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Bellarmine University Commencement
Bellarmine University is pleased to announce the December 2009 Commencement Ceremony on Wednesday, December 16, at 5 p.m. at Knights Hall
General Information
Bellarmine University Commencement is held in December for students completing their degree requirements in August or December and in May for students completing degree requirements at the end of the spring semester. Both Commencement ceremonies are held in Knights Hall on campus. A graduation rehearsal is held prior to Commencement. At rehearsal students will learn where to check in for Commencement processional line-up, correct way to wear the academic apparel, and the order in which they will process and be seated at the ceremony. Students are expected to check in and be in line for the processional at least 30-minutes prior to the beginning of graduation. The rehearsal each semester is followed by an Alumni Welcome for new graduates. A Baccalaureate Mass is held in the spring for May graduates and their families at St. Agnes Church located at 1920 Newburg Road. A Senior Mass is held in the Our Lady of the Woods Chapel the Sunday before Commencement in December.
Graduation Fair
A Graduation Fair will be held in the Fall and Spring each semester. At the Graduation Fair, students will have the opportunity to order announcements, pick up academic apparel, meet with Career Center, Bursar, Registrar, and Financial aid staff members, have a professional portrait made in cap and gown and other activities.
Monday, October 19 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesday, October 20 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
2 Required Steps for All Students – Applying for Graduation and Declaring Intention to Commence
Applying for Graduation
In order for a student to complete his or her degree at Bellarmine, you must submit a Graduation Application Form. Applying for graduation will produce a degree audit which will determine whether or not you are on track for graduation by your anticipated date. This process must be completed well in advance of graduation. Please refer to Applying to Complete Your Degree (this is a link) for more information and deadlines.
Declaring Intention to Commence
Students who wish to participate in the Commencement Ceremony must complete an Intent to Walk Form (these forms will be available at the Graduation Fair or at the Registrar’s Office after the Graduation Fair). It is important for all students to complete the Intent to Walk form so that names are read and diplomas distributed correctly at the commencement ceremony.
Should you decide after submitting your Intent to Walk Form that you are not going to participate in the ceremony, you must notify the Registrar at 452-8133 or registrar@bellarmine.edu as soon as possible to remove your name from the participation list.
Graduation Fee
All Bellarmine students must pay the graduation fee before commencement regardless of whether or not they participate in commencement exercises. The graduation fee is: $65 for undergraduate students; $75 for masters degree students; and $85 for doctoral students. This fee covers the cost of the student’s academic apparel, diploma and other related expenses. Once the student has applied for graduation, the fee will be placed on his/her tuition statement during the semester in which he/she plans to graduate. If the student does not graduate as planned, the fee will be refunded.
Tickets for Commencement
Tickets are required for the May Commencement due to the large size of the Spring graduating class. Each student is allocated six tickets for his/her immediate family. Tickets will be available for pick up in Horrigan, CC-231 during the week prior to commencement. Tickets are not required for December Commencement.
Graduation Requirements
Application for Graduation/Degree Completion
All students must formally apply for graduation, whether or not you plan to participate in the graduation ceremony. To be considered for graduation/degree completion, you must submit a Graduation Application Form (available in the Registrar’s Office) according to the schedule of deadlines below. This is your first step in the process to be eligible for graduation. It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of the application process and deadlines. The University does not assume to know your intended graduation date and will not automatically complete your degree without a Graduation Application Form from you.
Undergraduate Students – Application for Graduation/Degree Completion
Undergraduate students must apply for graduation a full year in advance of your intended completion date.
- May and August candidates – must apply for graduation by April 1 of the junior year.
- December candidates – must apply for graduation by December 1 of the junior year.
Accelerated Second Degree students must apply for graduation at the end of the semester prior to your intended completion (December 1 for May graduates and August 1 for December graduates).
Once an undergraduate student has submitted a Graduation Application Form, you will be added to the graduation list of the semester for which you applied, however you will not be considered an “official” candidate for that semester until a formal “Degree Audit” has been completed by the Registrar’s Office.
It is the goal of the Registrar’s Office to provide candidates with an official “Degree Audit” in a timely manner. For May candidates this will be over the summer prior to the senior year. For December and August candidates this will be two semesters prior to graduation. Your degree audit will be sent to your Bellarmine University email account and will either inform you that you are on track and have been officially added to the graduation list, or that you are not on track for that semester and request you to take follow up action.
Graduate and Doctoral Level Students –
Graduate and Doctoral students must apply for graduation one semester prior to your intended completion date. You will apply for graduation in consultation with your degree program advisor or director. Your program advisor or director must approve your Graduation Application Form prior to submitting it to the Registrar’s Office. Your degree progress is tracked by your graduate program so you will not receive a formal “Degree Audit” from the Registrar’s Office. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that you are on track with your course requirements. Contact your degree program advisor or director for assistance with advising and to determine the status of your degree progress and graduation eligibility.
Summer Graduates
Students completing a degree in the summer are invited to participate in the subsequent December Commencement Ceremony.
Graduation with Honors
Honors are based on a student’s cumulative Quality Point Index. Honors will be granted at graduation and indicated on the student’s permanent record and diploma in keeping with the following scale of academic achievement:
- Cum laude, for a Quality Point Index of 3.50 to 3.69.
- Magna cum laude, for a Quality Point Index of 3.70 to 3.84.
- Summa cum laude, for a Quality Point Index of 3.85 to 4.00.
Transfer students and Accelerated Second Degree students must have earned a minimum of 60 semester hours in residence at Bellarmine University and meet the current standards regarding honors (Bellarmine GPA of 3.5 or better) in order to be a candidate for graduation with honors. For these students, grades received both in courses transferred to Bellarmine and in courses completed at Bellarmine will be used in determining the student’s GPA for the recognition of honors. In the Spring, students receive their honors medallions at the Honors and Awards Dinner. Medallions are given at the rehearsal in December.
Honors and Awards
Each year the faculty of each college nominate and select graduating seniors for academic awards from the disciplines of the college. From these Faculty Merit Awards an overall Bellarmine University Faculty Merit Award winner is selected from each college (Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education, Bellarmine College of Arts & Sciences, Donna and Alan Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences, W. Fielding Rubel School of Business). The University Honors & Awards Committee solicits nominations for a variety of academic, service, and leadership awards that are presented at the reception in late April or at the Honors & Awards Dinner. Students graduating with Latin honors or receiving senior awards will receive an invitation to the Honors and Awards Dinner held prior to Commencement.
Academic Awards for Graduating Seniors
Each year at the spring commencement, the University confers two awards for
outstanding intellectual achievement. The Wilson Wyatt Fellowship of Academic Excellence recognizes a graduating senior’s sustained intellectual distinction; the recipient is selected through a rigorous process, which includes an essay competition and interviews with faculty and trustees. The Archbishop’s Medal for Scholastic Excellence is awarded to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative grade point average. The Archbishop’s Medal is also awarded at the Fall Commencement.
Special Needs/Disability Services
Due to limited reserved seating space, graduates must make arrangements for Reserved Seating Passes for guests with disabilities. Please contact Disability Support Services at 452-8480. We can provide a maximum of four Reserved Seating Passes. The reserved seating section for guests with disabilities is on the main floor of Knights Hall, and has a “Reserved Seating” sign at the end of each row. All other guests will be seated in the upper section of the gym. Guests with Reserved Seating Passes are encouraged to use the main/front entrance of Knights Hall, which is accessible and has a power-assisted door. Proceed down the wide ramp to the gym floor. Student Ambassadors and staff will be available to direct you to the Reserved Seating section. When possible, wheelchair users are encouraged to sit at the ends of rows for easier access and exit. Guests are encouraged to arrive at Knights Hall one hour before Commencement to obtain adequate seating.
Academic Apparel/Accessories
There is no charge for your cap and gown. The cost is included in the graduation fee that all students are charged the semester in which they apply for graduation.
Academic apparel is provided to each graduate at the Graduation Fair held each semester. Graduating students will pick up their cap and gown, order graduation announcement and Bellarmine’s official class ring, etc. A Balfour representative will be on-site to take orders and answer questions at the Grad Fair.
A packet of information about cap and gown, personalized graduation announcements and the official class ring is sent to each graduate’s permanent home address prior to the graduation fair. If you are unable to attend the graduation fair, you can also order class rings and graduation announcements by visiting: www.balfour.com or call 1.877-BALFOUR. Cap & gowns may also be picked up after the Grad Fair in the Bellarmine Bookstore.
Announcements can also be ordered online at www.balfour.com or 1-877-BALFOUR. Payment in full is required on all announcement orders. Announcement orders take two weeks (regular delivery). Rush orders are available (7 days) and additional fees apply. Rush orders can only be placed online.
Class Ring orders require a small deposit of $75 and take about 6 weeks to deliver. Balfour offers interest free and no fee payment plans on all rings. There is a limited lifetime warranty on all rings and lifetime resizing. For more information visit www.balfour.com or 1-877-BALFOUR.
Alumni Welcome
Join us for a celebration as you will be welcomed into the Alumni Association! Held immediately following graduation practice in the Quadl, there will be food, drinks, music, great alumni giveaways, and a champagne toast. The Executive Director of our National Alumni Association, Peter Kremer ‘02, will welcome you and tell you about all the great benefits and services you are offered as an alumnus/a of Bellarmine University.
Knights Hall/Parking
Knights Hall is located on Norris Place in the northwest portion of Bellarmine's campus, with parking available in surrounding lots. For directions to Knights Hall, please see the campus map and directions or click here to download a pdf of our map.
Lodging for Family and Guests
Families and guests from outside the Louisville area may need to find lodging for their visit during Bellarmine’s Commencement. There are a number of hotels in the area near campus, the Louisville downtown area, and near the airport. Information for several hotels in the area is listed below; please contact individual hotels for rate and reservation information.
Holiday Inn Airport East
www.hiairporteast.com
4004 Gardiner Point Drive
Louisville, Kentucky 40213
Phone: (502) 452-6361
Toll Free: (888) HOLIDAY -- Reservations
Courtyard by Marriott Louisville Airport
www.marriott.com/sdfap
819 Phillips Lane
Louisville, KY 40209
(502) 368-5678
Louisville Marriott Downtown
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sdflm-louisville-marriott-downtown/
280 West Jefferson
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 627-5045
(800)-533-0127
The Brown Hotel
www.brownhotel.com
335 W Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 583-1234
The Galt House
www.galthouse.com
140 N 4th St # 9
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 589-5200
The Seelbach Hilton
www.hilton.com
500 Fourth Street
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 585-3200 |
