Commencement

Winter Commencement

Welcome to your Commencement hub—your one-stop place for everything related to graduation at Quincy University. Here you’ll find key dates and deadlines, ceremony details, regalia information, guest and accessibility guidance, and helpful links to make your Commencement experience smooth and memorable.

Friday, December 11

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.- The Hawk Shop QU Bookstore hours

2:00 p.m. – Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences Pinning held at The Crossing, 150 S. 48th St. (48th and Maine Sts.), Quincy, IL.

5:00 p.m. – Baccalaureate Mass held in the Francis Solanus Chapel – Francis Hall (FRH). Degree candidates are to wear their gowns (no caps, stoles or hoods) and sit with family. All are welcome.

Saturday, December 12

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Hawk Shop QU Bookstore hours

9:15 a.m. – Degree Candidates, Faculty, and Cabinet line-up for Commencement Procession in 3 Court Area (HFC)

10:00 a.m. – Commencement – Doors open at 9:00 a.m., event held in the Pepsi Arena (HFC). No tickets are required for guests to enter Pepsi Arena and there will be a reception immediately after the ceremony.

Live streaming of the ceremony will be available. Check back for further instructions.

Commencement Participation and Student Financial Accounts

Participation in the Commencement ceremony is dependent upon clearance by the University Registrar following a review of your academic record.
Degree candidates must have completed all graduation requirements in the fall semester to participate in Winter Commencement.
Degree candidates should have applied for graduation by October 1.
Degree candidates who apply after the October 1 deadline will be charged a late fee of $100.
All tuition, room, board, fees, interest, library fines, and parking tickets should be paid in full by November 20.
Exit Loan Counseling for degree candidates with student loans should be completed by November 20.

Diplomas will be mailed during the spring semester to each eligible graduate at the address provided on the graduation application. Diplomas are not distributed on stage.

Commencement is a formal ceremony. Any degree candidate impaired by drugs or alcohol will not be permitted to participate and may be removed from the premises.

Service Learning Hours

Undergraduate degree candidates must have all Service Learning hours completed by Friday, December 4.
For questions contact Sara Phillips, Coordinator of Experiential Learning, at [email protected].

Caps and Gowns

Academic apparel order information is submitted through the Graduation Application.
All caps and gowns will be available for pick up beginning at noon on Monday, December 7, in the Registrar’s Office during business hours. Pick up times are:

Monday December 7, 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Thursday December 8 – 10, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Friday December 11, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Tickets & Handicap Access

No tickets are required for guests to enter Pepsi Arena.

The Pepsi Arena is handicap accessible. Look for the signs/ parking attendants at the intersection of 20th and Oak Streets. The handicap entrance is on the east side of the HFC. Please contact Macee Borrowman at 217-228-5200 or [email protected] if you have a guest in a wheelchair or who needs accommodations.

Graduation with Honors

Beginning in the Academic Year 2020-21, students who maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.60 on all Quincy University courses completed for a baccalaureate degree are eligible for graduation with honors as follows:

Cum Laude 3.60 to 3.74 GPA – Silver Cord
Magna Cum Laude 3.75 to 3.89 GPA – Gold Cord
Summa Cum Laude 3.90 to 4.00 GPA – Bonaventure Medal

These honors distinctions will be noted on the student’s transcript and the diploma. All graduation requirements must be completed prior to Commencement for honors to be announced at Commencement.

Refer to the online 2026-27 Academic Catalog under Graduation with Honors at: https://catalog.quincy.edu/

Honor Cords and Stoles

Honor cords are worn by those who graduate with University honors, as noted above. Cords are also worn by members of academic honor societies, the Honors Program and other approved organizations.

All undergraduates wear stoles that have the QU seal. Those who have completed degrees through Blessing-Reiman College of Nursing and Health Sciences will wear a stole with both the QU and BRCN seals. Undergraduates affiliated with a Greek organization that meets academic standards for membership may wear a stole representing a fraternity or sorority.

The stoles noted above are approved by the University and are the only ones allowed to be worn at Commencement.

President’s Honors College

The President’s Honors College promotes academic excellence through critical thinking, original research, exceptional writing, and public presentation of scholarship. Those students who have fulfilled the requirements of the Honors College will be announced at Commencement. Graduation from the Honors College will be noted on the undergraduate’s transcript.

The President’s Honors College began the Academic Year 2022-23 and grew out of the Honors Program.

Refer to the online 2026-27 Academic Catalog under President’s Honors College at: https://www.quincy.edu/academics/honors-college/

Graduation Announcements

To order announcements, click here to access the Quincy University online store.

Class Rings

Click here to access the Quincy University online store.

Graduation News Release

The Office of Community Relations (Francis Hall, Rm. B-37) will release a list of graduates to each student’s hometown newspaper.

If you wish to opt-out of this news release OR have your graduation announcement published to another hometown/community newspaper, please contact the Office of Community Relations at [email protected].