Dear Graduate:

The graduation committee joins me in offering congratulations and best wishes to you as we approach Commencement 2013.

The Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies on May 17 and 18 are open for the participation of students who have completed degrees as of August, September, October, or December 2012 and March or May 2013. Students who plan to complete a degree before the end of June or August 2013 are also invited to participate if they meet the requirements of current University policy governing participation in the ceremonies.

Friday, May 17, 2013:
Graduate Student (EdD, EdS, MA, MBA, MFA, MPA, MS, and MSA) Baccalaureate and Commencement

• The Baccalaureate will be held Friday evening, May 17, at 7 p.m. at the St. Charles Family Arena.
• Immediately following Baccalaureate, we will confer all doctor of education, education specialist, and master’s degrees.
• Undergraduates are also invited to attend this event; however, they will not march across the stage during the event.
• There is no charge for parking.

Saturday, May 18, 2013:
Undergraduate Student (BA, BFA, BS, and BSW) Commencement

• Undergraduate Commencement will be held Saturday morning, May 18, at 10 a.m. at the St. Charles Family Arena.

Undergraduate students pay a graduation fee of $100 that covers the entire cost of graduation processing and commencement, including diplomas, caps, and gowns. The $125 fee for graduate students and $200 fee for doctoral students includes diplomas, caps, gowns, hoods, and other applicable fees. All outstanding Lindenwood charges must be paid before diplomas are released. All graduating students must pay the graduation fee regardless of whether the students choose to participate in the ceremony.

Guests will not need tickets for the 2013 ceremonies. Guest seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the large number of students participating in Commencement and the limited space available at the venue, we ask that participants limit their number of guests to 6 (six). On Friday, the guest gate will open at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, the guest gate will open at 8:30 a.m.

Students are encouraged to use our online regalia ordering option (no additional charge to the student). Undergraduate students will receive caps, gowns, and tassels via US mail to the address entered during the online ordering process. Honors cords will be distributed to eligible undergraduate students at graduation check-in. Specialist and graduate students will receive caps, gowns, tassels, and hoods via US mail to the address entered during the online ordering process. Online orders must be placed by April 5. Please see item No. 1, Option 1, on the Graduation Dates & Deadlines 2013 letter for online ordering instructions. If students choose not to order online, they may use our regalia pick-up option. Please see item No. 1, Option 2, on the Graduation Dates & Deadlines 2013 letter for pick-up dates at the LU-St. Charles Campus Spirit & Supplies Shoppe.

Students may order regalia prior to paying a balance on their student accounts. Students who have a balance on their student accounts have until 5 p.m., April 19, 2013, to pay in full. Students who have questions about the status of their Business Office accounts should request information immediately. The Business Office can be reached at (636) 949-4650. Students who have received student loans are reminded that they must complete an exit interview by Friday, April 5, 2013, by visiting the financial aid exit interview link on the Lindenwood University website at http://www.lindenwood.edu/financialAid/exitStafford.html.

Lindenwood University contracts with GradImages® to photograph each graduate at Baccalaureate and Commencement. These photos are taken of graduates: 1) receiving their diploma, 2) standing in front of a Lindenwood banner, and 3) a close up photograph. Graduates can pre-register their e-mail, and GradImages will contact them when their photos are available for online viewing and ordering. While there is no obligation to make a purchase, proofs will be emailed and mailed to each student’s address. Up to 6 (six) family members’ contact information may be added to help share the good news and the photos by going to the GradImages site at http://www.gradimages.com/index.cfm?action=main.preregistration. Lindenwood University has no affiliation with the photographer; inquiries should be directed to:

GradImages® Customer Service Department
3490 Martin Hurst Road
Tallahassee, FL 32312
1-800-261-2576
http://www.gradimages.com/

The St. Charles Family Arena

The St. Charles Family Arena is located at 2002 Arena Parkway, St. Charles, MO 63303. Please find directions and map enclosed in this mailing. There is no charge for parking. However, it is strongly recommended that guests carpool and arrive early due to the limited number of parking spaces.

Commencement will be recorded by the Lindenwood University Chapter of the National Broadcasting Society. The cost for the DVD is $24.95 if ordered no later than two weeks after Commencement; the cost will increase to $29.95 if ordered after May 31, 2013. Ordered copies will be shipped prior to August 16, 2013, to the address specified. An order form is included in this mailing. For additional information, contact Professor Deborah Nicolai at (636) 949-4112.

Diplomas are held in the Business Office for pick-up. Students are urged to complete the Request For Diploma To Be Mailed form and return it using the instructions on the bottom of the form. Diplomas will be mailed to students who return the form as soon as the diplomas become available. Please see item No. 10 on the Graduation Dates & Deadlines 2013 for the dates diplomas become available.

Students should complete the Name Pronunciation form and return it only if they believe their names may be pronounced incorrectly. Students do not need to return the form in order to participate in Commencement. Please note that the return of this form is optional.

Once again, congratulations! As we mark these memorable events together, we share your excitement in becoming one of Lindenwood’s newest alumni. We would like to remind our undergraduate graduating students to wear the LU pins that they received at Freshman Convocation on their gowns.