Graduation Information

Spring 2023 Commencement

Date and Location

Southern Arkansas University’s spring 2023 commencement ceremonies will be held on Friday, May 5th, and Saturday, May 6th, 2023, in the W.T. Watson Athletic Center. The ceremonies will also be livestreamed on the SAU Facebook page for anyone unable to attend in person.

There will be five spring graduation ceremonies, divided by college and student level:

Friday May 5th – Undergraduate (associate’s and bachelor’s degree) ceremonies:

• 10:00am: College of Science & Engineering undergraduates
• 2:00pm: Dempsey College of Liberal & Performing Arts undergraduates
• 4:00pm: Rankin College of Business and College of Education & Human Performance undergraduates

Saturday May 6th – Graduate (master’s degree) ceremonies:

• 9:00am: Rankin College of Business and College of Education & Human Performance graduate students
• 1:00pm: College of Science & Engineering and Dempsey College of Liberal & Performing Arts graduate students

There will also be a Pinning Ceremony held for Nursing graduates in Reynolds Grand Hall at 8:00am on Friday May 5th.

Candidates should arrive for check-in at the Auxiliary Gym at least one hour before their ceremony begins. You should come in the main entrance to the Watson facility and follow the posted signs to make your way to the Auxiliary Gym.

Regalia and Dress Considerations

Graduation regalia (caps and gowns, plus hoods for master’s students) will be available to pick up at the SAU Bookstore during regular business hours beginning at noon on Monday, April 24th. Candidates can also pick up their regalia at the check-in area in the Auxiliary Gym the day of the ceremony. If you would prefer to receive your regalia by mail, please contact the bookstore at (870) 235-4050 after the pickup period has begun. The cost of shipping is $7.50. The cost of regalia is included in your graduation fee, and will be yours to keep after the ceremony.

Only University-approved accessories, such as academic cords, stoles, and medallions from within academic disciplines, may be worn over regalia. Decorated caps are not permitted. Candidates will be asked to remove any unauthorized items.

Photography

Grisham Photography will be taking professional pictures during the ceremony. An envelope included in the regalia bag will provide instructions about purchasing these photographs.

Photography order envelopes can also be picked up and dropped off at the check-in table before the ceremony, or orders can be made by contacting Grisham Photography directly at (318) 539-3489 or j.grisham@hotmail.com.

Diplomas

Diplomas for all graduates will be mailed to the address provided on the graduation application within 60 days after commencement.

If this address is not correct, please send an update to sauregistrar@saumag.edu to prevent any delay in receiving your diploma.

How to Apply for Graduation

Degree-Seeking Students (Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s Degrees)

Please use our step-by-step guide on how to submit your graduation application form on CampusConnect, or follow the steps as outlined below:

1. Log in to mySAU and click on “Campus Connect” tab in the top menu.
2. Acknowledge Student Accounts message.
3. Navigate to the “Forms” tab (above your student photo) and click “Apply for Graduation.”
4. Choose term of expected graduation and click “Display Form.”
5. Complete all required fields, click “Continue Degree Info” to add your degree information, then click “Submit” to submit form.
6. Save email verification of your application for your records. If you do not receive a verification email, please contact the Office of the Registrar at sauregistrar@saumag.edu to ensure your application was received.
7. Contact your advisor to request that they complete an updated degree audit form if they have not already done so (undergraduate students only).

Graduate Certificate Students

1. Log in to mySAU and click on “Campus Connect” tab in the top menu.
2. Acknowledge Student Accounts message.
3. Navigate to the “Forms” tab (above your student photo) and click “Apply for Graduate Certificate.”
4. Choose the expected graduation term and click “Display Form.”
5. Complete all required fields, and click “Submit” to submit the form.
6. Save email verification of application for your records. If you do not receive a verification email, please contact the School of Graduate Studies at gradstudies@saumag.edu to ensure your application was received.