1. Graduation Services Front office: 254-526-1592
Bldg 119, RM 224
Main contact office information
Good morning, my name is Nelida Baker. I am the Graduation Coordinator for CTC. This morning I’ll be going over a few things related to graduation.
This first slide provide the main contact information for Graduation. Should students ever need the information, just go ahead and provide it to them.

2. Graduation: What we do
Process graduation for CTC students worldwide (past and present)
Confer degrees/certificates through regular application process, Reverse Transfer and Institutional awards
Preliminary Graduation Review
Record keeper for CTC Online High School (formerly API)
Duplicate diplomas
Early College High School
Here are a few of the things that we do in the office….
Read bullets……
Today’s focus will be on the regular application process.

3. Graduation Commencement vs Graduation
Commencement- public recognition of achievement but does not confer degree/certificate
Graduation- the means to complete all academic, state & college requirements to obtain degree/certificate
Participating/marching in the commencement ceremony does not mean the degree/certificate has been conferred or that the student has graduated.
We have students contact the office asking about their diplomas stating they never received it but that they participated in the ceremony whether the ceremony was at CTC site or even with Main campus, so I wanted to explain the difference between commencement and graduation. Often times the terms are interchanged but they do not refer to the same thing.
Read Commencement…
a. Read also “students walk across the stage in cap & gown, allowing family and friends to take pictures
Read Graduation

4. Grad Cycle 1st Email- confirms application received.
From the moment we have the graduation application, students should contact the graduation office directly with questions/concerns
2nd - verify spelling of name and correct degree to review; mailing out paperwork
After review is completed:
If not cleared, then status letter mailed out listing missing requirements
If cleared, transcript is updated, student sent cleared
Once the graduation date has passed, students are mailed a 30 day last chance letter
This is a final reminder of what is still missing and a deadline date to complete requirement
After the deadline date, students are then declared a No-Grad
The graduation review process is a long process and does not officially start until the submission deadline has passed. Applications are reviewed in the order we receive them. Students often comment that they apply for graduation and have not received any information.
Read Bullet 1- “The first sent…
Read Bullet 2- and then read….
The paperwork mailed out includes an information letter (which explains the process and provides contact information); a checklist (needs to be returned) which states why a student would not clear for graduation and what would prevent us from mailing the diplomas; and finally the marching form (needs to be returned only if participating in commencement ceremony at Main Campus).
Read Bullet 3
The cleared goes to address listed on application. This confirms student has been cleared for graduation and verifies mailing address one last time before diploma is mailed. Typically, the mail and the diploma are mailed within 2-3 days after the is sent.
At any time during the review period, if there is change of address then we need the information in writing from the student, otherwise the diploma and transcript will be mailed to the address listed on the graduation application
Read Bullet 4
when inquiring about a student, we go by what is written on the graduation application.

5. Graduation
Application for Degree/Certificate form available through Etrieve (preferred method)
If student is unable to submit electronically, can contact office via or by phone x1592
If local student, can come to B119, RM 224.
Students can apply for graduation through Etrieve. The form the student needs to fill out is the “Application for Degree/Certificate”. They can type “Degree” into the search box and the form will pull up.
Read Bullet 2
Read Bullet 3
We have a computer set up for students to fill out graduation application or the Preliminary Graduation Review request. Staff is available to assist.
Please keep in mind, if student enrolls for their final semester, they need to apply for graduation at the beginning of that semester not the end. If they try to apply for graduation after their classes have ended, they will be added to the next graduation.

6. Graduation Must submit a graduation application by deadline
Oct 1st for December graduation
Feb 1st for May graduation
Jun 1st for August graduation
Not an automatic process, must complete and submit the Application for Degree/Certificate
Must be filled out by the student, not CTC representative
Graduation Review: “Does student have all requirements met to graduate?”
Students must…..Read Bullet 1. Deadlines are listed on the application; written in catalogs; and on the Graduation webpage
Read Bullet 2… and then separate applications are needed if student believes they have completed other degrees/certificates
So, when I am conducting the graduation review, the question I have to ask for each students is…. Then add, it’s a yes or no
The graduation review is not the time for students to find out what they still need.

7. Graduation Requirements
Apply for graduation by the deadline date
Successfully complete all courses required for the degree/certificate
Earn a “C” or better grade for any major-related course in the program of study
Complete at least 25 percent of the degree or certificate semester credit hours at CTC (to fulfill residency requirements)
This leads us to the graduation requirements.
Read Bullet 1
Read Bullet 2
Read Bullet 3
Read Bullet 4 and…
To meet the 25% residency- classes can be either in traditional CTC setting or taken online with CTC regardless of location;
developmental courses, evaluated credit, and transfer courses do not count towards CTC residency

8. Graduation Requirements cont’d
Earn at least a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale on all CTC coursework.
All CTC courses completed are calculated in the CTC GPA, even if the courses were not used to meet specific degree or certificate requirements
Earn at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale, which includes transfer credit applied to the degree and all CTC coursework.
Start of slide with, “I have to calculate 2 GPAs: the CTC GPA and the Graduation GPA
For the CTC GPA, Read Bullet 1
For the Graduation GPA, Read Bullet 2
Again developmental courses do not count towards final GPA, degree completion or satisfy residency

9. Graduation Requirements cont’d
Meet state, institutional, licensure and other agency rules as applicable
TSI-obligated students seeking an associate degree or a level 2 certificate must be TSI complete or exempt in reading, writing, and mathematics
And finally, students must….
Read Bullet 1
Read Bullet 2

10. Graduation Holds Financial- debt to the college
Transcripts- official transcripts from regionally accredited schools
Missing required courses
GPA below 2.0
TSI
Residency (total hours x .25)
60SH x .25 = 15SH w/ CTC
Listed is some of the things that students can be placed on hold for
Read Bullet 1
Read Bullet 2
CTC policy states, all official transcripts from regionally accredited colleges or universities attended must be on file in order to confer graduation, regardless of whether or not credit is utilized from the school to meet graduation requirements. This is in accordance with out SACSCOC accreditation standard
If student is placed on hold for a transcript and the school does not release the transcript, we will need letter from that school on their letterhead stating so.
If student says they never attended then we will need a letter of nonattendance. Same thing letter must be on their letterhead. School information is usually pulled from the Admissions application.
Read Bullet 3
Students may have loads of credit but if they do not have the specific courses listed on their degree plans completed, they cannot graduate.
Read Bullet 4
Read Bullet 5
Read Bullet 6
Should the student ask how we determine the number of hours of residency needed, it’s simply the total semester hours needed times .25; same calculation for certificates

11. If unsure they are ready for graduation, then…
Preliminary Graduation Review
One-time optional review offered to students prior to graduation
Students who have 9-12sh remaining to complete degree or when student believes they are in their final semester
Must have been previously written up on the degree plan
This next part covers the Preliminary Graduation Review. So if student is….Read title of slide
Students can request for a Preliminary Graduation Review….Read Bullets
This preliminary review is done for the degree/certificate plan the student plans on graduating on. It is not to answer “what if” scenarios; What I mean by that is students start submitting multiple requests for different degrees, just to see if they qualify. This not what the Preliminary Graduation Review is meant for.

12. Preliminary Graduation Review
Students are ed their results and a reminder about applying for graduation
Form available through Etrieve
In the Form search, student can type in “Preliminary” or “Graduation”
Once the preliminary review is completed…Read Bullet 1
The preliminary graduation review form is…Read Bullet 2
Read Bullet 3
Students often confuse this form with the actual graduation application form. Please let your students know submitting this form does not mean they have applied for graduation.

13. Graduation Coordinator: Nelida Baker nelida.baker@ctcd.edu
Graduation Advisor/Evaluator: Erika Einhaus
Office Specialist/Assistant: Jessica Drye
Office Clerk: Melissa Henderson
Finally, this everyone who works in the Graduation office.
Read my name and say I conduct the official graduation review
Read Erika Einhaus and say “As the Graduation Advisor/Evaluator, Erika does the preliminary review requests
Jessica and Melissa cannot answer degree plan questions; they can only answer questions relating to the graduation process, status…
As representatives of this college- it is safer when a student asks questions about graduation to send them to us. It is more than just about the completing classes.

14. Graduation
Questions?