Southwest Georgia Technical College extends its congratulations to all who have completed a degree, diploma, or certificate. Students who meet all graduation requirements have an opportunity to celebrate that achievement through the commencement exercises.

Prior to Graduation

1. Students must earn a “C” or greater in all required courses and no less than a “D” in elective course(s).

2. It is the candidate’s responsibility to file, with the aid of his or her advisor, an Application for Graduation  
      prior to the published deadline. Graduation applications are located on the Intranet. Students may choose       to participate in the ceremony or graduate in absentia. A fee is assessed of students who participate in the       ceremony.

3. Students must satisfy all financial obligations to Southwest Georgia Technical College prior to participating       in the commencement exercise, and before a degree, diploma, or certificate transcript will be issued.

4. The administration will review the student's records and will approve the student for graduation if all
       academic and other requirements have been met.

Honor Graduates
Students with a 3.75 cumulative GPA or higher will be recognized as honor graduates and may wear an honor tassel during the graduation ceremony.

Academic Regalia, Invitations, and Diplomas
Academic regalia (cap and gown) is required for candidates to participate in the commencement exercise. The regalia is provided for the students with payment of the graduation fee. The regalia must be picked up from the Bookstore one day prior to the ceremony. At Commencement, candidates wear the tassel on the right side, moving it to the left when the degree is conferred. Only candidates who meet Honor Graduate status may wear the gold tassel. All other candidates will wear a black tassel.

Invitations are provided to students with the payment of the graduation fee. The College makes five invitations and envelopes available to each graduating student for mailing to family and friends. Please note that the invitations are intended as announcements only. Tickets are required for Commencement, and the number available for guests is determined by the number of graduates and available seating capacity of the auditorium.

Diplomas are provided to all graduating students who complete the graduation application. Diplomas for those candidates participating in Commencement will be issued at the ceremony. For students not participating in Commencement, diplomas will be available the next business day in Student Affairs.  All diplomas not picked up by the third week following commencement will be mailed to the graduate’s address listed with the College.

Faculty Attendance at Graduation
All full time faculty are required to attend graduation exercises. If a faculty member is unable to attend, the faculty member must request prior approval from the Dean for Academic Affairs. Faculty participating in the Academic Procession are required to wear academic regalia. Faculty that do not own academic regalia should contact their Dean for Academic Affairs.

The Commencement Exercise
The commencement exercise is an honorable academic ceremony. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will select members of the faculty and staff to establish a committee to plan and direct each ceremony.

Responsibility
The Vice President for Academic Affairs has the overall responsibility for ensuring this policy is implemented.