Commencement

Ordering - West Chester Campus Students

You may submit your cap/gown order with Oak Hall Cap and Gown at https://wcupa.shopoakhalli.com.

• Cap/gown ordering begins Monday, March 4, 2019.
• The deadline to submit your cap and gown order to ship to the WCU Campus Store is Monday, March 25, 2019.
  • There is no additional charge for this service.
• The deadline to submit your cap and gown order to ship to your home is Friday, April 5, 2019.
  • There is an additional fee for this service, which must be paid by credit card when you order.

Ordering - Philadelphia Campus Students ONLY

If you are a student at the Philadelphia campus, please click here to order your cap and gown

• Cap/gown ordering begins Monday, March 4, 2019.
• The deadline to submit your cap and gown order to ship to the WCU Philadelphia Campus is Monday, March 25, 2019.
  • There is no additional charge for this service.
• The deadline to submit your cap and gown order to ship to your home is Friday, April 5, 2019.
  • There is an additional fee for this service, which must be paid by credit card when you order.

Picking Up - West Chester Campus

Caps/Gowns ordered through https://wcupa.shopoakhalli.com may be picked up at the SSI Bookstore, lower level Sykes Student Union.

• Pick up begins Monday, April 29, 2019.
• Friday, May 10, 2019 is the last day to pick up your cap/gown.
  Hours:
  Monday, April 29 -Thursday, May 2: 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
  Friday, May 3: 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
  Saturday, May 4: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
  Monday, May 6 - Thusrday, May 9: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
  Friday, May 10: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• If you missed the opportunity to order your Cap/Gown via https://wcupa.shopoakhalli.com, then you must pick up a Cap/Gown at the SSI Bookstore during the dates/times listed above.

Picking Up - Philadelphia Campus

Caps/Gowns ordered through https://wcuphiladelphia.shopoakhalli.com may be picked up at the Philadelphia Campus, location and time TBD.

How to Put on Your Cap, Gown, and Hood

During the ceremony, only diploma covers will be distributed. Paper diplomas will be mailed approximately 60 days after commencement, after the Registrar's Office has verified the completion of all degree requirements.

If there are any outstanding issues that will prevent you from graduating, the Registrar's Office will notify you by mail. Visit the Registrar's page on Diplomas.

During the ceremony, guests may only take photographs from their seats. In order to provide the best opportunity for a quality photograph to document the occasion, a professional photographer will be on stage during the commencement ceremony to take a picture of each graduate with the appropriate dignitary as he/she receives the diploma cover.

Not only will graduating students have the best possible photograph of their accomplishment, their guests will be able to remain seated without the worry of getting close to the stage to "capture the moment."

Legacy Photographics, Inc. will contact each graduate after the ceremony with information on how to purchase photos. If you have any questions, please contact Legacy at 1-800-447-2550 or 610-279-1791.

Honors cords may be purchased in the bookstore by all undergraduate students earning graduation honors (3.25 CUM GPA or higher, based on cumulative GPA from next-to-last semester before a student graduates). The charge for the cord is $10.

A list of those students who have earned University academic honors has been provided to the bookstore. Students on the list will be entitled to purchase an honors cord. You will need to present a picture ID card when purchasing your honors cord. Students may pick up an honors cord for another student on the list with written permission and an ID card from that student. Please also refer to the Registrar's Graduation Checklist section on Graduation Honors.

In addition to honors cords, a number of University colleges, academic programs, honor societies, organizations, and clubs award special cords, stoles, pendants, and tassels to recognize their graduates. Please view Cords, Stoles, and Regalia  for a list of those regalia. Please note that these regalia are not designed or distributed by the University, but by the organizations that sponsor them. However, to avoid duplication, any department or organization interested in introducing additional forms of these regalia should e-mail the Commencement inbox (commencement@wcupa.edu) priot to creating it.

Serpentine, WCU's Annual Yearbook, is ON SALE NOW in LIMITED QUANTITIES! 
The 2018 edition will feature our graduating seniors, document the year's events, highlight our sports and student organizations, including Greek Life.

The YEARBOOK is an ARCHIVAL TREASURE to remember THIS MOMENT at WCU.

Order your copy today! (Price includes shipping.)

Graduates, please arrive one hour prior to your ceremony start time.  View the Commencement Schedule for the ceremony start time.

• Students graduating in Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall:  report to the green room in Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall.
• Students graduating in Hollinger Field House: report to Ehinger Gym.

Once you arrive, find the table assigned to your academic department. You will receive a card with your name on it which will be read during the ceremony.

• Do NOT lose this card. Keep it with you and give it to your Dean when you step on stage to receive your diploma cover, as directed by the marshals.
• Do NOT add anything to the card. No hand-written additions or changes will be read. However, if you think your name will be hard to pronounce, write a simple phonetic spelling in parenthesis. Keep it as simple as possible.

Snacks will be available for graduates. 

Don’t forget to bring your cap, gown, and hood! Baccalaureate candidates place the tassel on the right side of the cap.

Procession will begin 15 minutes prior to ceremony start time.  View the Commencement Schedule for the ceremony start time.