COMMENCEMENT is set for May 24.
By Cory Gaudaur
Western Sun news editor
The Commencement Ceremony to honor the more than 1,600 graduating students of Golden West College will be held on Thursday, May 24, at 6 p.m. GWC students who have earned an Associate Degree, or Certificate of Achievement, at any time during the 2011-2012 academic year will be honored at the event.
Although many students complete the required coursework, the deadline to apply for graduation was April 1, and a diploma is not always guaranteed. “We don’t award diplomas automatically, even though students have completed a program, they still have to apply,” said GWC Graduation Clerk Damien Jordan.
Students should also remember to focus on academics in their final semester before graduation, as classes must be passed with a C or better in order to be approved for graduation.
“We don’t print diplomas until the end of the semester and we award them all in one batch,” said Jordan. With a student’s graduation pending until the end of the semester, GWC students must maintain their GPA in order to receive a diploma.
Currently, students who participate in graduation receive their diplomas in the mail in the weeks following graduation. However, this summer a new system will be implemented at GWC in which students will pick up their diploma when they choose to.
“This summer we are going to start a diploma pick-up system, OCC students seemed to like it and we hope GWC students will too,” said Jordan.
May 18 is the final day that students can RSVP for graduation and purchase a cap and gown. Caps and gowns are available for $30 in the GWC bookstore.
