Day and Date: Saturday, May 13, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Place: Castleton Pavilion
Department gatherings will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at various locations around campus. You will be expected to line up for the ceremony, in your cap and gown, by 10:00 a.m. on Saturday on the south side of Dave Wolk Stadium. Specific locations will be announced at rehearsal.
You must be matriculated. A matriculated student is one who has been officially accepted into an undergraduate or graduate program at Castleton.
AND
You must have applied for a degree and received an audit report from the Registrar's Office.
AND
You must have a 2.0 G.P.A. (may be higher for some majors), and a minimum of 122 credits (B.A., B.M., B.S., B.S.W. candidates), 64 credits (A.A. and A.S. candidates) and must meet all degree requirements in your catalog.
AND
You must be wearing black academic regalia in order to process.
AND
You must behave in a manner appropriate to the dignity of the occasion.
Remember, alcohol is not allowed.
Please note: If your attendance plans have changed since you applied for a degree, please notify the Registrar's Office immediately at (802) 468-1274 or email stephanie.cleveland@castleton.edu.
It depends on how many students are graduating; however, the ceremony usually lasts between two and two and a half hours.
You will receive an email with a link to the survey on or before April 17. All seniors who complete the exit survey by April 28 are eligible to receive two (2) additional commencement tickets.
Your guests will need tickets in order to gain entrance to the Pavilion/Tent. Seats are not reserved, but tickets are required. Please note that tickets are only given to students who have indicated that they are attending Commencement. Commencement tickets cannot be sold. Any violation will result in disciplinary action.
Each student participating in the Commencement ceremony will have 3 tickets reserved in his/her/their name until May 1. These tickets will be available on March 20 and will be reserved until May 1. Students who complete the online exit survey by April 28 are eligible for two (2) additional tickets. Anyone added to the commencement list after May 1 is not guaranteed tickets.
Tickets will be available beginning March 20. Your 3 guaranteed tickets must be picked up by May 1. Your additional exit survey tickets must be picked up by May 5. Tickets will be available at the Conferences & Events Office, Hoff Hall, Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Additional pick-up times and locations will be added as we approach Commencement. You must have a valid ID with you when picking up tickets. You must be cleared to graduate by the Registrar before tickets will be released to you.
What if I Cannot Travel to Campus to Pick up My Tickets?
You may request that your tickets be mailed to you by emailing Lori.Phillips@Castleton.edu. Requests must be received by April 20. Be sure to include your full name, student ID number, phone number and your current mailing address.
You will also be able to request additional tickets through the lottery.
You must be cleared to graduate by the Registrar before tickets will be released to you. If you are cleared to graduate after May 1, tickets are not guaranteed.
If you require more tickets for your guests, you may enter the lottery for extra tickets when you reserve your tickets. If, after May 6, there are any additional seats, lottery tickets will be drawn. There is no guarantee that extra tickets will be available.
Tickets are for seats in the Pavilion or under the attached tent. Seating is not reserved, however; it is on a first-come, first-served basis. Your guests may access the Pavilion/tent approximately one hour before the ceremony.
There will be a designated special seating area for guests who use a wheelchair, have difficulty walking from the parking lots to the ceremony, have vision problems, or have other disabilities.
Seating is limited to your disabled guest(s) and one other guest. Each "special seat" is included in, not in addition to, your original ticket allocation.
Please indicate the number of guests that need accessibility accommodations and what accommodations they require when you order your tickets so we know how many seats we’ll need. Please contact Brigette Olson via email at brigette.olson@castleton.edu or via phone at (802) 468-1206 to make arrangements for your guests to receive the proper assistance. Special seating may not be available on Commencement day unless prior arrangements have been made.
If you are a student and have additional accessibility needs or require accommodations, please contact Gerry Volpe, Coordinator of Disability Services at 802-468-1428.
Yes. To participate in Commencement, you must wear a black cap and gown. No three-dimensional objects will be allowed on tops of caps. It is expected that all graduates will dress appropriately for the occasion. In the words of Renée Beaupre White, Director of Career Services, "Dress as if you were going to an important job interview."
UNDERGRADUATES
Undergraduate regalia can be ordered online through the Castleton University Bookstore.
All orders can be picked up beginning April 21 at the University Store. After that date regalia can be purchased "off the rack" and picked up directly from the University Store. The cost is $40 for cap, gown, and tassel (plus sales tax). Hours of operation Monday – Friday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. If you have other concerns regarding regalia, please call the University Store directly at (802) 468-1229.
MASTER’S GRADUATES
Master’s regalia can be ordered online through the Castleton University Bookstore and will be available for pick up on or after April 21. For gowns ordered after March 15, there is no guarantee that the shipment will arrive. The cost is $77.00 for a complete package (cap, gown, hood, and tassel). For more information, please call the Castleton Store at (802) 468-1229.
Regalia can be ordered online through the Castleton University Bookstore. If you did not pre-order your regalia, you will be able to purchase a cap and gown "off the rack" through the University Bookstore after April 26.
Guests taking photographs or taping are asked to refrain from blocking the aisles or interfering with other guests’ views of the ceremony. Please be respectful of all graduates and guests and comply with ushers’ requests.
Island Photography will take pictures of each graduate as they cross the stage. If you would like to receive a direct link to the photos, you can register on Island Photography's website. You may register several emails to allow all of your friends and family to receive a direct link to this event. Images will be posted within 72 hours of the ceremony. All inquiries should be made to Island Photography at (800) 869-0908. Purchase is optional. More information on Island Photography.
The Northeast Sports Network (NSN) will be providing streaming services for both the Nurses’ Pinning Ceremony from Casella Theater on Friday at 6 p.m. and Commencement from the Pavilion on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
In addition, Saturday’s ceremony will be simulcast in Jeffords Auditorium. No tickets are required for this venue. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please keep in mind that simulcasting is contingent upon successful technical transmission of NSN feed and cannot be guaranteed.
We strive to make parking for Commencement as convenient as possible for all graduates and their families. Since most students will no longer be on campus, there should be sufficient parking for all visitors. Parking prior to the Commencement ceremony is rarely an issue. Public Safety officials will be on campus all day to direct guests to available parking areas. Shuttle service will be available from the parking lots to the pavilion. Access to Hoff Hall lot will be restricted.
After Commencement, however, struggles with traffic congestion can be problematic. With the proper information and a little pre-planning, your exit will be as hassle-free as possible.
More information is available on parking and traffic flow for the day of Commencement.
Please leave your pet at home. Do not leave your pet in your vehicle. The only pets allowed at the Commencement ceremony are service animals.
Flowers will be sold on Commencement day. Proceeds to benefit the Student Nurse Association (SNA).
If you are an out-of-town guest who will need to stay in the Castleton area, we suggest you make hotel reservations immediately. A list of area motels, hotels, and bed & breakfasts can be found on the Castleton website.
Public Safety
Hope House
(802) 468-1399
Your diploma will be mailed to you in mid-June to the address on file in the Registrar's Office. If that address is incorrect, please notify the Registrar’s office at registrar@castleton.edu immediately. If you are an international student and would like your diploma sent to your home country, please send the address to registrar@castleton.edu.
Copies of your transcript can be ordered online through the Castleton website. The cost of $6.50 for an electronic transcript or $10 for a paper transcript. Expedited shipping is available for an additional cost.
The most common reasons for students being disappointed at the last minute are:
Final cumulative average falls below 2.0; Transcripts not received from other colleges attended; Incomplete grades; Not passing the Writing Portfolio or any other VSCS graduation standard; Failure to complete degree requirements' Disciplinary charges pending.
Your degree is posted to your official transcript which is the only legal proof of degree. If you need proof of degree completion for employment purposes request an official copy of your transcript here.
Degrees with distinction (AKA “Honors”) are summa cum laude (cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher), magna cum laude (cumulative GPA of 3.7-3.89) and cum laude (3.5-3.69). Cumulative GPA is based on work completed at Castleton, and students must have completed a minimum of at least 50% of the total graded credits required for graduation at the Vermont State Colleges to qualify for degrees with distinction.
Actual honors will be determined by your final cumulative GPA (as of May 2023) and will be indicated on your diploma. If you have achieved the GPA required for distinction as of December 2022, you will be allowed to wear a white tassel on your cap instead of a green tassel. You will receive this white tassel at your department reception on Saturday preceding the commencement ceremony. Please note that Nursing graduates will receive their white tassels at the Nursing Pinning Ceremony.
Personalized, formal announcements can be purchased online directly from Jostens
Class rings can be purchased online directly from Jostens
A variety of frames designed specifically for Castleton diplomas are available for purchase in the Castleton University Store.
This is your chance to introduce your family and guests to the faculty in your department and to spend some time with your fellow majors. Gatherings are held in various academic buildings on campus (locations to be announced) on Saturday, May 13 from 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Honors tassels will be presented at each department gathering at approximately 9:00 am. Please note: times may vary by department, so please check with yours.
In order to have a ceremony that will be memorable for you and your family, rehearsal is essential. In addition to finding out exactly where you will sit and where your spot is in the procession, a class photo will be taken. Rehearsal takes place on Thursday, May 11, at 7 p.m. in the Castleton Pavilion.
Candlelighting is a traditional ceremony that has been held for many years at Castleton. Students and alumni light candles at the front steps of Woodruff and process through the Alumni Gates to the Old Chapel. Candlelighting will be held on the steps of Woodruff on Thursday, May 11 immediately following rehearsal.
If you are a December graduate, it may be difficult for you to make the rehearsal, but this does not reduce its importance. If you do not attend rehearsal, you should plan to arrive at your designated assembly location a little earlier on Saturday, and report to the administrator in charge.
This symbolic ceremony has a long tradition for the Castleton Nursing Department. It will be held in the Casella Theater on Friday, May 12, at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. It is a capstone experience for nursing graduates at which awards are given for outstanding performance. Candles are lit and a pledge is recited by the graduates following the presentation of their Castleton nursing pins. The Pinning Ceremony is not meant to replace the Commencement ceremony itself. Nursing students who will be graduating with University honors will receive their white tassels at the Pinning Ceremony. The ceremony will be photographed and live-streamed.
1. Call x31496 from a campus phone, or (802) 468-1496 from a cell phone or off-campus phone.
2. You will get a message that says, "Express messaging to mailbox." Enter 2320# and wait for the voice.
3. Listen for the instructions and then speak.”
Graduating seniors must make arrangements with their CA to check out of their residence hall room by 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 13. Regular meal service in Huden will end with lunch on Friday, May 12.
If you have borrowed a Federal Student Loan federal regulations require that you complete Loan Exit Counseling if you are graduating. This is done online at https://studentaid.gov. Sign in with your FAFSA username and password. This counseling should be done prior to graduation. If you have any questions you can email Financial Aid at student.aid@castleton.edu.
Be sure to check your student tuition bill online before you leave, as a remaining balance can hold up transcripts and diplomas. If you have unpaid tuition, the Financial & Registration Services Office will be happy to set up a payment plan with you.Other possible charges, such as parking fines, library fines, and dorm fines for students who lived on campus, might appear on your account after the semester ends.
Students do lose Portal access eventually when not enrolled, so if you would like to retain access, just log into the billing page and set yourself up as an authorized user with your personal email. Doing this will help you access your tax information next year as well.
Also, be sure to check the graduation checklist
Any application to graduate received after April 21 is not guaranteed to be listed in the official Commencement program.