Fall 2021 Commencement

Date and Location

Southern Arkansas University’s Fall 2021 Commencement ceremony will be held on Friday, December 10th, at Wilkins Stadium. There will be two ceremonies: one at 10:00 am for all undergraduate students, and one at 2:00pm for all graduate students.  The ceremony will also be livestreamed on the SAU Facebook page.

Candidates should arrive for check-in at the SAU tent in the parking area at the northwest corner of the stadium at least one hour before their ceremony start time.

There will be no guest limits or tickets required for guests to attend the commencement ceremony, and masks will be optional for all attendees (graduates and guests).

Please note: since the ceremonies will be held outdoors, they may be affected by inclement weather conditions.  Therefore, while we will do everything in our power to hold the ceremonies at the appointed times, it is possible that we might have to delay or even cancel ceremonies if weather conditions create a potentially dangerous situation.

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 business hours beginning on Monday November 29^th. If you would prefer to receive your regalia by mail, please contact the bookstore at (870) 235-4050 on or after November 29^th. 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. Graduates will be asked to remove any unauthorized items.

In order to protect the surface of the football field turf from damage, no high-heeled footwear may be worn (wedges or low wide heels such as cowboy boots are fine).

Photography

Grisham Photography will take 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 no later than 30 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. Complete the online Application for Completion of Graduate Certificate form.
2. Save email verification of application for your records. If you do not receive a verification email, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies at gradstudies@saumag.edu to ensure your application was received.