COMMENCEMENT 2012 INFORMATION

Friday, May 18 2012 at 5:00pm
Gymnasium, San Luis Obispo Campus

WHEN TO APPLY FOR GRADUATION

In order to ensure timely evaluation, students completing degree requirements during the 2011-2012 academic year must submit the Associate Degree application no later than the last day of the semester in which requirements are being completed.  Otherwise, the evaluation will be delayed several months. Applications for degrees earned in prior academic year terms will fall into the evaluation cycle of the term in which the application was received. 

Degree applications are evaluated according to the following cycles. You will receive notification via myCuesta Gmail within these time frames:

Fall 2011 degree applications and applications for prior terms received during the Fall Semester 2011:

       mid-January through February 29, 2012

Spring 2012 degree applications and applications for prior terms received during the Spring Semester 2012:

       mid-June through August 31, 2012

Summer 2012 degree applications and applications for prior terms received during Summer Term 2012:

       September 1 through October 31, 2012

Important:  Spring and Summer 2012 degree evaluations will not be processed until after the May, 2012 commencement ceremony, due to the availability of official grades.  However, all Spring and Summer 2012 degree applicants are “degree candidates,” and thus eligible to participate in the May, 2012 ceremony. Contact Counseling Services to verify that you are on track to graduate (805) 546-3138.

Diplomas: Diplomas are not distributed at the commencement ceremony.  Diplomas are mailed to the graduate’s “permanent” address as it appears in the graduate’s myCuesta account – please keep all contact information updated. Diplomas not received due to an incorrect address or other circumstances out of the control of the Evaluations Office will need to be reordered by submitting the Diploma/Certificate reorder form, located online at http://academic.cuesta.edu/admrreg/dcreorder.pdf.  Cost is $10.00 per order.

Contact the Evaluations Office at (805) 546-3141 or eval@cuesta.edu with questions regarding your degree application, changes/updates to your degree application, commencement, or diploma.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

All degrees require the following:

• 60 semester degree applicable credits of lower division college level work with an overall average of "C" or better required (2.0 GPA)

• Prescribed coursework in an area of emphasis or major with grades of "C" or better

• Minimum of 12 semester credits must be completed at Cuesta College

• General Education coursework (local GE, CSU GE or IGETC) - overall minimum GPA 2.00

• English and Math competency

• Health Education

• Diversity

• American Institutions

Consult Counseling Services for specific degree requirements in prior academic years.

ASSOCIATE IN ARTS FOR TRANSFER AND ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE FOR TRANSFER

The Student Transfer Achievement Reform Act (Senate Bill 1440, codified in California Education Code sections 66746-66749) guarantees admis­sion to a California State University (CSU) campus for any community college student who completes an “associate degree for transfer”, a new­ly established variation of the associate degrees traditionally offered at a California community college. The Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or the Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) is intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in a similar major at a CSU cam­pus. A student completing one of these degrees is guaranteed admission to the CSU system, but not to a particular campus or major.   

Effective Fall 2011, Cuesta College offers the following AA-T and AS-T degrees:

·         Associate in Arts in Sociology for Transfer

·         Associate in Science in Mathematics for Transfer

Requirements for all AA-T or AS-T Degrees
 

·      60 semester credits of CSU-transferable coursework

·      Certified completion of the CSU General Education-Breadth pattern (CSU GE Breadth); OR the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) pattern

·      Minimum of 18 semester credits in major curriculum with grades of “C” or better, or “P” if course is taken on a “pass-no pass” basis

·      Overall GPA of 2.00

Please read the following information carefully in order to avoid potential problems with the degree evaluation. 

       Cuesta College incorporates all postsecondary coursework into overall totals for the degree.  Incomplete or missing transcripts will cause your application to be denied.

       Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, including Advanced Placement scores, are required and must be on file with the Evaluations Office in order to perform a final degree evaluation.

       Advanced Placement scores may be ordered by calling the College Board at 888-308-0013 (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/exgrd_rep.html).

       Any foreign credentials must be independently evaluated and the official independent evaluation submitted to the Evaluations Office for use in the degree evaluation.  Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc.(ACEI) is the preferred provider for independent evaluation of foreign credentials (http://www.acei1.com), and a “comprehensive” evaluation is required. Use of other agencies must be approved by the Cuesta College Director of Admissions and Records.

       Send all official records to: 

Cuesta College
Attention: Records Office
P.O. Box 8106
San Luis Obispo, CA  93403-8106

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

CATALOG RIGHTS

• A student who satisfies the following definition of attendance will follow the Cuesta College curriculum for degrees, general education and certificates in effect:

  • at the time the student began attendance at a California Community College, California State University, University of California, or other regionally accredited college or university; or

  • as outlined in a subsequent Cuesta College catalog

  "Attendance" means attendance in at least one semester or two quarters each academic year.  A student who misses two consecutive semesters, or three quarters in an academic year, excluding summer session, will lose catalog rights.  In that case, the student must follow (1) the Cuesta College catalog that coincides with the student's date of re-enrollment, or (2) a subsequent Cuesta College catalog.  Total withdrawal from a semester does not constitute a one-semester break in attendance when W's are posted on a student's record. 
   

• Religion courses that teach the faith of the institution are not degree applicable
   

• Cuesta College does not accept College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
   

• Upper division credits from a 4-year university do not count toward a Cuesta College degree requirement (certain exceptions may apply - consult a counselor)
   

• Continuing Education Units (CEU) are not degree applicable
   

• To identify University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) transferable and general education courses, refer to ASSIST at: http://www.assist.org
   

• To convert quarter credits to semester credits, multiply .6667 x quarter credits
  (Example: .6667 x 12.0 quarter credits = 8.0 semester credits) Calculator
   

• To determine your GPA (Grade Point Average), divide your degree applicable grade points by your degree applicable credits attempted
  (Example: 24.0 grade points / 7.0 credits attempted = 3.428, rounded to 3.43 GPA. GPA is carried out to three decimal places, then rounded to two decimal places.) Calculator

COMMENCEMENT/GRADUATION CEREMONY

The annual commencement/graduation ceremony is held at the end of the Spring semester.  All students who anticipate completing a degree within the academic year, or who are applying late for a degree completed in a prior academic year, are eligible to participate in the graduation ceremony after submitting an Associate Degree application to the Evaluations Office.  Be sure to verify degree progress with Cuesta College Counseling Services before submitting the application.

Commencement attire is available through the Cuesta College Bookstore beginning April 2012.

Please be aware that diplomas are not issued at the commencement ceremony. Diplomas are mailed to the graduate's permanent address as it appears in myCuesta, approximately 12 weeks after degree requirements have been satisfied.  To insure timely receipt of the diploma, please be sure address information in myCuesta is current.

1. 2012 COMMENCEMENT NEWSLETTER - http://academic.cuesta.edu/admrreg/newsletter.htm

2. COMMENCEMENT CHECKLIST - http://academic.cuesta.edu/admrreg/checklist.pdf

3. FLOWERS FOR THE GRADUATE: Coming Soon

4. PHOTOGRAPHY - http://academic.cuesta.edu/admrreg/photo.pdf

5. GYM FLOOR PLAN FOR DISABLED GUESTS - http://academic.cuesta.edu/admrreg/gymfloorplan.pdf

6. APPLY FOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE - http://academic.cuesta.edu/admrreg/assocdeg.pdf

7. SPAM ADVISORY NOTICE - http://academic.cuesta.edu/admrreg/spamadv.pdf

If you have any questions regarding 2012 Commencement, please call the Evaluations Office (805) 546-3141 or email Susan Harris,  Debbie McHenry-Zumwalt or Michelle Bach-Peters. 

Access the Commencement 2012 channel in myCuesta for the latest information.

·         Open your myCuesta account

·         Click on Content Layout, upper left hand corner.

·         To add a channel, click on the "Add Channel" button where you want it to be placed.

·         A menu box will appear; drop down the menu and select “Select All”

·         Next, select “Commencement 2012”

·         The channel is now available on the tab location you specified; contents may now be viewed.

.

Cuesta College A&R Office
Last updated: February 13, 2012