2012 Commencement News brochure (PDF)

Dear Graduates of 2012,

On behalf of the Lincoln Land Community College Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, I congratulate you on the upcoming completion of your studies at LLCC. Commencement is a time to be recognized for your academic achievements and a time to celebrate those accomplishments with family and friends. I invite you to participate in the 2012 commencement activities to be held Friday, May 11. 

Graduation is the conferring of a degree or certificate upon completion of all program requirements.    Students are made graduates at the end of the fall, spring, and summer semesters.   

Commencement is the ceremony to celebrate the completion of college work.    The annual commencement ceremony is held in May of each year.

December 1:  Deadline for graduation application to be considered a Fall graduate

March 1:  Deadline for graduation application for prospective Spring and Summer graduates in order to receive the mailing regarding commencement

April 15:  Deadline to submit a cap and gown order for commencement.   Special orders cannot be accepted after this date; however, students are welcome to purchase gowns in stock.

May 1:  Deadline for graduation application to be considered a Spring graduate

July 15:  Deadline for graduation application to be considered a Summer graduate

Graduation is NOT automatic.   Regardless of whether a student wishes to take part in the commencement ceremony, prospective graduates must submit a graduation application to the Office of Admissions and Records by the deadline for the term in which all graduation requirements will be completed.   

Prior to submitting the graduation application, students should see an Academic Advisor for a degree audit to ensure all requirements have been met for their degree or certificate program.

• Completion of course requirements as stated in catalog
• All financial obligations to the college must be paid
• Lincoln Land Community College grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00
• Associate degree GPA requirement – overall combined GPA, which includes both transfer work and Lincoln Land credits, of at least 2.00
• Associate degree residency requirement – earn a minimum of 20 semester hours at Lincoln Land Community College.    This does not include proficiency, CLEP or Advanced Placement credits.
• Certificate GPA requirement – only courses needed for the certificate are used and must be at least 2.00
• Certificate residency requirement – at least one-third of certificate courses must be taken at Lincoln Land Community College.    This does not include proficiency, CLEP or Advanced Placement credits. 

Lincoln Land calculates honors and high honors for associate degree graduates by combining all credits transferred from other colleges with those taken at Lincoln Land.  Honors and high honors are also awarded for certificate programs requiring 30 or more semester hours.  Student honors for certificate graduates are calculated by using only those courses needed for the certificate.  

Those graduates who have an overall grade point average of 3.50 to 3.74 are considered “graduates with honors.”  Graduates with an overall grade point average of 3.75 to 4.00 are considered “graduates with high honors.”    This status is posted on LLCC transcripts and diplomas after final evaluations have been conducted by the Student Records Evaluators.

“Graduates with high honors” who participate in commencement will be sent gold tassels in late April.   “Graduates with honors” who participate in commencement will be sent silver tassels in late April.    Honors tassels should be worn in place of the tassel supplied with the cap and gown.   The student may keep both tassels.  

This year’s commencement ceremony will be held on Friday, May 11, 2012 at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield.   Summer 2011 and Fall 2011 graduates and prospective Spring 2012 and Summer 2012 graduates who submit graduation applications by the March 1, 2012 deadline are eligible to take part in the commencement ceremony.   There is no limit to the number of guests for each graduate, and tickets are not required.   All graduates and their guests are welcome to attend the reception following the ceremony.

To participate in the commencement ceremony, each student must submit a cap and gown order form to the Student Records Evaluators in the Office of Admissions and Records by April 15.   Special orders cannot be accepted after this date; however, students are welcome to purchase gowns in stock.  Gowns previously worn at other graduation ceremonies are not acceptable.   Order forms will be mailed to all eligible graduates the first week of March.  If you wish to participate in the ceremony and have not received an order form by mid-March, it is your responsibility to contact a Student Records Evaluator for further assistance.  

GradFest will kick off cap and gown sales March 14-15 at all LLCC locations.  You may pick up your cap and gown at this event, if your size is in stock.   After GradFest, you may pick up regalia in the Admissions Office on the main campus or have it delivered to another LLCC location of your choice.

Diploma covers will be presented at the commencement ceremony.   Students choosing not to participate in commencement can request a diploma cover from Admissions and Records.   The diplomas are mailed to graduates six to eight weeks following the end of the term in which graduation requirements are met. 

Each student who has been measured for a cap and gown by the deadline is considered a participant.  Each participant is allotted ten (10) announcements, which will be distributed with caps and gowns.   If you need additional announcements, you can have them printed at your cost at the printing center of your choice.   Extra announcements may also be available for purchase in the LLCC Bookstore.

A professional photographer will take pictures of the graduates receiving their diploma covers.  The photographer will send a preview photo and an order form for picture purchase within two weeks following the ceremony.   Graduates are under no obligation to purchase photographs.

The annual graduates’ breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 11, 2012 in the main ballroom of the Springfield Hilton, 700 East Adams, Springfield.   It honors all graduates including those students chosen for departmental honors, club and student organization honors, and to announce those students chosen as Outstanding Graduates for the year.   All graduates are invited to attend, whether or not they choose to participate in commencement.  Seating is limited and tickets are required.   More detailed information will be included in the early March mailing sent to all eligible graduates and prospective graduates.

If you have questions or need additional information, please stop by the Office of Admissions and Records on the first floor of Menard Hall (main campus) or contact a Student Records Evaluator at 786-2575 or 1-800-727-4161, ext. 62575.

2012 Commencement News brochure click here (PDF)