Information for Graduates

All students intending to participate in Commencement should have submitted their gradation application by February 15, 2023. If you have missed this deadline and need assistance, please contact the Registrar’s Office.

A virtual commencement information meeting will be held on Monday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m. to provide graduates with details for Commencement day. All graduating students are encouraged to attend on Zoom.

All graduates must wear official Westminster regalia to participate in the Commencement ceremony. Regalia can be purchased in-person at The Campus Store from Tuesday, March 30 through Saturday, May 13. Regalia can also be purchased on the Campus Store website through April 28, to allow for shipping time. There is no need to pre-order your cap and gown—they are already in stock, and the Campus Store staff will assist you in selecting the correct size gown. You will take your cap and gown with you at the time of purchase. Bachelor’s degree recipients wear blue caps and gowns, and Master’s degree recipients wear black caps and gowns, with hoods in the color of their program.

The Campus Store will host a Senior Salute on Thursday, March 30 from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Cap and gown sets purchased during Senior Salute will be discounted $5, and representatives from Jostens will be available for students interested in ordering a class ring or personalized announcements.

The Campus Store is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will also be open on Commencement Day from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information, visit bookstore.westminster.edu and click on the “Graduation” tab.

The Registrar’s Office will distribute symbols of Latin Honors for undergraduates on Wednesday, May 3rd from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the 3rd floor of Patterson Hall, rooms 326 and 316. Please bring your student ID. If you are unable to pick up your cords at this time, please contact the Registrar's office.

The College’s policy is that the Latin Honor you receive and are recognized for at Commencement is based on career grade point average at the end of the fall 2022 semester. The official honor may or may not change based on grades through the end of the spring 2023 semester.

Please view the College Catalog for Latin honor requirements.

Dean McMinn will announce each graduate’s name during the awarding of degrees. If you have a unique name, or if the pronunciation of your name is not typical, please call Dean McMinn (x7123 or 724-946-7123). Pronounce your name clearly into the voicemail.

All undergraduate degree students are asked to attend a rehearsal of the processional and recessional on Friday, May 12 at 11:00 a.m. in Orr Auditorium. Please check your email before rehearsal for additional details.

9:15 a.m. – Graduates participating in Baccalaureate Service assemble in Beeghly Theater
10:00 a.m. – Baccalaureate Service, Orr Auditorium
11:00 a.m. – Picnic Lunch, Quad
Noon – All graduates assemble in Orr Auditorium (rain location: Beeghly Theater)
1:00 p.m. – Commencement Ceremony, Senior Terrace (rain location: Orr Auditorium)

Graduates participating in the Baccalaureate service should assemble in Beeghly Theater and will process to Orr Auditorium at 10:00 a.m.

All graduates will assemble for Commencement in Orr Auditorium. Two faculty marshals will help graduates line up in order by degree. Graduates will begin the procession from Orr to Weisel Senior Terrace at Old Main at 1:00 p.m. If Commencement must be moved inside due to weather, graduates will process from Beeghly Theater to Orr Auditorium.

All Baccalaureate and Commencement participants wear formal academic regalia. Students may also wear academic symbols of honor, including College Latin honors, All-College honors, Academic and All-College honorary societies, and student membership on the Board of Trustees. Street clothes worn under the academic gown should be in keeping with the formality of the occasion. Recreational clothing and footwear (e.g., jeans, khakis, tennis shoes, etc.) are not appropriate attire.

At the beginning of the ceremony, undergraduate students wear the mortarboard tassel on the right and graduate students on the left. All mortarboards should be worn straight and not tilted to one side or back. Out of respect for all students, their families, and the academic nature of Commencement, you are reminded to avoid customizing your robe and mortarboard beyond official academic regalia.

The College will follow all CDC and/or Pennsylvania guidelines related to COVID mitigation that are in place at the time of the Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies.

Dr. Jamie McMinn, Dean of the College, will present the degree candidates to Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson, College President, by groups (B.A., B.M., B.S., B.S.N., M.A., M.B.A., and M.Ed.). As each group is presented, all candidates in the group rise together and remain standing while the President confers the degree formally. Candidates in each group will come forward by rows to receive their diploma. After receiving their diploma, candidates will return to their seat on the lawn and remain standing. After all candidates in each degree group have returned to their seats, the President will instruct the group to shift the tassel on their mortarboard from right to left (except for the provisional graduates, who should not shift their tassel). The group will then be instructed to sit.