Plan now for May 2017 Graduation & Commencement Festivities

Left: Sandra Hollander, assistant to the PEL Assistant Registrar, helps a student with his robes at the 2016 Commencement. If you would like to volunteer to help with this year's Commencement, please contact Sandra Hollander at hollanas@eckerd.edu. 


Planning to graduate in May? Here's what you need to know about what's due when and about what the commencement ceremony is like:

Deadlines for forms and course completion

Students planning to graduate in May should review their degree plans carefully and consult with their advisors to ensure that all degree requirements have been met.  Degree plans are available online through ECWeb at http://my.eckerd.edu.

• Apply for Graduation by March 1. Click on the link to find the Graduation Application. Email the signed and completed form to PEL Assistant Registrar Sharon Clawson at clawsosa@eckerd.edu or fax it to (727) 864-8422.

• Complete and submit Portfolio Learning Statements and other experiential credit documentation by March 17. Contact PEL Associate Dean of Faculty Margret Skaftadottir if you have difficulty meeting this deadline.

• Complete CLEP/DSST exams by March 17 to ensure official scores are received before May 19. Check with your advisor to be sure the test credit meets the requirements of your degree plan. Contact Anne Anderson at (727) 864-8884 or by email at andersaw@eckerd.edu to schedule CLEP/DSST exams. 

• Compete all Directed Study, Independent Study, Comprehensive Exams by Directed Study, Senior Thesis, and/or Senior Project courses by April 30. Not only do professors need time to post grades, but all degree plans must be double-checked after all grades have been entered.

• Defend Creative Writing thesis by May 1 AND submit thesis in final, archiveable form by May 5. Contact Anne Anderson at (727) 864-8884 or by email at andersaw@eckerd.edu for help in reserving a room for the defense.

Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 21

Graduation under the tent is a festive affair / 2016

Graduation may mark the end of long hours of studying, of class discussions, and of writing papers and taking exams, but it is the beginning -- the commencement -- of life as a college graduate, of new opportunities, and of new ways to contribute to the world. The Commencement Ceremony celebrates graduates' accomplishments and sends them forth to do good things.

Commencement isn't just about the Sunday morning ceremony, either. Check out the 2017 Commencement website to see the many events that are planned for the weekend, to see a video of one of the largest tents in Florida go up, and to see a slide show of images from last year's events.

Caps and gowns and other information. Watch your regular mail and your email for information about ordering caps and gowns and about graduation festivities. The 2017 Commencement site will be up soon.[NOTE: Effective March 13, 2017, the site is live! Go to: https://www.eckerd.edu/commencement/]

Did you already graduate in August, December, or January and want to participate in the May ceremony? Contact PEL Assistant Registrar Sharon Clawson at (727) 864-8291 or email her at clawsosa@eckerd.edu to confirm that you included this information on your graduation application.

Won't graduate by May, but want to participate in the ceremony? Contact PEL Associate Dean of Faculty Margret Skaftadottir at skaftami@eckerd.edu. Include your request to participate and information about how you plan to complete all courses and other graduation requirements by December 2017. Note: Participating in the ceremony does not mean you have graduated.

PEL is always looking for volunteers to assist with robing on the morning of Commencement. Please email Sandra Hollander at hollanas@eckerd.edu if you are interested in helping out.