Commencement Dates and Degree Conferral
USSS-13
About This Policy
- Effective Date:
- 06-25-1998
See current policy
- Date of Last Review/Update:
- 07-01-2013
- Responsible University Office:
- Student Services and Systems
- Responsible University Administrator:
- Executive Vice President for University Academic Affairs
Academic Leadership Council
- Policy Contact:
Jeff Johnston
University Registrar
jjohnsto@iusb.edu
- Policy Feedback:
- If you have comments or questions about this policy, let us know with the policy feedback form.
Scope
All campuses of Indiana University are affected by this policy. Registrar offices, academic units, and students would be interested in this policy.
Policy Statement
The following points will serve as guidelines for the degree conferral dates that all campuses will use:
- If there is a commencement ceremony, the degrees will be conferred effective the date of the ceremony.
- If there is no commencement ceremony, then degrees will be conferred effective the last day of the term.
- Graduate degrees can be awarded monthly or the last day of the term ending in that month
| Undergraduate Degrees | Graduate & Professional Degrees |
| May (Commencement Date) | May (Commencement Date) |
| June 30 | June 30 |
| July (Last Day of Summer Term, if it falls in July; otherwise no July conferral date) | Last Day of Summer Term, if it falls in July; otherwise July 31 |
| August (Last Day of Summer Term, if it falls in August; otherwise no August conferral date) | Last Day of Summer Term, if it falls in August; otherwise August 31 |
| September 30 | |
| October 31 | |
| November 30 | |
| December (BL Commencement Date) (Others – Last Day of Term) | December (BL Commencement Date) (Others – Last Day of Term) |
| January 31 | |
| February 28 | |
| March 31 | |
| April 30 |
Reason for Policy
The attached request for a change in degree conferral dates is a result of wanting to provide students with better service by minimizing the time from the end of a term to the date when a degree is conferred. This will allow students to obtain official transcripts or be officially certified in a timelier manner.
Procedures
The Offices of the Registrar use standard dates across all campuses as the Degree Conferral Date that is recorded on student transcripts for each term. These dates are maintained in IU’s Student Information System (SIS).
Definitions
Term: A Term is equivalent to a semester; individual Sessions are associated with Terms; an academic year consists of three sixteen-week terms (Fall, Spring, Summer) or some programs utilize four twelve-week terms (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer).
Commencement: Commencement is a university ceremony where the University President, Trustees, academic officers, faculty, graduating students, and their families and guests, assemble for the purpose of conferring degrees upon the newly certified graduates. The conferral of degrees is performed by the President with the approval of the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of the faculty.
History
An existing ‘policy’ did not exist. Revision history: 1998, 1982. Formatted as a policy in 2013.