Graduation

Degrees

Prior to receipt of an Associate in Arts, Science, Fine Arts, Teaching-Secondary Mathematics, Engineering Sciences, Applied Science or General Studies degree you must:

• Complete all degree requirements as outlined in the curriculum guides for the Associate in Arts, Science, Fine Arts, Teaching-Secondary Mathematics, Engineering Sciences, Applied Science or General Studies degrees. The following should be completed prior to submitting a graduation application:
  • Ensure that all external transcripts (high school, GED, college) have been submitted to Enrollment Services, 2500 Carlyle Ave., Belleville IL 62221. Note that these transcripts must be received directly from the issuing institution. Hand carried transcripts will not be accepted.
  • Make an appointment to see a Counselor at Belleville 618-235-2700 ext. 5206, Granite City 618-931-0600 ext. 6633, Red Bud 618-282-6568 ext. 8114.
  • Students, who have not met the Constitution requirement by either taking a class or submitting their Illinois High School or Illinois GED transcript, should make an appointment to complete the College’s constitution exam through the Testing Center. Please make sure that you have studied and are well prepared to attempt this exam. If you are not successful within three attempts at this exam, you will be required to take POLS 150 or 261 & 262.

• Submit a completed graduation application. To submit your application on-line, log into eSTORM select Student Center and choose Application for Graduation from the dropdown box under Academics. If you wish to mail or drop off an application at the Enrollment Services Office at the Belleville Campus, the Administrative Office at the Sam Wolf Granite City Campus or the Student Development Office at the Red Bud Campus, you can type your information onto the Graduation Application, print the form out and sign it before returning it to be processed. All applications will be reviewed at the Belleville Campus at the beginning of the semester.

  You may submit a graduation application at any time during the year, if you have indicated a term for which the deadline has passed, your application will automatically be reviewed during the following term. If a term is not indicated, your application will be reviewed for the nearest term in which the deadline has not passed. However if you want to ensure that you will be considered during a certain term, you must submit it by the dates specified below:

  Application Deadline Date	Term
  February 15	Summer
  June 15	Fall
  September 15	Spring
  NOTE If the application deadline date falls on a holiday or weekend, applications will be due no later than the next business day.

  Your application is good for one semester. If the application is denied during the semester in which you apply, you will need to reapply for graduation for the next semester.

• Clear all financial obligations to the college.

• Ensure that official documents (high school transcripts, college transcripts, approved requirements substitution forms, etc.) used to satisfy degree requirements are received by the Enrollment Services Office by the last day of the term in which you plan to graduate.

What to expect:

Your application will be reviewed and you will receive a letter from the Registrar regarding your degree status. If you do not receive this letter by midterm of the term in which you plan to graduate, you should contact Enrollment Services in person or by phone at 618-235-2700, ext. 5281 to ensure that your application was received.

If you still have remaining requirements (other than current/planned enrollment) you will be required to meet with a Counselor to review academic planning. If, after meeting with a Counselor, you believe that you will be able to complete in the original application term, you should contact the Registrar immediately to report your intentions. If you fail to communicate your plans, you could be denied graduation for that term.

All records will be reviewed after grades are submitted at the end of the term. If you have completed requirements successfully, you will receive confirmation in the mail from Enrollment Services at the end of the term. Your degree will be posted to your academic record immediately after confirmation, however you will not receive your diploma for approximately 2 months. Your diploma will be mailed directly to the address indicated on your graduation application so please notify Enrollment Services if it changes.

If you do not successfully complete your enrollment and/or pending requirements, you will receive a letter indicating that your degree was denied. If you have any questions or concerns, you should contact us immediately.

Certificates

Certificates of proficiency and certificates of completion are available in some programs. These certificates may be obtained upon completion of the following:

• Complete all certificate requirements as outlined in your career program of study.

• A minimum of 25 percent of the required credit hours/credit units must be completed through courses offered by Southwestern Illinois College. Consent of the program coordinator/department head, dean, and Vice President for Instruction is necessary for any variance from this requirement.

• Achieve a minimum of a 2.0 cumulative grade point average in courses required for the certificate.

• At the beginning of the term in which requirements will be completed, a certificate request must be turned in. If you wish to mail or drop off a request at the Enrollment Services Office at the Belleville Campus, the Administrative Office at the Sam Wolf Granite City Campus or the Student Development Office at the Red Bud Campus you can type your information onto the Application for Occupational Certificate, print the form out and sign it before returning it to be processed.

Commencement

While we confer degrees each term, we only offer one graduation ceremony each year. The ceremony is held in May at the end of the spring semester. All degree candidates for spring term and students who received degrees in the previous summer or fall term will be invited to participate in the ceremony. Students needing to complete requirements beyond the spring term will be invited to the ceremony in the following year. The specific date of the ceremony can be found on the college calendar. Diplomas are mailed directly to students approximately eight weeks after the end of the semester after successful completion of coursework is verified by the Enrollment Services Office.

Commencement Honors

At the annual graduation ceremony held each spring, students who have achieved an accumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher will be eligible to wear a blue tassel, which represents the achievement of high honors, rather than a black tassel. The grade point average that determines this achievement is the cumulative average through the fall term. Spring grades do not affect commencement honor status.

Verification of Degree

• Official Transcript – Your official transcript is the official record of degree completion at Southwestern Illinois College. Transcripts are released only with your written consent. Please visit transcript information for the steps you can take to request your official transcript.

• Diploma – Your diploma will be mailed to you automatically upon confirmation of completed requirements. The diploma will not reach your home for approximately 2 months following the term in which you graduate. Please be sure to notify Enrollment Services if your address changes.

• Telephone – It is the practice of Southwestern Illinois College to confirm or deny receipt of a degree over the telephone when requested. Typically these requests would come from potential employers, professional licensure agencies, or other colleges/universities. However, we will provide this information without confirming the identity of the caller, as we have no way of making formal identification over the phone. We do not, under any circumstance, release grade or GPA information over the phone. Releasing any information aside from degree and/or enrollment status (ft, pt) requires your written consent and is never released over the phone. If it is your preference that degree and/or enrollment status information is not released without your written consent, please submit a Request to Withhold Directory Information. A form may be obtained from Enrollment Services or you may submit your intentions in the form of a letter to the Registrar.