Graduation Situation

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but according to the Registrar's office, the deadline to submit the May graduation application was February 3^rd.

Not all TAMIU students may have been aware of it, and some students have mixed feelings about the graduation process. Some students feel that graduation information is not as clear or as available as it should be. For instance, some mentioned that additional requirements needed for graduation (such as a foreign language requirement, a computer literacy requirement, and a QEP requirement ) are not specifically stated in the degree plan, and because of this, many students are not aware of these requirements until right before graduation.

Most students find out about graduation from friends rather than through information from the Registrar's office.

"I only knew about an audit because one of my friends graduated before I did," mentions Cristina Martinez, a TAMIU graduate student for a Masters in business administration with a concentration in management. "If she wouldn't have done it, I would've never guessed to do it my first semester when you still have a chance of making up any missed classes on your last semester," Martinez mentions.

Many students think that the deadlines and dates are readily available to students by the Registrar's office.

"I won't be graduating soon, but I've seen the graduation posters that the registrars puts up every semester so there is no excuse for missed deadlines," mentions Cynthia De La Miyar, a junior Biology major.

Others find the deadline to be too close to the beginning of the semester.

Leopoldo Arispe, a recent TAMIU graduate, mentions, "I don't think they should have the deadline so close to the beginning of the semester. Can't they wait a few more days, maybe until after refund day," Arispe questions.

Many students had the following suggestions for streamlining the graduation process:

1) Move the deadline date for the graduation application until after the disbursement of refunds or let students pay the graduation fee with financial aid. Just as financial aid now helps students buy books at the bookstore before refunds, it might also be helpful in paying the graduation fee. It may only be a $30 fee, but some students barely have enough money to cover the cost of tuition and books, especially if other bills are taken into consideration. If students do not have enough to pay the original graduation fee, it will be harder for them to afford the extra $50 late fee.

2) Make degree audits an early, mandatory part of the graduation process. Last minute graduation requirements can have students scrambling to meet them. In some cases, these obscure requirements can delay an expected graduation. By implementing an early degree audit requirement either in the spring of junior year or fall of senior year, students become aware of any pending classes or requirements in the first semester of their last year and can fulfill those requirements in a timely manner.

For those students who missed the deadline, don't worry. Applications for graduation can still be submitted until March 16^th, but be prepared to pony up a $50 late fee on top of the $30 original charge, for a grand total of $80.

            For full information on graduation deadlines and dates, visit http://www.tamiu.edu/commencement/.

             Take our poll to let us know how you found out about graduation!

(Josefina Gutierrez may be reached at kittystomp@dusty.tamiu.edu)