Candidate Information
• Message from the President
of the Alumni Association
• Requirements for Graduation
• Commencement Preview
• Caps and Gowns
Parent & Family Information
• Directions
• Lodging
• Parking and Seating
Additional Information
• Featured Speaker
• Inclement Weather
• Official Photographs
• Special Needs
COMMENCEMENT
Your New Life Begins Sunday, May 18, 2008
Whether you are a graduate candidate or the parent of one, your life changes on May 18. Years of work and study culminate on this day, and the turning of the tassle opens a new chapter for your life.Please utilize the information here to make this day as special as possible.
• Baccalaureate: The Baccalaureate service will be held at 11 a.m. in Howard Chapel. For more information, contact the Rev. Hollie Woodruff in the Office of the Chaplain at 252-399-6368 or by email at chaplain@barton.edu.
• Commencement: Faculty are to assemble at the Nixon Nursing Building, and graduate candidates are to assemble at 12:45 p.m. in the Case Art Building. The Commencement program begins promptly at 1:30 p.m.
Candidate Information
Message from the President of the Alumni Association
"Graduating Seniors,"I suspect you are all very busy completing the final few weeks of class and looking forward to May 18. It is a privilege for me to congratulate each of you (a bit prematurely perhaps) on finally reaching this point in your educational career. For many of you Barton's campus has been your home for the last four years. For others BC has been your destination for many trips to Wilson. Regardless of your circumstances, this magical place will soon be where you used to be. I hope you will always reserve a place in your heart for this great college. I'm excited for you and also look forward to personally congratulating you at Commencement."
PHILLIP “BUTCH” WARREN
President, Barton College Alumni Association
Requirements for Graduation
- Application for Graduation
You must fully complete and sign an Application for Graduation. The applications are available at senior graduation meetings and at the Office of the Registrar. Your name on your diploma will be as it appears on your Application for Graduation. - Commencement vs. Graduation
Participation in the Commencement ceremony does not necessarily mean that you will be graduated; this especially applies to August graduates. Barton College will graduate you once, and only once, you have completed all of your degree requirements. Diplomas will indicate only the degree and not the major/s. If a student completes a double major within the same degree, only one degree (one diploma) is earned. - Graduation Dates
May 2008 graduates - May 18, 2008
August 2008 graduates - August 7, 2008
August Graduate Candidates: Students who are applying for August graduation (spring trimester/summer school students) must be within 12 hours of graduation and have at least a 2.00 cumulative Barton College GPA prior to Commencement. All students must provide evidence by May 1, 2008, that they are pre-registered for the appropriate courses in summer school in order to participate in the Commencement ceremony. An approved petition prior to enrollment is required for all course work taken at other institutions during the summer.
- Cap and Gown Orders
If you plan to participate in the Commencement ceremony, you must complete the Cap and Gown section of the Application for Graduation. Caps and gowns may be picked up May 1-16, 2008, at the Business Office in Harper Hall. - Major Declaration
You must have a current Request for Major form on file in the Registrar's Office indicating your major, minor, cognate, focus, or concentration. Check with your advisor to make sure one is on file. - Major Checksheet
By the end of the fall semester, your advisor will be sent a copy of your updated major checksheet. Once your advisor has reviewed this information, you should make an appointment with him/her to confirm your progress toward meeting your degree requirements. After the meeting with your advisor, you may make an appointment to meet with a member of the Registrar's Office for a final review and verification of your progress toward graduation. - 2.00 Minimum GPA
You must complete the requirements for graduation with a Barton College GPA of at least 2.00. The GPA of courses taken in the major and/or minor must also be at least 2.00. - Hours Earned: 126
You must earn a minimum of 126 hours to graduate. Developmental course credits such as ENG 100, MTH 100, CHE 100, and NUR 100 do NOT count toward graduation, thus you must take additional hours if you have taken any of these courses. - Residency Requirement
A minimum of 45 semester hours must be taken at Barton College. The last 30 semester hours (your senior year) must be taken at Barton. However, a student who has already completed at least 64 semester hours at Barton College may take up to 12 semester hour of the last 30 at another regionally accredited college or university. An approved petition prior to enrollment is required for courses taken at another institution. Transfer students should pay very close attention to this rule! - Upper Level Electives
You must complete at least 12 semester hours of courses that do not share your major prefix and that do not count toward your major or the general core requirements. Six of these must be upper level (i.e., at the 300 or 400 levels). This is not required of any major that requires the completion of a cognate. - CLEP Exams, Incomplete Grades, Course Substitutions, Challenge Exams, and Transcripts from Other Institutions
All of the above must be completed and on file in the Registrar's Office by May 1, 2008, for May and August graduation. If a CLEP exam is failed, it can be re-taken after six months. - Graduating with Honors
The grade point average is computed on all work attempted at all colleges attended.
3.30 - 3.59 = Cum Laude
3.60 - 3.89 = Magna Cum Laude
3.90 - 4.00 = Summa Cum Laude - Walking vs. Not Walking at Commencement
During the months of March and April 2008, the Vice President for Academic Affairs will send out important graduation information including a post card for you to complete and return to confirm whether or not you plan to attend Commencement. You MUST complete and return the card immediately. If you do not tell us that you plan to walk at Commencement, you will not have a seat or diploma!
Caps and Gowns
In order to receive your cap and gown, you must:- Present proof of completion of the Senior Survey
- Present a copy of your completed Financial Aid Exit Survey
- Pay your Business Office account in full (Weekend College students: your accounts must be current)
- Be clear of any Library holds - no outstanding books or fees
Parent and Family Information
Parking and Seating
A campus map showing the Commencement areas (normal and alternate) and campus parking lots is available here.All Commencement guests may park in any of the campus parking lots. The general seating area for Commencement is on center campus in front of the main classroom building, Hines Hall. There is no limit on the number of guests for seating on center campus; however, there is a seating limit for the inclement weather location.
Please remember that seating is on a first come, first seated basis. Please do not sit in any of the reserved seating designated with ribbon.
Additional Information
Featured Speaker - Dr. Richard Ekman
His previous experience includes service as Vice President and Dean of Hiram College, where he was also a tenured member of the history faculty. Earlier, he served as Assistant to the Provost at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and as Associate Director of the Department of Expository Writing at Harvard University. Dr. Ekman holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University in the history of American civilization, the institution from which he also received his A.M. and A.B. (magna cum laude) degrees. Dr. Ekman also has been awarded honorary degrees by Marywood University, and Bethany, Georgetown, Hastings, Otterbein, Alderson-Broaddus, and Ursinus Colleges. He is co-author, with Richard E. Quandt, of Technology and Scholarly Communication (University of California Press, 1999).
He has previously been active as a member of a variety of professional boards including the Board of Directors of the American Association for Higher Education, the Educational Projects Advisory Committee of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the Advisory Committee of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, the Rackham Advancement Council of the University of Michigan, the Council of Harvard University's Villa I Tatti, the Board of Directors of the Society for Values in Higher Education, the Steering Committee of the Washington Higher Education Secretariat, the Board of Directors of the Council for the Understanding of Technology in Human Affairs, the Advisory Panel of the Consortium for the Advancement of Private Higher Education, the Boards of Trustees of Georgetown Day School and Collegiate School, and the Advisory Committee on Life-long Learning of the Ohio Board of Regents.
Inclement Weather
In the event of inclement weather, Commencement will take place in the Wilson Gymnasium. Six inclement weather tickets are provided to each graduate candidate in his or her cap and gown packet. In order to attend Commencement in the gymnasium, you must have a ticket. Graduate candidates and guests, please note that lost tickets will not be replaced. Please keep your tickets safe.The decision to use the alternate location will be made by 8 a.m. Sunday. To verify the location of Commencement:
- Call Barton's inclement weather line at 252-399-6868
- Check http://www.barton.edu for an alert
- Check your Barton College email account
Official Photographs
As each graduate is handed his or her diploma, a picture will be taken by a professional photographer. A posed photograph will also be taken once each graduate has stepped off the stage.Each graduate will receive an email from the photographer with a link to the website, http://www.photospecialties.com, and a password that allows the graduate to view and order graduation photos online. A free color proof will also be mailed to the permanent address so that the graduate will have the opportunity to purchase these prints. There is no obligation to purchase prints.
For more information, please contact info@photospecialties.com or call 1-800-722-7033.
