Frequently Asked Questions
We hold commencement two times a year, in December and May. Graduate and undergraduate ceremonies are held separately. Graduate ceremonies are held on Friday evenings and undergraduate ceremonies are held on Saturday mornings at the end of each semester. December 2009 commencement ceremonies will be held on Friday, December 18, 2009 and Saturday, December 19, 2009. Both graduate and undergraduate ceremonies are held at Hamer Gymnasium.
No. Those students graduating in August are permitted to only participate in December graduation ceremonies.
If you require your diploma prior to December commencement, you can pick up your diploma or you can have it mailed after the August graduation date. If you want us to hold your diploma for December commencement, we are happy to assist. Otherwise, you will be handed a cover only unless you return your diploma to us prior to the ceremony.
Each commencement ceremony can vary in length based on the number of graduates. We ask that you allow approximately one and half (1.5) hours for the graduate ceremony and two and a half (2.5) hours for the undergraduate ceremony.
Yes. Students are REQUIRED to apply for graduation. Graduation is NOT an automatic process. The following link (http://www.cup.edu/current/gradforms.jsp) takes you to current graduation instructions and applications for the College of Education and Human Services, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Eberly College of Science and Technology. Applications and instructions are also available in the College offices.
5. How do I figure out which College I need to apply to for graduation? I have a dual degree and not sure which College to submit my application.
The following link will take you to the online listing of majors by College for all degree programs offered at California University of Pennsylvania: http://www.cup.edu/majors/major_tree.jsp.
If you are graduating with a dual degree, you will need to apply for each degree to be conferred, which will require separate applications and separate fees (if applicable). If the degrees are in separate Colleges, you must apply at BOTH Colleges and indicate which College you would prefer to sit with during the commencement ceremony.
Please order your cap and gown through the University Bookstore no later than Friday, December 4, 2009. Faculty must also rent academic regalia by Friday, December 4, 2009.
For additional information on caps and gowns, please visit: http://www.cup.edu/academic/commencement/index.jsp?pageId=1580830010421134279052760
On Saturday (only), guests will be able to view commencement on a theater size screen in the Performance Center in the Natali Student Center. We recommend the Performance Center for guests with special needs or small children. Commencement will also be broadcast live on CUTV.
Accommodations are not reserved but guests may direct advance inquiries about disability access to 724-938-5781.
Our guests are seated in order of arrival. University personnel will also be available to answer questions about disability access seating arrangements at Hamer Hall and Natali Performance Center (Saturday only).
We will have an interpreter at each ceremony in Hamer Gymnasium. Assistive listening devices will also be available at Hamer Gymnasium and at Natali Performance Center (Saturday only).
Additional information regarding disability access at commencement can be found at the following link: http://www.cup.edu/academic/commencement/index.jsp?pageId=1580830010421134321287412
There are a substantial number of steps for general access to the Commencement Dinner and for the Commencement Processional/Recessional. Alternate access arrangements for these events and/or all other accommodation requests should be made to the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD), preferably by Monday, November 16, 2009. Contact OSD in person (Azorsky Hall Room 105) or by phone, 724-938-5781.
Additional information regarding disability access at commencement can be found at the following link: http://www.cup.edu/academic/commencement/index.jsp?pageId=1580830010421134321287412
A listing of area hotels/motels is included at the following link: http://www.cup.edu/academic/commencement/index.jsp?pageId=1580830010421134320712438. The list of accommodations is not endorsed or recommended by the University.This list is provided only for your convenience.
Yes; you may wear your military dress uniform instead of the traditional cap and gown.
The December 2009 “Senior Salute Day” will be held on Monday, October 19, 2009 at the Natali Student Center from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Join representatives from various campus departments along with representatives from the University Bookstore, Josten's, Balfour, and Framing Success--order your cap and gown, class ring, diploma frames, and finalize your graduation details. Representatives will be available to discuss personalized graduation announcements (pricing will be mailed separately).
You receive your diploma at the commencement ceremony, assuming all your eligibility requirements for graduation have been met.
If you do not plan to attend graduation, please inform your dean’s office so that your diploma can be mailed to you. Diplomas will be sent a few weeks after graduation ceremonies are held only upon request and after receiving the required $4 mailing fee. Please include your name and Cal U ID (if available) with your check or money order made payable to “California University of Pennsylvania.” Please send requests to your College office.
Your name and degree only will appear on your diploma. Commencement honors (if earned) and your major/minor will be included on your official transcripts.
Please contact your department and/or honor societies for a listing of awards and when awards/induction activities will be held. Some departments and honors societies only hold ceremonies and offer awards once a year.
Duplicate diplomas can be ordered through the Office of Academic Affairs. Please be sure to provide your formal/legal name to be printed, your graduation date, and your degree. A reorder fee of $14.00 for each diploma must be submitted along with your written request. Please include your name and Cal U ID (if available) with your check or money order made payable to “California University of Pennsylvania.” Please send requests to: Office of Academic Affairs, c/o Jodie Rooney, 250 University Avenue, California, PA 15419.
Yes; DVDs are available for purchase through Cal U’s CUTV for $16.95. Check or money orders should be made payable to “SAI.” Please indicate your choice of Graduate or Undergraduate Ceremony, the graduation date, and mail payment along with your preferred shipping address to: CUTV’s Graduation DVD, 250 University Avenue, California, PA 15419. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.
Spellman Photography has been retained to take graduates’ portraits for the 2010 Monocal Yearbook. All graduating with an associates, bachelors, or masters degree are encouraged to have their portrait taken for inclusion in the yearbook. There is no sitting fee. Appropriate attire is required for yearbook pictures. For more information regarding yearbook photos, contact Joy Helsel at helsel@cup.edu or 724-938-4339.
Yearbook portraits for the Fall 2009 semester will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Alumni Room of Hamer Hall on November 3, 4, and 5, 2009 and again on December 17, 2009 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Gallagher Music Hall, prior to the President’s Dinner for Graduates. Yearbooks will be mailed to students graduating in August or December 2009, or May 2010. Yearbooks will be sent mid-fall 2010, to the student’s permanent address on record.
A professional photographer from Chappell Graduation Images will be taking photos of all graduates after they receive their diplomas from President Armenti. Chappell will mail the picture proof to each student after graduation along with specific ordering information. After graduation, you may order your photos from Chappell Graduation Images online at www.gradimages.com or by calling 800-424-3686.
Members of the Cal U communications staff will also be taking photographs for general marketing purposes throughout the ceremony.
The President's Dinner for Graduates will be held on Thursday, December 17, 2009 with a reception at 5:00 p.m. and dinner at 6:00 p.m. in Gallagher Music Center. Due to the number of students expected, only graduates are invited to attend. Commencement rehearsal will be held immediately after dinner in Hamer Gymnasium for undergraduate students and in Steele Hall for graduate students.
Please RSVP to the President’s Office no later than Thursday, December 10, 2009. Business casual attire is appropriate.
A gift kiosk with select items from the University Bookstore as well as flowers and balloons will be available for purchase. A limited food/beverage cart will also be available during commencement.
All financial requirements must be met in order to receive your degree. Please make sure that you have taken care of all of your outstanding debts/fines, returned all library books, returned all borrowed equipment, received and processed any final transfer credits/transcripts, and completed your Federal Stafford Loan exit counseling (www.cup.edu/financial_aid). Students who received a Federal Perkins Loan must contact the Bursar’s Office for exit information, 724-938-4431. If these items are not finalized before graduation, you will not be eligible to graduate.
To check if you have any holds that need your attention, please visit the Student Services Web site (https://sisweb.cup.edu), click on “Enter Student Services,” login – click on “Student Records,” then click on “Holds” in the drop-down list. You will be notified if you have any clearance issues either by mail, email, or phone.
Informational mailings for students who have applied for graduation will be sent by your College office to the address listed on your graduation application. Mailings will be sent approximately 6 weeks prior to the commencement ceremonies.
Transcripts are issued by the Office of Academic Records. You must submit your request in writing. A request form can be downloaded online (http://www.cup.edu/nu_upload/ReqforTranscript.pdf) and submitted. When submitting your written request, please be sure to indicate:
· The number of transcripts requested
· The type of transcripts requested (undergraduate, graduate, or both)
· The name and address of the person or institution where the transcript should be sent.
Each transcript costs $3.00 and payment must be received before a transcript is issued. Checks or money orders should be made payable to “California University of Pennsylvania.” Transcripts will not be issued to a third party without the written consent of the sender. If a transcript is issued to a student, a notation to that effect will appear on the transcript. Transcripts marked in this manner are sometimes not considered official when presented to a third party by a student.
Transcripts are issued as quickly as possible, but there may be some delay during busy periods of the year. Requests should therefore be made well in advance. No transcript will be issued to a student whose financial obligations have not been met in full. Please send requests to: Office of Academic Records, 250 University Avenue, California, PA 15419.
Commencement honors are awarded to students in the graduating class who have earned the required 60 credits at California University of Pennsylvania in a baccalaureate degree program only and achieved the required QPA. Credits, grades, and quality points earned as part of a previously completed associate or first degree (even if awarded through Cal U) are not used to calculate commencement honors.
Because of print deadlines for the commencement program, QPAs from the semester prior to graduation are used to determine honors status at commencement. If you meet the requirements after the last semester grades are posted, you can obtain and wear an honor cord but your name will not be listed in the program. Cords can be obtained at the University Bookstore; there is no charge for honors cords.
If you have questions regarding your status after reviewing your last semester prior to graduation QPA (based on the criteria listed above), please contact Jodie Rooney, Academic Events Coordinator, at 724-938-1584 or rooney@cup.edu.
Latin honors are awarded for the following QPAs: Highest Honors (Summa Cum Laude) 3.75 to 4.00, High Honors (Magna Cum Laude) 3.50 to 3.74, and Honors (Cum Laude) 3.25 to 3.49.
Honors stoles are given to graduate students who complete their program with a minimum 3.75 QPA based on the semester prior to graduation. Graduate students will not be recognized in the commencement program as receiving honors.
Names of students eligible for graduation and students eligible for commencement honors (undergraduate only), departmental awards, honors program completion, and honorary society recognition will be listed in the commencement program. Graduate students may have projects and theses listed as well. Please be aware that program printing deadlines may prevent proper listings in the program if eligibility or other obligations are in question.
Students who have gained special permission to “walk only” during the ceremony will not be listed in the commencement program until they have met all graduation requirements.
Commencement programs are not considered official evidence of graduation and must not be regarded as conclusive. The transcript, issued through the University by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, sealed and signed by the proper authorities, is conclusive testimony to the possession of a degree.
Get the Cal U Career Advantage! The Office of Career Services, located on the second floor of Eberly Hall, is your resource for career counseling and planning, resume assistance, networking opportunities, and more. Visit Career Services Web site and office to view job postings, participate in mock interviews, locate job fairs, and schedule on-campus interviews with area employers. Visit the following Web pages for additional information:
Explore Cal U’s many traditional and 100% online graduate programs in collaboration with the College of Education and Human Services, Eberly College of Science and Technology, and the College of Liberal Arts. Our graduate programs are flexible, making it easier for you to balance life’s challenges. Talk to a graduate school admissions representative and see why a graduate degree may be beneficial for your career goals and why attending graduate school directly after completing your undergraduate degree may be right for you. Check out the School of Graduate Studies and Research Web site for more information: http://www.cup.edu/graduate/index.jsp.
| Eberly College of Science and Technology: | 724-938-4169 |
| College of Education and Human Services: | 724-938-4125 |
| College of Liberal Arts: | 724-938-4240 |
| School of Graduate Studies & Research: | 724-938-4187 |
| Office of Academic Affairs: | 724-938-4407 |
Event Information: Jodie Rooney | x1584 |
| Office of Academic Records: | 724-938-4434 |
| Office of Alumni Relations: | 724-938-4418 |
| Office of Career Services: | 724-938-4413 |
| Office of Financial Aid: | 724-938-4415 |
| Office for Students with Disabilities: | 724-938-5781 |
| Student Development & Services: | 724-938-4439 |
Information Center: | x4300/5669 |
Senior Photos: Joy Helsel | x4105 |
| University Bookstore: | 724-938-4324 |