Commencement Services
PSC grants certificates and the following six associate's degrees:
- Associate in Arts (A.A.)
- Associate in Science (A.S.)
- Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.)
- Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.)
- Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.; career and technical degree)
- Associate in General Studies (A.G.S.; not intended for career program or a bachelor's degree)
Specific curriculum requirements for a particular degree or certificate program are found the catalog under DEGREES, CERTIFICATES, COURSES. Consult that section of the catalog and the index for detailed information.
Graduation Requirements
To earn a degree or certificate, you must complete the academic requirements shown in the catalog for the year in which you entered Prairie State College. If the degree or certificate requirements are changed during your attendance, you may elect to satisfy either the new requirement or the ones in force when you enrolled. If you withdraw from Prairie State College for either a Fall or Spring semester, you must satisfy requirements in force at the time you re-enroll.
When submitting a graduation petition, you will be asked to identify the year of the catalog from which you are graduating. Any petition for alteration of graduation requirements must be submitted in writing on a Student Appeal Form—available in the Counseling & Academic Advising Center—at least one semester prior to graduation. Graduation petitions must be submitted to the Admissions Office no later than the following dates:
- Fall graduation: October 1
- Spring graduation: March 1
- Summer graduation: July 1
December, May and August candidates may choose to participate in the annual May Commencement ceremony (see following section,"Commencement Ceremony").
Students planning to receive a degree and/or certificate at PSC must request an official evaluation of their credits in the Office of Admissions & Enrollment Services by completing the "Transcript Evaluation Request Form" at least one or two semesters prior to degree and/or certificate completion in order to ensure correct course selections.
Commencement Ceremony
A Commencement (graduation) ceremony is held once a year, at the end of the Spring semester in May. Graduates from the previous Fall, current Spring, and forthcoming Summer terms are invited to participate. This year's commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 11 a.m.
Note: This is the only ceremony held all year, though you may be certified as a graduate at the end of any semester of the academic year.
The deadline to apply for the ceremony is March 1, no matter which semester you actually fulfill the requirements for graduation.
For each degree application, a fee of $20 will be charged upon petitioning for graduation (this includes the cost of a degree diploma); there is no additional fee to participate in the ceremony. Students who earn a certificate will have that information posted to their college transcript free of charge; however, if a certificate recipient wishes to participate in the graduation ceremony and therefore receive a diploma, a fee of $20 will be charged for each diploma.
Cap & Gown Information
You can pick up your caps, gowns, six tickets and pack of 10 announcements, along with an information sheet in the Student Leadership Center (Room 1260) on:
Monday, May 10 and Tuesday, May 11
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 2 - 4:30 p.m.
If you cannot pick up at the times above, please call (708) 709-3910. We will also have surveys we would like you to fill out.
- Important Commencement Information
A letter will be mailed to students in late April regarding when they will be able to pick-up their regalia. At the same time you will be receiving your 6 tickets and 10 announcements with an information sheet that will answer questions.
Those interested in extra tickets must call Helen Manley (708) 709-3910 to be put on the list. There are, however, no guarantees that by being on the list you will be able to get extra tickets.
Based on the student's cumulative GPA (thru Fall, 2009), those who are eligible for honors medallions will receive them on May 22.
If interested in purchasing Phi Theta Kappa stole, tassel and honors cord please contact Esther Pacheco, (708) 709-3503 or stop by the Office of Student Life and Multicultural Affairs.
For more information regarding commencement, please contact Helen Manley at hmanley@prairiestate.edu or (708) 709-3910.
Tickets
Six (6) tickets will be issued to each student participating in the Commencement Ceremony. You will be informed by mail when you can pick-up the tickets.
Announcements
Students will receive one (1) package of ten (10) announcements free. If you need additional packs, they are $5 each and those can be picked up at a later date if they are still available.
Commencement Program
Our guest speaker will be Jerry D. Blakemore. Mr. Blakemore grew up in Ford Heights and attended Bloom High School. He currently serves as General Counsel for Southern Illinois University. Previously he served as General Counsel of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, managing partner of Sales Goodloe Golden & Blakemore, and General Counsel for the G.R. Group. At the age of 30, Mr. Blakemore served as Deputy Governor and Legal Counsel to former governor, James R. Thompson. His other public service positions include serving as Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Labor, in the Reagan and Bush administrations; Commissioner on the Illinois Commerce Commission, where he was responsible for the regulation of energy, telecommunications, and investor-owned water companies. Mr. Blakemore was appointed by former Governor Jim Edgar as Chairman of the Illinois Board of Higher Education where he served as a member for more than 12 years.
Mr. Blakemore received a B.A. in Political Science from Princeton University and then graduated from John Marshall Law School. He is also a PSC distinguished alumni.
Graduation Honors
There are three categories of graduation honors: Cum Laude (3.30-3.64 GPA); Magna Cum Laude (3.65-3.84 GPA); and Summa Cum Laude (3.85-4.0 GPA). Certificate students are not eligible for graduation honors.
Graduation honors are awarded based on the GPA earned by the student at the time of filing for graduation. Students will not be awarded graduation honors for their GPA earned after the Commencement ceremony.
For more information or clarification about the Commencement Ceremony or the above graduation honors, call the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs at (708) 709-3507.