Graduation’09

Approximately 770 graduates to walk in annual ceremony

Logos photo by Derek Grote Don Harms, of Cooper Cap and Gown, measures NIACC student Jessica Swenstead for her cap and gown as part of the preliminary steps required before graduation scheduled to be held on Friday, May 1 in the NIACC Gym.

Collie Wood
Staff Reporter

After a reception held in the Muse-Norris Conference Center from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, May1, NIACC will host graduation at 7:30 p.m. where approximately 550 candidates, with an additional 120 candidates from December, will receive recognition.

The ceremony will be held in the NIACC gym; doors to the gym, Auditorium and Activity Center will open at about 6:15 p.m.

For those arriving for the ceremony after 6:15 p.m., parking may be a problem. Parking will be available in the lot west of the Buettner Careers Building. Those attending should also expect traffic to back up on Highway 122.

Because graduates receive no restrictions to the number of guests they may invite, the NIACC gym won’t accommodate seating for everyone. Overflow seating will be in the Activity Center and Auditorium.

A closed circuit TV showing the ceremony on NIACC’s local cable station (channel 4) from 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. will be shown in those two other locations.

Guests who need special accommodations should contact the Registrar’s Office by April 29.

During the ceremony, graduates will receive only a blue diploma cover. The actual diplomas and degrees will be sent via mail eight to 10 weeks after graduation or after all the work needed to graduate is completed.

In preparation for the ceremony, potential graduates should have been fitted for their cap and gowns on April 1 and April 2. Caps and gowns may be picked up on April 27 or April 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the gym lobby, and will be returned to the college after the ceremony.

Since the ceremony will include graduates names spoken aloud, graduates should double check the pronunciation of their names with Borden Plunkett. Plunkett, a Communication Skills instructor, will be announcing names of graduates as they cross the stage to receive their diplomas and degrees. To reach Plunkett, contact him in his office, BC205, or call his phone number (641)422-4123.

Those graduates requiring special accommodations during the ceremony, such as marching or seating, should have contacted the registrar’s office before March 30.

Those planning to graduate should also have taken the required Graduation Test in the Student Learning Center by the April 24 deadline.

Attending the graduating ceremony is mandatory for students qualifying to receive their diploma or degree after the Spring Semester as well as those qualifying for graduation after the coming summer semester.

For those unable to attend the ceremony, an absentia form from the Records Office should have been filled out and returned to the Records Office by Thursday, April 16.

A professional photographer will be taking photos of each graduate as he or she receives a diploma.

After the ceremony, graduates and their families will have the opportunity to purchase these pictures.

For any information about the graduation ceremony, contact NIACC’s Registrar Michelle Petznick - (641)422-4205 - or the Assistant Registrar Mary Wendt at (641)422-4229.