Graduation prep, the final step after UCC. A quick guide for students

If you’ve hustled through the exhaustion of two years of college, don’t stop now. You’ve got one final hurdle to leap. Graduation.

The first step a student must take for earning that degree is accessing their transcript records and find the link to apply for graduation through the Sharepoint UCC student portal. This is a quick and easy process through the self-service tab on the UCC website. New students should always double-check with an academic advisor before beginning this process to make sure no final required course credits are hidden away under the floorboards that need to be finished, but this step of the process helps get the ball rolling as a student prepares for their final term at UCC.

Advisors are a vital resource for students preparing to leave UCC. “Our goal is to help make graduation a breeze,” Dan Ruch, a member of the UCC advising staff since 2019, says. Students should ask Ruch or another advisor to check completion records through the Banner student portal. Advisors recommend that students prepare to transfer three terms before finishing their degree to help create a solid pathway for assuring all credits transfer to the student’s school of choice.

For students who are more the “do it at the last minute” type, advisors ask to be consulted one term before graduation (winter for spring, spring for summer, etc.), so they can inform about any possible missing conditions.

While recent Banner updates have allowed advisors to more accurately show the progress a student has made, some points may still leave a student pondering.

For example, what does it mean when a Banner classifies a degree as General Education despite the fact the student is seeking a degree in engineering or botany? This is simply how the system flags and titles transfer degrees for students.

Students who have already applied for graduation should also make sure to fill out the graduation RSVP for a seat by May 10 on the UCC website if they desire their names to be in the printed program for the celebration event. Spring Term’s cut-off date for Graduation Applications is June 7. Students walking during graduation should inform registration that they need a cap and gown. After reforms to the UCC graduation process two years ago, the entire application fee and the cost of a cap and gown have been made free to students. Students, however, must purchase accessory items such as Phi Theta Kappa medals on the PTK Online storefront and lapel pins separately and prices are based upon outside vendor prices with storefronts such as the Hawk Shop.

Caps and gowns should be picked up by students in the LaVerne Murphy Student Center Lobby from June 10 to June 12. On June 12 and 14 students may also personally pay to have their photos taken by a professional photographer in the Student Center lobby.

Commencement, or the graduation ceremony for students, is scheduled for Friday, June 14. The event will be at 6 p.m. and be held at the Swanson Amphitheater. Graduates need to arrive early to the Athletics Complex by 4 p.m. to be given instructions and aided by staff to line up names and seating. Students arriving at 1 to 4 p.m. will also be a part of a photo lineup with late arrivals being put at the end of the line.

If students have any further questions they may speak with registration staff in the LaVerne Murphy Student Center or call 541-440-4604; their email is Registration@umpqua.edu.

Contact me at:
umpquacollegemainstream@gmail.com

For more articles by Matthew Rabern, please click here.