Commencement Ceremony Participation
Degree candidates enrolled in MyWay at UMHB are eligible to participate in the University’s commencement ceremonies. While degrees are conferred according to the schedule published by the Office of the Registrar at http://registrar.umhb.edu/academic-calendar, the University holds two commencement ceremonies per year—one in May and one in December. MyWay at UMHB students with degree conferral dates in January through June are invited to participate in the May ceremony. MyWay at UMHB students with degree conferral dates in July through December are invited to participate in the December ceremony. Students are permitted to participate in only one commencement ceremony per degree.
The degree conferral dates for May, June, and December graduates may fall after the respective commencement ceremony date. To participate in a commencement ceremony prior to degree conferral, MyWay at UMHB students must petition for permission to “walk” with the conferred graduates. To petition, students must submit a fully completed Petition to Participate in Commencement Exercises form. To qualify to “walk” in a commencement ceremony prior to degree conferral, a student must anticipate completing all degree requirements by the June degree conferral date (according to the published schedule) for participation in the May ceremony or by the December degree conferral date (according to the published schedule) for participation in the December ceremony. Completion of the form requires a concrete plan for earning the remaining degree requirements.
Students must submit the form no later than January 15 for Spring participants or September 15 for Fall participants. The dean normally will approve or deny the petition within five business days of receipt of the form. Students denied permission to participate in commencement exercises will have five business days to appeal in writing to the Provost. Students granted permission to participate in commencement exercises must file an application for degree and pay the graduation fee by January 31 for Spring participants or September 30 for Fall participants. Students filing for graduation after their respective deadline will be charged a late fee and are NOT guaranteed inclusion in the printed commencement program.
Participation in commencement exercises is not equivalent to graduation. Students granted permission by their respective dean or the Provost to “walk” in the ceremony are not official graduates. They will not receive diplomas nor will their degrees be posted to their transcripts until all their degree requirements have been completed. Degree conferral dates will not be retroactive. The official degree conferral date of the term in which the students' outstanding degree requirements are completed will apply. Students failing to graduate after the expiration of one academic year must reorganize their respective degree plan to conform with the current catalog as well as must submit another application for degree and pay another graduation fee by the applicable deadlines.
Graduates also may petition the Office of the Registrar for permission to delay participation in commencement exercises if they are unable to participate in the ceremony prescribed by their degree conferral dates.
Students must settle all accounts in order to be eligible to participate in commencement ceremonies. The University may restrict students from participating in commencement for failure to make complete payment of student accounts.
Degree conferral is not automatic. All graduates, irrespective of participation in a commencement ceremony, must file an application for degree and pay the graduation fee by their anticipated degree conferral date (according to the published schedule). Applications for expired degree conferral dates will not be accepted, even though all degree requirements may have been completed by the expired date. Students failing to graduate by their anticipated degree conferral date may roll their application for degree and graduation fee forward for the duration of two consecutive six-month terms. Students failing to graduate after the expiration of these two consecutive six-month terms must reorganize their respective degree plan to conform with the current catalog as well as must submit another application for degree and pay another graduation fee by the applicable deadlines.
Diplomas are mailed to the address provided on the application for degree approximately eight weeks after the degree conferral date. This allows time for confirmation all degree requirements have been met. Under no circumstances will a diploma be released prior to the degree conferral date. Diplomas will not be released to students owing a balance to the University.