Student Affairs Administration
Graduation
Graduation Ceremony Details
The Student Affairs Administration graduation event will be held at 10:00 AM* (CST) on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in the Bluffs of the UWL Student Union. The ceremony will include both master's and doctorate students. Directly following the graduation ceremony, folks are invited to enjoy some snacks, cake, and refreshments in the Bluffs.
*This is earlier than previous to years, as the university will be hosting commencement on Saturday in 2025. We have scheduled to allow students to attend both ceremonies if they wish. See more about commencement in the FAQ section.
Graduates:
Please report to 2100 Student Union (next to the bluffs) 45 minutes prior to the ceremony. For the processional, you will need to line up in the order listed in the printed program.
Guests:
Doors to the Bluffs will open for guests around 9:30 AM (CST).
Information for Students
M.S.Ed. Students
Eligibility to Participate:
Master’s students who have fewer than 9 credits to complete can participate in the May graduation ceremony.
Graduation Attire:
Master’s students can order their gown, hood, cap, and tassel on the bookstore website. The deadline to order is in April. Students can choose to pick up their items at the bookstore or have them shipped directly to them.
Capstone Poster Presentation:
The poster presentation will occur on Friday, May 16 from 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. in Centennial 1300, Hall of Nations at the UWL campus. Students: please plan to arrive at 12:45 pm. You will present in groups as listed on the Capstone Poster Presentation schedule (posted in late April).
Note: The SAA department will coordinate the printing of the posters and cover the printing costs.
Ed.D. Students
Graduation Attire:
Doctoral students can either rent or purchase their attire. Both renting and purchasing orders will be submitted through Herff Jones. See below for steps on how to rent or order your regalia.
Renting:
You can rent attire through the Herff Jones website, using the information below:
- https://facultycapgown.herffjones.com/
- Customer #: (Check back in late January)
- Order #: (Check back in late January)
- Note: Select "New Faculty Member" in the dropdown menu.
Cost to rent attire:
- Gown (black w/black velvet) $54
- 8-sided tam with gold silk doctor tassel $46
- Hood $44
The deadline to submit a rental request is 2 weeks prior to the ceremony.
Ordering:
You may purchase your regalia directly through the Herff Jones website.
Please use the following information when ordering:
- Your choice: either deluxe or classic (most students opt for deluxe)
- Your choice: either "black" or "education blue" chevrons
- Your choice: any braid color (or none) for chevrons
- Select the 8-sided tam
- Select "education blue" for the hood color
- Use the measuring guide provided on the ordering page to ensure a good fit
The deadline to order regalia is 6 to 8 weeks prior to graduation. This will allow enough time for shipping (i.e., mid-October for December ceremonies and mid-March for May ceremonies).
FAQs
How many guests can attend?
We currently do not have a restriction on the number of guests that can attend.
Will the event be streamed?
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide live streaming at this time. However, the university commencement ceremony is streamed and recorded. You are welcome to attend commencement in addition to our ceremony. More information about commencement can be found in the question below.
Are there other graduation events? Which ones should I attend?
The SAA graduation ceremony is held annually in May. Students who have graduated in the previous summer or fall semesters are welcome to attend the May ceremony. At this ceremony, students will participate in a traditional processional march alongside their fellow SAA graduates and receive their academic hood from an SAA faculty member. Here's a look at the setup from last year's ceremony: photo 1, photo 2.
The university commencement ceremony is held in December and May. It is open to all undergraduate and graduate students at UWL. While students won't receive their hood at this ceremony, this event provides students an additional opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments. You can view a previous year's event to get a sense of what to expect. More information about the event is on the university commencement website. There are multiple commencement ceremonies to accommodate all of UWL's graduating students. You should attend the ceremony that includes graduate students. For May 2025, Graduate students are anticipated to be included in the 12:30 PM ceremony on Saturday (05/17).
The Graduate and Extended Learning ceremony is held in December and May. This event serves programs that do not host their own hooding ceremony. SAA students are encouraged not to attend the GEL ceremony in May in order to provide space for students in other programs. However, since SAA does not host a ceremony in December, both summer and fall graduates are invited to attend the December GEL ceremony.
Is parking free?
Historically, parking for the Saturday graduation ceremony has been free. We will notify students if there is any change to this.