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    • Severe Weather
      • In the event that severe weather or other emergency circumstances cause a change in the Commencement schedule, including cancellation of Commencement, Lewis University will activate the emergency notification system. E-mails, phone and text messages will be distributed to all students, faculty and staff.

      Any updates will also be posted on the www.lewisu.edu website.

    FAQ for August 2023 Graduation Candidates

    Is there a ceremony in August?
    No – There is not an August 2023 degree ceremony. August 2023 graduates are invited to participate in the December 2023 degree ceremonies.

    When will the final record review take place?
    Candidate records will be reviewed after final grades are posted; all are due by Tuesday, August 29th. The final record review should be completed by Friday, September 8th.

    What action will be taken after the final record review?
    If requirements are met, the graduation date and degree will be posted on the transcript, the official record. Those who are ineligible will not have this posted on their transcript and will be notified.

    What is the graduation/conferral date?
    The official graduation date is August 31, 2023. This date is the conferral/graduation date that will be displayed on the diploma and transcript for August 2023 graduates.

    THIS IS NOT THE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY DATE.

    When are the degree ceremonies?
    Friday, December 15
    Evening Graduate Degree Ceremony
    Time: 7:00p.m.
    Colleges: Aviation, Science and Technology & Nursing and Health Sciences ONLY

    Saturday, December 16
    Morning Graduate Degree Ceremony
    Time: 9:00a.m.
    Colleges: Business & Education and Social Sciences ONLY

    Afternoon Undergraduate Degree Ceremony
    Time: 1:00p.m.
    Colleges: Business, Education and Social Sciences, & Humanities, Fine Arts, and Communications ONLY

    Evening Undergraduate Degree Ceremony
    Time: 5:00p.m.
    Colleges: Aviation, Science and Technology & Nursing and Health Sciences ONLY

    • Double majors will attend their priority major ceremony.
    • Graduation candidate check-in begins 1 hour prior to their ceremony start time. All candidates must be checked-in and lined-up on their assigned number 15 minutes prior to their ceremony start time. Late candidates may not be able to participate in the degree ceremony.

    Will I receive my diploma at the ceremony?
    No diplomas are provided at the ceremony. For graduates with a clear account the diploma will be mailed; typically, this is within 6-8 weeks of the conferral date of August 31 2023. Diplomas are mailed to the address provided on the graduation application. Students can check for financial balances through their myLewis portal – STUDENT ACCOUNT.

    How will I receive my diploma?
    Diplomas are mailed to the address provided on the graduation application. Diplomas are shipped through United States Postal Service (USPS) and cannot be mailed to an international address. In addition, we do not mail diplomas to Lewis University dorms or other offices. Updating your address on your student account will not update the address on your graduation application. If you need to update your diploma mailing address, please email registrar@lewisu.edu to update your graduation application mailing address. The deadline to update your mailing address is August 31, 2023.

    Candidates can choose to have their diploma mailed to Office of the Registrar. To have your diploma mailed to the Office of the Registrar please email registrar@lewisu.edu from your Lewis student email. The Office of the Registrar will send an email to your Lewis student email once the diploma has arrived. The standard diploma processing time will still apply for diplomas being mailed to the Office of the Registrar.

    What will be on my diploma?
    For August 2023 graduates the diploma will display the degree earned at Lewis University and honors designation for qualifying students. The diploma does not display major, minor, concentration or specialization information. This information is stated on the official transcript.

    How will my name appear in the commencement booklet and on my diploma?
    Lewis University will use the legal name on file for the diploma name and commencement booklet. If you need to make changes to your legal name, please email registrar@lewisu.edu with the Change of Name form and submit documentation to have your name updated. If you have a preferred first name, please email registrar@lewisu.edu regarding the preferred name process. All changes should be submitted prior to August 17, 2023 to ensure that are changed for commencement material and the diploma. Any request submitted after August 17, 2023 may not be reflected on commencement material or the diploma.

    What are the requirements for Honors?
    Bachelor degree recipients are eligible to graduate with honors if they have achieved cumulative grade point averages as follows: 3.500 - 3.749 with cum laude; 3.750 - 3.899 with magna cum laude; 3.900 - 4.000 with summa cum laude. Honors at graduation are indicated on both the student’s diploma and transcript. At commencement, students are draped with an honor cord. Honors designations do not apply to graduate, associate, or certificate students. To qualify, a recipient must have earned a minimum of 56 hours at Lewis, not including credits earned by exam or prior learning assessment.

    What is the process for requesting an Invite Letter?
    Inviting Friends & Family To The U.S. - if the link does not work, please go to https://lewisu.edu/studentservices/iss/index.htm > Helpful Resources > Resources for International Students -> Inviting Friends & Family To The U.S. If you have additional questions regarding the Invite Letter, please contact the Office of International Student and Global Scholar Services at ISGSS@lewisu.edu.

    Who needs a ticket for the commencement ceremonies?
    All guest, including infants and children will need a ticket for the degree ceremony. The graduation candidate does not need a ticket for their assigned ceremony. The number of tickets each candidate is eligible for will be communicated in late – October.