Fall 2023 Commencement

Graduation Checklists

 Run a Degree Evaluation

  • Go to your student profile on your MyJaxState.
  • If your catalog term is Summer 2021 or before choose Degree Evaluation.
  • If your catalog term is Fall 2021 or after choose DegreeWorks.

 Meet with your Advisor to Discuss any Degree Deficiencies

Examples of degree deficiencies:
  • Missing required courses.
  • Not having enough earned hours from a four-year college or university.
  • Missing 300/400 level earned hours.
  • Missing Writing Intensive courses.

 Register for your Final Semester Courses

  • Once registration opens for your final semester, register for classes through your MyJaxState account.
  • Follow for more registration information.

 Apply for Graduation before the Deadline

 Take the EPP (Undergraduate Only)

  • All undergraduate students are required to take the EPP in their final semester.

 Take your Comprehensive Exam if required (Graduate Only)


 Complete the Reserve Your Seat for Graduation form

  • We request that all students complete the Reserve Your Seat for Graduation form to let us know if they plan to or do not plan to attend their commencement ceremony.
  • This form will become available on the Commencement page once ceremony times are posted.

 Graduation Fair

  • All students who have applied for graduation will receive an invitation to participate in their semester’s Graduation Fair through their JSU email. Through your invitation, you will be able to register for Cap & Gown photos and Shout-Out Videos.

 Purchase your Cap & Gown

  • Cap & Gowns are available to purchase through the Campus Bookstore.

 Resolve any Outstanding Balances

  • Outstanding balances will prevent the release of diplomas and transcripts. To prevent any delays, please resolve your balance prior to graduation.

December 15, 2023 - Pete Mathews Coliseum

10:00 AM

College of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences
College of Business and Industry

1:00 PM

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

4:00 PM

College of Education and Professional Studies
College of Health Professions and Wellness

Candidate Information

Fall 2023 Commencement Day Instructions 

 

When and Where to Report: Arrive one hour prior your ceremony. Follow the signs to enter Pete Mathews Coliseum through the doors on the east side into the Auxiliary Gym.  

Apparel:  It is recommended that you wear apparel appropriate for the weather and occasion under your regalia. Candidates will walk downstairs during the processional; therefore, comfortable shoes are recommended. To request accommodations, please contact Disability Resources at (256)782-8380 (voice or TTY).

Upon Arrival:

  1. Once in the Auxiliary gym, please make your way to the check-in table for your college. You will receive your ceremony name card. Make sure you take care of your name card. It has your line number for the processional and will be scanned prior to crossing the stage. This will allow for your name and degree name to be displayed on the screens as you cross the stage.  
  2. Please plan to leave your personal belongings with family members or guests. The JSU Athletic Clear Bag Policy is followed at commencement. Candidates will be directed to exit the building following the ceremony and will not return to the Auxiliary Gym.
  3. Doors will open one hour prior to the ceremony. You will need to be dressed in your full regalia before entering. 
  4. There will be a QR code on the back of the name card where you will be directed to complete the photography information form.

The Processional:

When it is time for the processional, a staff member will direct you to start lining up by college. You will line up numerically behind the marshal for your college. The marshal will lead your college onto the main court and to your seats. Please be sure to stay in numerical order.

During the Ceremony: 

  1. Duration:  The ceremony is expected to last approximately 1 1/2 hours. Out of respect for all candidates, all participants are expected to stay until the conclusion of the ceremony. 
  2. Crossing the Stage:  Student Marshals will direct you to the stage at the appropriate time. You must bring your name card with you to the stage. Photographs will be taken by a professional, university approved photographer as you receive your diploma cover. 

Graduate Degree Recipients: Hooding will take place prior to entering the stage.

Doctoral Degree Recipients: Hooding will take place on the stage. 

After Crossing the Stage: You will exit the stage and have a photograph taken between the flags. Once the photograph is taken, please return to your seat.
  

The Recessional:

Platform members will exit first in the recessional, followed by faculty, and then graduates. Student marshals will release students by rows to exit the court. You will not be allowed back onto the court after exiting; therefore, prior to the ceremony, you will need to establish a location to meet with your family and guests following the ceremony. 

Caps, gowns, and all other regalia may be preordered on the Oak Hall website at https://jsu.shopoakhalli.com/purchasewizard/Welcome.  All preorders will be shipped directly to the student. Regalia may also be purchased on campus at the JSU Bookstore. 

Master's, EdS, and Doctoral Hood Colors with Corresponding Degrees:
View the Hood Color Guide Graphic
Hood Color Guide (Text)

Contact the JSU Bookstore at (256)782-5283 or email sm278@bncollege.com for information regarding purchasing regalia. 

Announcements and accessories can be ordered online at https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1000739/Jacksonville-State-University/.

For information regarding the JSU custom diploma plaque, call the Office of Alumni Affairs at (256)782-5404.

Order Mementos

Please complete the Reserve Your Seat for Graduation form by December 5th, 2023.

Reserve Your Seat for Graduation

The Graduation Name Pronunciation Service is available for candidates with concerns about the pronunciation of their name. Call (256)782-8392 and slowly state your name, student number, college of major, and name pronunciation.

The Grad Team will photograph every graduate as they cross the stage and receive their diploma cover. A posed individual photo will also be taken of each graduate as they exit the stage. Free proofs will be sent by mail and email to graduates and their families within one week of the ceremony.

The Grad Team
www.thegradteam.com/events

All Diplomas Are Mailed After Graduation

Official diplomas will be mailed within 3-4 weeks following graduation. Email notification will be sent to the graduates’ GEM email accounts once diplomas are mailed. Diplomas are mailed in flat cardboard mailers. For added protection, diplomas are placed in a red, paper folder with the university’s seal embossed in gold foil. Diplomas are printed in standard sizes so that they may be easily framed. Students mus meet all financial obligations prior to the release of the diploma.

Diploma Sizes:
  8X10   Undergraduate and Graduate Diplomas
11X14   Doctoral Diploma

Candidates who have had an address change since completing the online Application for Degree will need to submit the Diploma Mailing Address Form by December 8, 2023. The diploma mailing address can be verified by viewing the graduation application under the Student Profile tab on MyJaxState.

Information on the Diploma

The JSU diploma reflects the graduate's name, degree awarded, Latin honors, special honors in major, and the date the degree was conferred. Majors, minors, and concentrations are not listed on the diploma, but they are listed on the academic transcript. Please note that graduates with double majors are being awarded one degree; therefore, one diploma will be issued.

Diploma Covers

Graduates who participate in the commencement ceremony will be presented, on stage, with a red, padded diploma cover with the university’s crest embossed in gold foil.  

Graduates who do not participate in the commencement ceremony, and wish to receive the diploma cover, may pick up the cover in the Registrar’s Office the week following graduation.

Graduates wishing to request a diploma cover be mailed, may submit the Diploma Cover Mailing form, along with payment for shipping and handling, to the Registrar’s Office.                

Guest Information

JSU welcomes your family and friends to the commencement ceremony. To ensure that all graduates are appropriately recognized, guests are asked to remain seated throughout the ceremony unless otherwise noted in the electronic program. Jacksonville State Athletics’ Clear Bag Policy will be followed at graduation.

Accessible Parking Information

Parking for those with Accessibility Needs: Parking for graduates and guests with accessibility needs is available in the north and south sides of Pete Mathews Coliseum parking lots. This parking areas are accessible from the Nisbet Street North West (Hwy 204) and Park Ave NW entrances and will require a state or university issued accessible parking placard, hangtag, or license plate.

Drop Off for those with Accessibility Needs: Drop-off areas are at the north and south entrances for guests with accessibility needs or mobility impairments. Once the guest is dropped off, those not utilizing accessible parking are directed to utilize the other general parking available as identified in the general parking information section above.

 

Accessibility Access for the Ceremony

Coliseum Entrance and Accessible Seating: Persons with accessibility needs may enter the Coliseum from any of the guest entrances on the North and South side of the Coliseum. University staff will be available to assist you with seating. Seating for guests using wheelchairs or other mobility aids is on the main level at each corner of the arena on a first-come, first-serve basis. We request that only one person accompany the individual requiring accessible seating.

Accessible Bathrooms and Facilities: Accessible restrooms are located on the main floor (second floor) of the arena.

Wheelchair/Mobility Aid Availability: Guests in need of wheelchairs or other mobility aids should make provisions to bring those with them to the ceremony. Wheelchairs and other mobility aids are not provided at the Coliseum or parking locations.

Auditory Assistance: Accommodations for those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing will be provided in two formats. An American Sign Language interpreter will be located on the commencement stage during the ceremony. We will also offer seating with access to a screen providing captioning available in a section at the northwest corner of the arena. Staff will be present to assist you in accessing this area. We request that only one person accompany the individual requiring accessible seating.

Degree Candidates: A ramp is available to graduates to access the commencement stage. Graduates requesting the need of a wheelchair or other mobility aid may contact Disability Resources at 256-782-8380 or disabilityresources@jsu.edu. Graduates, please request these at least 48 hours in advance to allow time for our Specialists to work with you.

 

Emergency Services

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue will have an ambulance on site during the event. Assistance is available through the JSU’s UPD at 256-782-5050. UPD officers are stationed in the Stadium before and during the ceremony. 

For additional accessibility information or other accessibility requests, please contact Disability Resources at 256-782-8380 or by email at disabilityresources@jsu.edu.

 

Directions from Birmingham, AL, to Jacksonville

  • Take I-20 East towards Atlanta
  • Take the Hwy 21 North exit (No. 185) in Anniston/Oxford
  • Turn left onto Hwy 21 North towards Jacksonville
  • Drive 14 miles until you enter the city limits of Jacksonville
  • After you drive around the Jacksonville town square, go to the fifth red light and turn left onto Hwy 204 – Rudy Abbott Highway
  • Proceed one mile on Rudy Abbott Highway
  • Pete Mathews Coliseum is on the left


Directions from Atlanta, GA, to Jacksonville

  • Take I-20 West towards Birmingham
  • Take the Hwy 21 North exit (No. 185) at Anniston/Oxford
  • Turn right onto Hwy 21 North towards Jacksonville
  • Drive 14 miles until you enter the city limits of Jacksonville
  • After you drive around the Jacksonville town square, go to the fifth red light and turn left onto Hwy 204 – Rudy Abbott Highway
  • Proceed one mile on Rudy Abbott Highway
  • Pete Mathews Coliseum is on the left


Directions from Chattanooga, TN, to Jacksonville

  • Take I-59 South towards Birmingham
  • Take the US 431 South Exit (No. 183) at Attalla/Gadsden
  • Turn left onto US 431 South towards Anniston
  • Proceed through Gadsden and stay on US 431 for 18 miles
  • Turn left on Hwy. 204 (Rudy Abbott Highway)
  • Proceed on Hwy. 204 for 12 miles
  • Pete Mathews Coliseum is on the left


Directions from Cullman, AL, to Jacksonville

  • Take US 278 East towards Gadsden
  • Turn right on US 431 South when US 278 dead ends (approximately 50 miles) towards Anniston
  • Proceed through Gadsden and stay on US 431 for 18 miles
  • Turn left on Hwy. 204 (Rudy Abbott Highway)
  • Proceed on Hwy. 204 for 12 miles
  • Pete Mathews Coliseum is on the left


Directions from Huntsville, AL, to Jacksonville

  • Take US 431 South (Governors Lane) out of Huntsville towards Gadsden
  • Proceed through Gadsden and stay on US 431 for 18 miles
  • Turn left on Hwy. 204 (Rudy Abbott Highway)
  • Proceed on Hwy. 204 for 12 miles
  • Pete Mathews Coliseum is on the left