FAQ for May 2023 Graduation Candidates

May 2o23 graduation candidates who are taking a course of study that should result in graduation when the Spring 2023 Semester grades are posted will be allowed to participate in the May 2023 ceremony.

A student graduates at the conclusion of the semester when all degree requirements have been completed. If you anticipate that your requirements will not be completed by the end of the semester, please withdraw your application by emailing registrar@lewisu.edu from your Lewis student email.

If a student has degree issues that will affect their candidacy, these must be resolved by April 5 or the student will not be eligible to participate in the ceremony. These issues include, but are not limited to: waivers, substitutions, and the satisfactory resolution of prior semester ‘I’ (incomplete) grades.

When will the final record review take place?
Candidate records will be reviewed after final grades are posted; all are due by Tuesday, May 9th. The final record review should be completed by the end of May 2023.

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 May 12, 2023. This date is the conferral/graduation date that will be displayed on the diploma and transcript for May 2023 graduates.THIS IS NOT THE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY DATE.

When are the commencement ceremonies?
Please review the below information carefully for the commencement ceremony schedules. Candidates can view their college and level in their Degree Works. Graduation candidates can only attend the ceremony related to their level and college. Double majors will attend their priority major ceremony.

Will I receive my diploma at the ceremony?
No diplomas are provided at the ceremony. The diploma cover will be presented at the ceremony. For graduates with a clear account the diploma will be mailed; typically, this is within sixty days of the conferral date of May 12, 2023.

Students can check for financial balances through their myLewis portal – STUDENT ACCOUNT.

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 addresses. If you need to update your mailing address for the diploma, please email registrar@lewisu.edu from your Lewis student email.

What will be on my diploma?
For May 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 April 1, 2023 to ensure that are changed for commencement material and the diploma. Any request submitted after April 1, 2023 may not be reflected on commencement material or the diploma.

How will commencement honors be assigned?
An honor designation noted at ceremony may not be the same on the final and permanent record.

Undergraduate students eligible for commencement honors will be determined using the grade point average as of April 5. University catalog policy applies, and is below.

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 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 commencement ceremony. The graduation candidate does not need a ticket. The number of tickets each candidate is eligible for will be communicated in April..