This year’s Commencement will be held on Friday May 18, 2012 at 7:30 pm at Rolling Hills Community Church, 3550 SW Borland Rd; Tualatin, OR 97062. Graduates are asked to arrive by 6:45 pm. No tickets are required for guests.
Commencement
All graduating students are expected to be present at the graduation or commencement ceremony at the end of the final semester of their degree program, except in cases of extreme emergency or other difficult circumstances. Students completing their degree at the end of fall semester will participate in the Graduation Celebration on the evening of December 9th at 7:30 PM at Central Bible Church. Fall graduates will be listed in the spring commencement program and may request to participate in this event in addition to (not instead of) their December graduation. Students completing their degrees at the end of spring semester will participate in the Commencement held on May 18th at 7:30 PM at Rolling Hills Community Church. Students who will complete their final credits (6 or less) in the summer may submit a ‘Request to Walk Early Form’ to be considered, and participate in the May commencement preceding the completion of these final credits; otherwise, they will join in the December graduation event. Students seeking permission to graduate in absentia (either semester) must submit a ‘request to be excused’ to the Registrar’s office so approval can be secured from the Student Affairs Committee well in advance.
Important Dates/Graduation Checklist:
December 2011 Graduates:
- September 15, 2011: Application for Degree is due. This must be submitted to Registrar. Submission of this form is required to graduate.
- September 15, 2011: Transcripts for transfer credit from other universities or seminaries are due. (Transcripts for courses not completed by this date are due November 1, 2011.)
- November 1, 2011: Final due date for transcripts from other universities or seminaries for transfer credit.
- November 1, 2011: Signed Doctrinal Statements Forms are due from undergraduate and seminary students. For traditional undergraduate students these will be completed in TH 408.
- November 1, 2011: Requests to be excused from the December Graduation Celebration must be submitted to the Registrar’s office no later than the end of this business day.
- November 29, 2011: Cap and Gown distribution held in the Lower Lobby of Travis-Lovitt Hall, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
- December 9, 2011: Graduation Celebration held at 7:30 PM at Central Bible Church, 8815 NE Glisan Street, Portland, OR 97220.
May 2012 Graduates:
- January 15, 2012: Transcripts are due. (Transcripts for courses not completed by this date are due April 1, 2012.)
- February 1, 2012: Application for Degree is due. This form must be submitted to Registrar. Submission of this form is required to graduate.
- February 1, 2012: Final due date to submit ‘Request to Walk Early’. Must be turned into the Registrar’s Office with an Application for Degree attached.
- February 7, 2012: Class Ring and Graduation Announcement ordering from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM in JCA Lobby. Products can also be ordered directly from Jostens by contacting www.shop.jostens.com or 1.800.353.5299.
- April 1, 2012: All transcripts for courses taken at other universities or seminaries are due.
- April 15, 2012: Signed Doctrinal Statements Forms are due from undergraduate and seminary students. For traditional undergraduate students this will be completed in TH 408.
- April 15, 2012: Requests to be excused from the commencement ceremony must be in the Registrar’s office no later than the end of the business day.
- May 8, 2012: Cap and Gown distribution held in the Lower Lobby of Travis-Lovitt Hall, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
- May 17, 2012: Commencement Rehearsal begins at 1:30 PM at Rolling Hills Community Church.
- May 17, 2012: New Alumni Dinner 6:30-8:30 PM in the JCA. Contact alumni@multnomah.edu for details.
- May 18, 2012: Seminary Baccalaureate begins at 9:00 AM in the JCA Student Center.
- May 18, 2012: College Baccalaureate (including MAT, MAC and MA TESOL) begins at 10:30 AM at Central Bible Church.
- May 18, 2012: Commencement Ceremony begins at 7:30 PM at Rolling Hills Community Church, 3550 SW Borland Rd., Tualatin, OR 97062.
Application for Degree
All students approaching graduation must turn in an Application for Degree. Undergraduate students and Graduate Certificate students will have a $50 graduation fee assessed to their account. Masters students will have a $75 graduation fee assessed to their account. Additional late charges will be assessed for any applications turned in past the due dates listed below. All applications for December graduation are due by September 15th, and all applications for May graduation are due February 1st. Late fees will be assessed as follows:
| December Graduation |
May Graduation |
Late Fee |
| After September 15th |
After February 1st |
$20 |
| After October 1st |
After February 15th |
$40 |
| On November 1st |
On April 1st |
$40 |
After November 1st, only applications for the following May will be accepted. After April 1st, only applications for the following December will be accepted.
- Click here to download an Application for Degree-Undergraduate.
- Click here to download an Application for Degree-Graduate.
- Click here to download an Application for Degree-Spouse Enrichment.
Faculty Review
The faculty reviews progress toward graduation and approves juniors to proceed with their final year of study. Final faculty approval of candidates is given late in October or February of the student's senior year.
In order to receive faculty approval for graduation, students:
- Must be satisfactorily completing academic, student ministry, and devotional activity requirements
- Must not be involved in a disciplinary action that, if not satisfactorily resolved, has the potential to delay or deny graduation.
No senior will be presented whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) is below 1.8, and a 2.0 cumulative GPA must be attained during the final semester to qualify for graduation. Faculty approval of current students does not relieve them from the responsibility of maintaining the preceding standards up to the time of their graduation.
Candidates for graduation who are not currently attending Multnomah still remain under the student handbook standards that involve biblical absolutes. Failure to maintain these standards can disqualify a candidate from graduating even though other graduation requirements are fulfilled.
Undergraduate Honors Policy
Graduating seniors will be honored for outstanding academic achievement as indicated by their GPA as follows: Highest Honors 3.95-4.00, High Honors 3.80-3.94, and Honors 3.50-3.79.
The determination of GPA will be based on grades including the final fall semester of the senior year. The indication of honor will be indicated by the following symbols next to the graduate's name on the commencement program, and a gold seal indicating the honor will be affixed to the diploma.
* Honors
** High Honors
*** Highest Honors
Graduate Honors Policy
Students earning graduate degrees will be honored for outstanding academic achievement as follows:
- Magna Cum Laude: minimum cumulative average of 3.8
- Summa Cum Laude: minimum cumulative average of 3.9
- Honors will be designated on the graduate’s transcript.
Residence
Residence requirements are fulfilled by a minimum of one full year of resident study (thirty-two semester hours). Students must be in residence at least one semester of the final year of study and must complete twelve of the final twenty semester hours at Multnomah.