Dennis Gosnell
Student Reporter
Hundreds of RSC students don caps and gowns each year and walk across the stage with heads held high to receive their diploma. But before students can set foot on that stage, they must visit the Graduation Services Center.
The F.A.Q. About Graduation workshops held 2 p.m. Feb. 19 and 20 in the Student Center Fountain Room informed students what they need to do before graduating and what to expect.
Speaker Christina O’Donnell, graduation services specialist, said potential graduates must complete an application for graduation and request a degree audit; the application and audit are available at the Graduation Services Center in the Student Services Building, Room 106.
The application for graduation is also available at http://www.rose.edu/application-for-graduation. It can be filled out, printed and turned in to the Graduation Services Center or faxed to 405-736-0309.
Students who have six or fewer credit hours left to complete for their degree may be eligible for spring commencement; they must finish the required courses in the summer.
A graduation fair will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 12-13, and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 2-3 in the bookstore, located in the Student Center.
Caps and gowns are free, O’Donnell said. Announcements can be purchased during the graduation fair and are optional.
Students have the opportunity to request tickets and change their information for commencement until 5 p.m. April 9; no changes can be made after that date, she said.
O’Donnell said Candid Photography will be taking pictures at commencement for students to purchase.
“The ceremony is to celebrate the students’ success and hard work, so it is a day for them to express their accomplishment and pride,” she said.
Some students decorate their cap to celebrate their achievement, a trend O’Donnell said has been increasing at some colleges.
RSC does not currently have any rules against decorating caps, O’Donnell said, but the college prefers students do not. As long as the decorations are in good taste, however, students will not be turned away from the ceremony.
Commencement will be May 9 at First Southern Baptist Church, 6400 S. Sooner Road, in Oklahoma City; check-in is at 6 p.m., and the ceremony begins at 7 p.m.
Some things to consider
O’Donnell advised potential graduates to be aware of college application deadlines if they plan to transfer to a four-year university after graduating from RSC.
It takes Graduation Services a few weeks after the spring semester ends to verify that each potential graduate has the required courses and grades to receive their degree.
It takes approximately four weeks after the end of the semester for transcripts to show that a student has received a degree, and graduates will receive their diploma six weeks after the end of the semester, O’Donnell said.
RSC currently does not have the means to post a list of potential graduates online but is looking into that option, she said. Graduation Services is also considering hanging a list of names on the bulletin board outside of their office.
For questions or concerns regarding graduation, students are encouraged to contact O’Donnell or Julie Atkinson, director of Graduation Services, at 405-733-7332.
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