Spring Break
Graduates prepare last items
Courtney Teague-Carter
Issue date: 4/30/08 Section: News
With graduation right around the corner for many UW-Whitewater students, it is important for students to make sure they complete the requirements of the graduation checklist to ensure they walk across the stage.
The graduation checklist is compiled by the Office of Student Life who also coordinates the graduation ceremony. The checklist consists of non-academic requirements graduating seniors must fulfill before they are eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony.
Barbara Housner, the student status examiner for the Registrar's Office, said approximately 1,000 undergraduate and 200 graduate students will graduate in the spring 2008 commencement.
"The list is put out by Student Life," said Housner. "It is important students complete what's on the checklist in a timely manner to insure everything is correct or have enough time to fix mistakes."
One of the most important tasks on the checklist is applying for graduation. The Registrar's Office advises students to apply a semester before they expect to graduate.
"Applying a semester before graduation allows students time to meet with their advisors to review all their requirements," said Housner. "Then the Registrar's Office will review with everyone and determine if there are any problems or if a student can proceed with graduation."
While the process can seem daunting, many seniors who have been through it say it is not as bad as it sounds.
"It sounds scary, but the process is not bad at all," senior Maria Glorioso said. "It scared me though because even though everything checked out with my advisor, I thought I'd get a phone call saying 'nope you can't graduate,' but everything went fine."
Following applying for graduation, the Registrar's Office will inform students whether their application was approved or denied. The approval is based on an audit done by the office, accessing students' credits and detailing if any requirements were not filled. From the audit, students can see which classes need to be taken in their final semester. The process to find out application status takes about two weeks.
"I got nervous because I thought I would get e-mails and letters right away," Glorioso said. "It actually took a couple of weeks, but my advisor was good about explaining everything."
Other important things on the graduation checklist include ordering and picking up caps and gowns, picking up commencement tickets, taking graduation photos and attending the Commencement Briefing to answer questions and receive instructions for the ceremony.
The graduation checklist is compiled by the Office of Student Life who also coordinates the graduation ceremony. The checklist consists of non-academic requirements graduating seniors must fulfill before they are eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony.
Barbara Housner, the student status examiner for the Registrar's Office, said approximately 1,000 undergraduate and 200 graduate students will graduate in the spring 2008 commencement.
"The list is put out by Student Life," said Housner. "It is important students complete what's on the checklist in a timely manner to insure everything is correct or have enough time to fix mistakes."
One of the most important tasks on the checklist is applying for graduation. The Registrar's Office advises students to apply a semester before they expect to graduate.
"Applying a semester before graduation allows students time to meet with their advisors to review all their requirements," said Housner. "Then the Registrar's Office will review with everyone and determine if there are any problems or if a student can proceed with graduation."
While the process can seem daunting, many seniors who have been through it say it is not as bad as it sounds.
"It sounds scary, but the process is not bad at all," senior Maria Glorioso said. "It scared me though because even though everything checked out with my advisor, I thought I'd get a phone call saying 'nope you can't graduate,' but everything went fine."
Following applying for graduation, the Registrar's Office will inform students whether their application was approved or denied. The approval is based on an audit done by the office, accessing students' credits and detailing if any requirements were not filled. From the audit, students can see which classes need to be taken in their final semester. The process to find out application status takes about two weeks.
"I got nervous because I thought I would get e-mails and letters right away," Glorioso said. "It actually took a couple of weeks, but my advisor was good about explaining everything."
Other important things on the graduation checklist include ordering and picking up caps and gowns, picking up commencement tickets, taking graduation photos and attending the Commencement Briefing to answer questions and receive instructions for the ceremony.
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