Graduation Information

Degrees

SWIC awards degrees at the end of each academic term (Fall, Spring and Summer).

Application for Graduation

It is the responsibility of the student to notify the Enrollment Services Office of his/her intention to graduate by submitting a Graduation Application prior to the last term enrolled. Applications can be submitted online: Log into eSTORM select Student Center and choose Apply for Graduation from the dropdown box under other Academics. A student can apply for more than one degree on an application. Students who reach graduation eligibility without having submitted an Application for Graduation may risk not being included in the graduation ceremony.

Once the form is received in the Enrollment Services Office, the student will be informed of all remaining degree requirements. Diplomas are mailed directly to students at the end of each semester after successful completion of coursework is verified by the Enrollment Services Office.

Prior to receipt of your degree you must:

• Complete all degree requirements as outlined in the curriculum guides for the Associate in Arts, Science, Fine Arts, Engineering Science, Applied Science or Associate in General Studies by the end of the term in which the student plans to graduate.
• Complete a minimum of 64 hours of credit. Some degrees require more than 64 credit hours.
• Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
• Complete at least 15 of the last 24 semester hours or a minimum of 36 semester hours at Southwestern Illinois College. (Active duty U.S. Armed Forces and Reserve service members must earn only 15 semester hours at SWIC.)
• Submit a Graduation Application. Students are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor to review their Student Advisement Report prior to submitting a Graduation Application.
• Clear all financial obligations to the college.
• Ensure that official documents (high school transcripts, college transcripts, program requirement exception forms, etc.) used to satisfy degree requirements are received by Enrollment Services by the last day of the term in which you plan to graduate.

What to Expect

• Upon review of your graduation application, you will be notified via your SWIC student e-mail account regarding your degree status. Graduation applications will be reviewed once enrollment opens for the semester in which you plan to graduate. If you do not receive notification by the start of the term in which you plan to graduate, you should contact Enrollment Services in person or by phone at 618-235-2700, ext. 5018, to ensure your application was received. You can also check your graduation status by logging on to eSTORM, selecting My Academics and then clicking on View My Graduation Status under Graduation.
• If you still have remaining requirements (other than current/planned enrollment) you will receive a letter asking you to review your student advisement report in your student center. If you have not successfully completed all the requirements for your degree you should resubmit a graduation application for the next term in which you plan to graduate.
• All applicants will be reviewed after grades are submitted at the end of the term. If you have completed all requirements successfully, check your graduation status by logging on to eStorm, selecting My Academics and then clicking on View My Graduation Status under Graduation. Your degree will be posted to your academic record immediately after confirmation, however, you will not receive your diploma for approximately one month after the end of the term. You can submit an official transcript request in your Student Center for verification of your degree statement. Your diploma will be mailed to the permanent address on your student account, so please notify Enrollment Services if it changes.
• If you do not successfully complete your enrollment and/or pending requirements, you will receive notification indicating that your degree was denied. If you have any questions or concerns, you should immediately contact Enrollment Services at ext. 5018.

Commencement

Students who have applied for graduation and completed requirements for a degree during the spring term and graduates from the previous summer and fall terms will be invited to participate in the graduation ceremony which is held once a year in May. The specific date of the ceremony is listed on the college calendar. Students must still submit a graduation application even if they choose not to participate in the ceremony.

Commencement Honors

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

Certificates

Students at Southwestern Illinois College can earn certificates in a variety of occupational programs ranging from two semesters credit hours to fifty semester credit hours in length. Certificates are automatically awarded at the end of term for students who have completed the following:

• Complete all certificate requirements as outlined in the Programs that Lead Directly to Employment section of the college catalog (blue pages).
• Complete a minimum of 25% of the required credit hours through courses offered by Southwestern Illinois College. Consent of the program coordinator/department head, dean, and instructional vice president 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.

Certificates will be mailed approximately 4 weeks after the end of the term.

Verification of Degree

Unofficial Transcript – Log into eSTORM, go into the Student Center and choose Unofficial Transcript from the dropdown box under Academics. If your degree has been awarded it will appear on the unofficial transcript under the Degrees Awarded section.

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 – After successful completion of coursework is verified by Enrollment Services, diplomas are mailed to students.

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 (full-time or part-time) 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 Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information Form. A form may be obtained from Enrollment Services or you may submit your intentions in the form of a letter to the Enrollment Services office.