Graduation

Students should meet on a regular basis with their academic advisors to assure progress is being made toward completion of their academic program.

To qualify for an award, each student must meet the following requirements. A student must:

• Satisfy the degree requirements in place at the time student declares a major.
  • If the student does not enroll at SoLAcc for one semester or more, the student must satisfy the degree requirements as approved by the college and generally described, or amended, in the catalog at the time student re-enrolls.
  • If degree requirements change during a period in which a student is continuously enrolled (no interruption), the student has the option of satisfying the new degree requirement, as amended, or completing those described in the catalog when the student first declared their major.
     
• Have a degree program adjusted SoLAcc cumulative average of 2.0.   ​
  • The degree program adjusted grade point average is based on grades earned on all courses (adjusted for repeats), which are applied to a degree to meet graduation requirements at SoLAcc.
  • The courses included may be from both transfer work and SoLAcc or only SoLAcc.
     
• Have earned at least 25 percent of the credit hours required for the degree through SoLAcc courses.

• Have earned at least a “C” in each course unless stated by a specific program.  
  The last successful grade (A, B, C) earned is the official grade in any repeated course.

• Used no more than one-third credit in required major courses and no more than 50 percent of credit hours total from non-traditional sources (CPL) to meet the degree requirements, unless required by a specific program.

• Completed at least the number of credits stipulated in the degree program. In cases where programs are revised and a course is no longer available, an appropriate substitution may be made.

• Received in writing through all administrative channels approval for any deviation from the curriculum, as stated in the Catalog being followed.

Note: Remedial/developmental courses are not acceptable as electives toward an associate degree program. Neither are community education, continuing education, and/or adult education courses.

To ensure students are ready to graduate, we have developed this self-assessment.

• Does student have a 2.0 cumulative GPA?
• Has student checked Degree Works to make sure all courses and requirements have been completed?
• Has student met with their advisor to confirm they are ready to graduate?

If student has answered "yes" to all of these items, they may proceed with Applying for Graduation.

due dates

Apply for Spring Graduation: January 1st through March 1st

• Late Application: March 2nd through April 15th ($50 late fee)
• After April 15th: complete the summer graduation application (opens May 1st)

Apply for Summer Graduation: May 1st through July 1st

• Late Application: July 2nd through July 16th ($50 late fee)
• After July 16th: complete the fall graduation application (opens August 1st)

Apply for Fall Graduation: August 1st through October 1st

• Late Application: October 2nd through November 15th ($50 late fee)
• After November 15th: complete the spring graduation application (opens January 1st)

application directions

1. Log in to LoLA
2. Click on "Student" tab
3. Click on "Academic Profile" in the Academic Links box
4. Select "Apply for Graduation" in the menu on the left side of your profile
5. Select "Submit"
6. Select your program of study and the term associated with your graduation application
7. Click "Continue"
8. Fill out the application until you get to the Graduation Application Summary
9. Select "Submit Request" on the Graduation Application Summary page

1. Student applies for graduation.
2. Student receives confirmation email that application was received.
3. Student's degree is reviewed by Program Coordinator/Dean.
4. Student receives email that they have be approved or denied - "conditional" or provisional."

• If approved: approval is conditional upon successfully completing coursework and any additional requirements.
• If denied: contact Dean of Division to review reason(s) for denial.
• Contact your academic advisor to review reason(s) for denial (contact information is in LOLA on the student academic profile).

Attend your campus Grad Expo:

Get help confirming you meet all of the requirements for graduation + get additional support, including resources, refreshments, and exclusive GRADUATE ONLY swag!

Lafayette - December 2 | 9 am - 12 pm
Lafayette - December 5 | 9 am - 12 pm

(Students from all campuses can attend)

1. Students must apply for graduation to receive their degree, even if they do not intend to participate in the ceremony.
2. All commmunication regarding graduation status will be sent to student's my.solacc.edu email address.
3. Degrees are not awarded at graduation. They will arrive 3-4 weeks after graduation by mail.
4. All degrees/diplomas will be mailed to the address on record in LoLA; if updates are needed, they should be made there.

Event Details

December 19, 2024 - 10:00am 
Cajundome
Graduates should arrive in regalia at 9:00am.

Attire & Supplies

• The website for students to order their cap & gown packages, as well as announcements is herff.ly/slcc or colleges.herffjones.com/college/slcc. The deadline to order is November 8, 2024. The vendor has a lead time of about 4 weeks, so students should expect to receive their orders from the website within that time frame from when orders are placed.
• The cost for the cap & gown packages is $72.00 plus shipping and tax. 
• The basic package includes the embroidered Acadian Blue SoLAcc gown, with a matching cap and a Marigold dated tassel. Click to see all the graduation packages available.

Dress Code

All graduates should wear business attire underneath their graduation regalia. The following attire is NOT appropriate: jeans, tennis shoes, work boots, flip flops, crocs, or shorts.

Pictures

Want to sign up early for your commencement ceremony pictures? Click here to register with Candid Campus. There is no charge to capture this special moment! 

Social Media

Get in the spirit by posting your photos to social media using the hashtag #SoLAccFall24

Livestream

• SoLAcc Graduation on Vimeo - coming soon
• SoLAcc Facebook page

PROGRAM

Download the Spring 2024 commencement program. 

Security

Cajundome has a "Clear Bag Policy" that must be followed by all attendees. Details in graphic below.

ADA Accommodations

If you need ADA accomodations for the ceremony, please click here. 

PARKING GUIDANCE 

• Graduates will park at the Cajundome, entering from Congress Street through Gate 8.
• Security will be on hand to direct students.
• Guests are allowed to drop graduates off near the green tunnel and then park in guest parking.

CHANCELLOR'S HONOR GRADUATES

Students with the highest academic achievement (a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 or higher) receive this prestigious award and wear gold honor cords during commencement.

HONOR GRADUATES

Students who earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 to 3.79 are considered Honor Graduates and wear white honor cords during the commencement.

Students are not required to purchase honor cords as they will be distributed at the graduation ceremony.
 

We're now offering an electronic copy of diplomas so that students may quickly and easily share their achievement with others. You will receive an email from Parchment with instructions on how to create an account to retrieve your e-diploma.

Please note that the eDiploma cannot be printed and the name of the download should not be changed. It is intended for electronic distribution and validation only.

The diploma can be verified by downloading the document (once you receive it via email) to your desktop and then going to the URL that is in the left black sidebar of the eDiploma. You can download the attachment by either opening and saving it or dragging it directly to your desktop.

eDiploma Features

• This document can alleviate the need for ordering copies of your diploma in the future as there is no limit to the number of times it can be shared.
• Validation offers a secure way to share your information, the document will show as invalid if it has been tampered with.
• The eDiploma gives you a way to share on social media platforms.
• You can submit the document to any party requesting official documentation of graduation from SLCC.
• You will receive another email notification with tracking information when your diploma has been mailed to you.