How do I graduate?
Around the middle of June, thousands of successful students cross the graduation stage and are officially welcomed as new alumni. Do you plan to finish your certificate, diploma or degree program this term? Here's what you need to know about graduation.

Where is the graduation info?
Look on Fanshawe's website at www.fanshawec.ca/graduation. Everything you need to know is there. If you are following your program with no changes, we'll also send an email to any email address you have on file with the college — that includes your FanshaweOnLine email, and your hotmail, sympatico, rogers or whatever. Make sure your email address is accurate and make sure your mailbox is set to accept mail from fanshawec.ca or you'll miss us.

I'm following my program with no changes.
If you're going through your program successfully and without any changes, your name will likely be put on a “grad list” by your program coordinator or staff in your division office. The list goes to the Graduation Coordinator who checks that your academic record shows you have met all the requirements to graduate.

I'm taking courses out of order (for any reason).
If you have any changes to your regular program - you've taken courses out of order, repeated a course, taken courses through Continuing Education or done things in a different order for any reason - it's a very good idea to confirm with your division office that you believe you are ready to graduate, well before the end of term. Otherwise, we won't know you're finished and you won't receive an email from us about graduation.

I owe a library fine but it isn't very large.
If you have any outstanding debt with the college - tuition, library fines (no matter how small), unreturned items for the Athletics Office, whatever - your document won't be released when you graduate. Not only that, but you won't be able to get your transcript and you might not be able to register for future courses.

I got an email about graduation but I'm not finished (maybe I'm on a co-op term) - what's going on?
Most programs at Fanshawe College end on a “final academic semester”, that is, with you in class. When we prepare for graduation ceremonies, we send out invitations before the end of term, before we know whether or not you've completed your program. We send the invitations to everyone in your program's final in-class semester.

How do I know if I'm graduating?
In order to be eligible to graduate, you must successfully complete all the program requirements with a minimum grade point average, including any co-op education requirements. If you have questions about what you need to finish, talk to your division office soon.

- Graduation ceremony dates are Tuesday, June 10 to Monday, June 16.

- If you are a part-time student and you plan to graduate this June, we recommend that you tell your division office no later than April 25.

- If your name has changed while you were at school, bring two pieces of government identification with the correct name to the Office of the Registrar, E1012, no later than April 25 so your document will have your new name.

- Order your graduation tickets through the FanshaweOnLine until May 14. Look for the link called “graduation”. Information about graduation will be emailed to you, so make sure your email address is current with us.

- Your tickets will be mailed to your permanent address. If your address has changed, update it through WebAdvisor, or in the Office of the Registrar, E1012, by May 2.

- If you don't come to your graduation, you can get your document from the Office of the Registrar between June 18 and June 20. You'll need to show photo ID. After that, we'll mail your document, within 4-6 weeks after graduation to your permanent address. If your address has changed, update it through WebAdvisor, or in the Office of the Registrar, E1012, by May 2.

How many tickets can I have for my ceremony?
You are guaranteed two tickets for your graduation guests. You don't need a ticket for yourself. You can order more tickets and we'll do our best to accommodate your request based on ticket demand for your ceremony. Tickets will be mailed starting in late May and the number of tickets that have been mailed will show on the ticket request screen on FanshaweOnLine.

Whether you are graduating this June or later on, we look forward to congratulating you at your graduation ceremony!

Office of the Registrar
... We're working for you.

This column is a Student Success Initiative sponsored by Counselling and Student Life Services, Financial Aid and the Office of the Registrar.