May Ceremony Participation Eligibility:

Those who graduated the previous December but did not participate in the December ceremony.

Those who expect to complete all degree requirements (registered with appropriate number of hours, adequate GPA and all requirements met) in either May or August are encouraged to participate in the May ceremony.

May Ceremony Program Eligibility:

Names to be included in the May Commencement Program are students who are expected May or August graduates, previous December graduates who did not participate in the December Ceremony or students who will be participating in that event.

Students are expected to meet the stated Program preparation deadlines to ensure their name is printed.  These dates are published here.

Appeal

If a student desires to participate in a ceremony for which they do not meet the eligibility guidelines, the student may appeal to the Provost.  The appeal must be in writing with supporting documentation attached 30 days prior to event. The Provost may consult an ad hoc advisory panel of Deans and/or Commencement officials prior to making a final decision.

Appeal Criteria

The following are the criteria for considering ceremony participation on the exception basis for students with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

The student must meet one of the following:

1. The student has only the student teaching requirement remaining to be completed during the upcoming semester, OR
2. The student can document a serious hardship associated with participation in the commencement ceremony (ie. documented illness, religious observance, sports event, etc.) on the day established.