Commencement 2013

Tuesday, February 12

  • 10:00 am–3:00 pm  Friars Hall, Room 204. Graduation Preparation Day. All 2013 graduates are encouraged to attend. If you cannot attend, see the attached checklist to make sure you have everything in order. Click here for the checklist.

Commencement Weekend 2013

Friday, May 10

  • 10:00 am  Commencement Rehearsal for all graduates - Pepsi Arena (near northwest corner of 20th and Oak St)
  • 10:30 am  Senior Champagne Brunch - hosted by Alumni Services, held in the Main Dining Room immediately following rehearsal. All May 2013 graduates are welcome to attend. Guests are welcome at $10.00 per person. For more information, contact Alumni Services at 217-228-5432, ext. 3455.
  • 2:00 pm  Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing Pinning Ceremony, held at Madison Park Christian Church, 4700 Broadway, Quincy, IL.

Saturday, May 11

  • 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm  Registrar's Office (Francis Hall, Rm. 130) open for cap & gown and ticket pick-up or any other questions.
  • 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm  University Bookstore hours.
  • 5:00 pm - 6:45 pm  Reception for all graduates and their families held in the Student Union. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served. (RSVP will be required when picking up cap & gown.)
  • 7:00 pm  Graduates line up in the main floor hallways of Francis Hall. Graduates are to wear gowns only (no caps, stoles or hoods). Graduates will process from Francis Hall to St. Francis Church.
  • 7:30 pm  Baccalaureate Liturgy at St. Francis Solanus Church, 17th and College. (RSVP will be required when picking up cap & gown.) Tickets are not required for this liturgy.

Sunday, May 12

  • 9:00 am - 1:00 pm  University Bookstore hours.
  • 8:30 am  Hall of Fame room open for graduates with questions about line-up, picking up tickets, honor cords, etc.
  • 9:30 am  Doors to Memorial Gymnasium will open. (Tickets required for entry to Pepsi Arena.)
  • 9:30 am  All graduates meet in the Hall of Fame Room, 20th and Oak St., for line up. Enter through the east doors of the Hall of Fame Room.
  • 10:30 am  Commencement ceremony. (Ticket required for entry to Pepsi Arena.)
  • Closed circuit broadcast (overflow seating) of ceremony in the Health & Fitness Center three-court area (No ticket required for this area.)
  • Reception immediately following ceremony in the three-court area.

Commencement Participation and Student Financial Accounts

  • Particpation in the Commencement ceremony is dependent upon clearance by the University Registrar following a review of your academic record.
  • Students must be within 6 credit hours of completing their undergraduate baccalaureate degree to participate in the Commencement ceremony.
  • Students must apply for graduation by February 1, 2013. A $125.00 graduation fee will be applied to your financial account.
  • Students who apply after the February 1, 2013 deadline will be charged an additional late fee of $100.
  • Degree candidates with a balance due will not be allowed to participate in Commencement.
  • All tuition, room, board, fees, interest, library fines, and parking tickets must be paid in full.
  • No transcript or diploma will be issued until the balance is paid in full.
  • Diplomas will be mailed during the summer to each graduate at the address provided on the graduation application.

Graduation with Honors

Graduation Honors are awarded to undergraduate students only. Students who maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.40 based on ALL courses completed for a baccalaureate degree are eligible for graduation with honors as follows:

  • Cum Laude–3.40 to 3.54 gpa    Receives Silver Cords
  • Magna Cum Laude–3.55-3.74    Receives Gold Cords
  • Summa Cum Laude–3.75 to 4.00     Receives Bonaventure Medal

These honors distinctions will be noted on the student's transcript and the diploma. Transfer students must have a minimum of a 3.40 at Quincy University to be considered for graduation with honors. Also for transfer students, graduation with honors is calculated based on the total college work of both Quincy University and all other institutions attended. All graduation requirements must be completed prior to Commencement for honors to be announced at Commencement.

Honors Program

The Honors Program promotes academic excellence through critical thinking, original research, exceptional writing, and public presentation of scholarship. Those students who have completed the Quincy University Honors Program will be announced at Commencement. Completion of the Honors Program will be noted on the student's transcript and diploma.

Caps & Gowns

  • Students may order caps and gowns online via the University Bookstore beginning February 12th. The deadline for ordering your cap and gown is Friday, March 29, 2013. Click here to order, scroll down and click on the banner ad saying "Order your Caps & Gowns Here." From the drop down menu choose "cap and gown."
  • Your cap and gown will be mailed to Quincy University, University Bookstore, 1800 College Avenue, Quincy, IL 62301, unless you indicate you want them mailed to your home address. Please be advised that if you choose to have your cap and gown mailed to your home address, there will be an additional mailing fee of $15.95. It will be your responsibility to have your cap and gown available for the ceremonies. The Registrar's Office will not have extra caps and gowns available for your use.
  • You may pick up your cap, gown and seating tickets in the Student Affairs Conference room, lower level of the Student Center, beginning Monday, May 6 at noon and continuing through Friday, May 10 until noon. From 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm that Friday they will be available in the Registrar's Office. If you have chosen to mail your cap and gown to your home, seating tickets will not be mailed. You can pick them up Saturday, May 11, from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm in the Registrar's Office, or Sunday, May 12 beginning at 8:30 in the Hall of Fame Room.
  • The $125.00 graduation fee includes the cost of a cap and gown and is required even if you do not plan to participate in the ceremony.

Tickets & Seating

  • Each degree candidate will receive 4 tickets for the Commencement ceremony.
  • A limited number of extra tickets will be available online through Moodle beginning at 8:00 am on April 15, 2013. To request extra tickets, log on to your Moodle account. Candidates may request up to an additional two tickets each. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis and there are a limited number of tickets available.
  • No tickets will be mailed. Students may pick up tickets along with their caps and gowns in the lower level of the Student Center beginning Monday, May 6 at noon. At the time you pick up your tickets, you will be asked to indicate your intention to participate in Baccalaureate and the number attending the reception. Students residing off campus may pick up tickets on Saturday, May 11, from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm in the Registrar's Office or Sunday at 8:30 am in the Hall of Fame Room.
  • Everyone, including infants and toddlers, must have a ticket to gain entry into Pepsi Arena for the Commencement ceremony.
  • Tickets are not required for the Baccalaureate Liturgy.
  • Commencement overflow seating is available in the Health & Fitness Center three-court area, and will be broadcast on a closed circuit screen. Tickets are not required for this seating area.
  • Reserved seating in Pepsi Arena is available for those with disabilities; please contact Mary Betts in the Academic Affairs Office at 217-228-5432, Ext. 3300. Facilities for both Baccalaureate and Commencement are handicap accessible.

Jolesch Photography

Click here to order photos taken during the Commencement ceremony from Jolesch Photography.

Order QU Graduation Announcements

Click here beginning Tuesday, February 12, to order graduation announcements from the University Bookstore. Select "Quincy University" from the list, then the graduation date (only one choice) and then your degree. The deadline for placing your order is Friday, March 29, 2013.

Diploma frames may be ordered from the University bookstore. Click here to order.

Class Rings

Click here beginning Tuesday, February 12, to order a class ring from the University Bookstore.

Graduation News Release

  • The Office of University Communications (Francis Hall, Rm. B5) will release a list of graduates to the primary media in the surrounding Quincy area.
  • You must complete the Graduation News Release Form to have your graduation announcement sent to a hometown/community newspaper. Click here to complete the form.

Commencement DVD

A DVD of the Commencement ceremony is available for purchase through the Office of University Communications (Francis Hall, Rm. B5). Click here to order by mail or HERE to order online.

Hotel Information

  • Some area hotels extend a special rate for families attending Commencement Weekend. Please make sure to mention QU Commencement when reserving rooms.
  • For a listing of area accommodations, visit the Quincy Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau website at www.seequincy.com.

Roses will be available for purchase at Commencement with the proceeds donated to a QU book scholarship fund.

Any questions regarding Commencement can be directed to:

Registrar's Office, 217-228-5432, ext. 3970, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.