Commencement 2023

You MUST order your academic attire. If you are planning to attend the ceremony, this will serve as your RSVP to the Commencement Ceremony. If you are not planning to attend the ceremony, no order is expected and you are not expected to inform anyone that you are not attending the Commencement Ceremony.

It will only take a few seconds to order. Order your attire by clicking on the Cap and Gown 2023 link here (https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1057204/Georgian-Court-University/) OR in the Student Links section, beginning February 20, but NO LATER THAN March 17. You should order as soon as possible.

If you miss the March 17 deadline, e-mail commencement@georgian.edu, at which time a) you will be given instructions on how to proceed, and b) a $25 late fee will be collected. Late orders may not arrive until the morning of commencement.

The following are guidelines to ensure the Commencement Ceremonies are celebrated with dignity:

• Academic attire for graduates consists of a black gown, a colored hood, and a cap with a tassel.
• Bachelor’s-degree candidates: the tassel should be worn to the right. Master’s- and doctoral-degree candidates: the tassel should be worn to the left.
• If you are eligible to wear an academic cord, the appropriate department or honor society will give it to you, not the University Bookstore.
• When choosing shoes, graduates should remember that the procession walks down to the Apollo Fountain, up past Maria Hall on the road, then onto the grass.
• Nothing should be worn on your academic attire or affixed to it, such as corsages, pins, or taped messages. You will be asked to remove such items during the lineup.
• Purses and other personal items should be left with your guests; there will not be a location to secure them.
• GCU staff will assist with your academic hood during the lineup.

Try on and press academic attire before May 17—gowns will be wrinkled!

The undergraduate outdoor Commencement Ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m., rain or shine. The graduate outdoor Commencement Ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m., rain or shine. However, in the event of a prediction of severe weather, such as thunderstorms, high winds, or a dangerous heat index, a contingency plan will be enacted as follows: the undergraduate ceremony (for bachelor’s-degree candidates) will be in the Wellness Center Arena at 1:30 p.m., and the graduate ceremony (for master’s and doctoral-degree candidates) will be in the Wellness Center Arena at 5:30 p.m.

There is NO limit on guests if the ceremony is outdoors.

In the case of severe weather ONLY, there is limit of three guests per undergraduate and eight per graduate.

Seating capacity in the Arena is limited, so only complete parties would be permitted entrance. All guests of the graduate would be granted entrance once, as a complete group, after which any following guests would be directed to the simulcast rooms. Simulcast will be in the North Dining Room and Marron Chapel.

Students will be notified by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16 if the severe weather contingency will be necessary. Complete parties for the Undergraduate Ceremony are three guests per graduate (bachelor’s-degree candidates) and eight guests for the Graduate Ceremony (master’s and doctoral-degree candidates).

Graduates must report to Jeffries Hall wearing their cap, gown, and hood ON TIME. Graduates will be told where their line-up assignment is on the day of the ceremony. Graduates who arrive after the procession has begun will be seated after the National Anthem and Invocation.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Students will be notified via Connect-Ed and georgian.edu at 10:00 a.m. IF the severe weather contingency plan is enacted. If no notification is made, the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies will be held outdoors on May 17.

Professional Photos at the Event
Georgian Court University’s marketing team, PSC (Princeton Strategic Communications), will provide ceremony photography. Photography will be posted on social media in the days following the ceremony, so keep an eye out!

Class Rings
Representatives from Josten’s will be on campus on several spring dates.

If mispronunciation of your name is a frequent problem for you, please e-mail the phonetic pronunciation of your name to commencement@georgian.edu by May 8.

Working graduates who need documentation of Commencement to request time off should contact the Office of Conferences and Special Events at 732-987-2263 or commencement@georgian.edu for an official letter by May 8.

Academic Eligibility to Participate
The university holds a Commencement Ceremony in May of each year when May graduates and graduates from the preceding August and December can participate. Students who have completed all requirements for graduation are eligible to participate in the ceremony. Review all graduation requirements at https://georgian.edu/academics/registrar/graduation/.

You must apply for a graduation audit (Undergraduate Application | Graduate Application) to have your degree conferred and to receive a diploma. A graduation audit is required whether you plan to participate in the Commencement Ceremony.

Students who wish to participate in Commencement 2023 but fall under one of the following two situations may complete a Request to Participate in Commencement 2023 Without Having Met Degree Requirements Form: (a) lack no more than 7 credits of those required to complete their degree program, or (b) have two majors (or a major and a minor) and are lacking no more than 7 credits of those required to complete their first major degree program, and have progressed far enough in the second major or the minor that it can be reasonably expected that they will graduate in the August or December term after the Commencement Ceremony. The student MUST complete an application for graduation audit for the future term as expected. Please note that completed Request to Participate forms received by the Office of the Registrar after the March 31, 2023, deadline listed on the form will NOT be processed.

Student Accounts/Name on Diplomas
Prospective graduates who have an outstanding tuition/fees balance as of 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, will NOT be permitted to walk in their ceremony and will NOT receive a diploma. Contact the Office of Student Accounts at 732-987-2295 during business hours to ensure your account is up to date.

The name on your diploma will appear exactly as reflected in Self-Service. If you wish your name to appear differently, submit a Change of Information Form and additional documents, if needed, to the Office of the Registrar by May 1st. This includes the addition of a middle name.

Diplomas will be mailed directly to the student’s home address as listed on the official record. Please check that this information is correct through Self-Service.

Degree Honors
For undergraduates, degree honors are awarded based on your cumulative grade point average earned at GCU. At least 60 credits must be earned at GCU to be eligible for degree honors. Degree honors will appear on your diploma. The required minimum GPAs are as follows:

• Summa cum laude: 3.9
• Magna cum laude: 3.75
• Cum laude: 3.6

Wednesday, May 17, 2023 • 10:00 a.m. • Wellness Center
We encourage all of our graduates and their loved ones, of all faiths, to attend. It is a beautiful opportunity to reflect on your academic journey at Georgian Court and to ask for God’s blessing as you enter the next chapter of your life. Academic attire is not required at Mass.

Wednesday, May 17, 2023
The Commencement Ceremonies will be held on the Lakewood campus of Georgian Court University, 503 Ninth Street, Lakewood 08701. The undergraduate ceremony will be at 1:30 p.m.; the graduate ceremony will be at 5:30 p.m.