Unit Standard
Title
School of Nursing: Standard on Student Participation in Commencement Ceremonies
Introduction
Purpose
Provides guidance for School of Nursing (SON) students.
Scope
Applies to all students enrolled in SON programs.
Standard
The SON holds Commencement ceremonies annually in May. The following conditions are required for student participation in the May commencement:
PhD
Under special circumstances PhD students who cannot meet the Spring deadline for filing dissertation documents may "walk" early in the May SON Commencement ceremony with documented approval of the associate dean for PhD programs and division.
To receive this approval, PhD students must have completed and successfully defended their dissertation proposal and have no remaining incomplete grades on their transcript approximately three weeks before the May commencement ceremony. Also, the dissertation chair must submit to the PhD associate dean a plan for completing students’ final dissertation defense and submitting all required graduation documents to the Graduate School by the University deadline for the subsequent August graduation deadline.
DNP
Students must have completed all course work including the removal of any incompletes and successfully defended their DNP Project and filed the completed project with the Graduate School by the Graduate School deadline.
With the approval of the associate dean for MSN/DNP programs and division, students who missed the Spring deadline for filing the final version of their DNP Project with the Graduate School may "walk" early in the May SON Commencement. In this circumstance, the committee chair will send an email to the associate dean (with a copy to the student) signifying that the student will successfully defend and submit the final version of the DNP Project to the Graduate School by the University deadline for an August graduation. The associate dean will respond via e-mail to the committee chair and student confirming eligibility to walk at SON graduation.
MSN
Students must have completed all course work including removal of any incompletes, passed their comprehensive examination, and successfully defended and turned in a copy of their completed Master’s Paper.
With the approval of the associate dean for MSN/DNP programs and division, students who missed the SON Spring deadline for filling the final version of their Master's Paper may "walk" in the May SON Commencement. In this circumstance, the committee chair will send an email to the associate dean (with a copy to the student) signifying that the student will successfully defend and submit the final version of the Master’s Paper by the University deadline for an August graduation. The associate dean will respond via e-mail to the committee chair and student confirming eligibility to walk at SON Commencement after confirming that all other criteria are met with the SON Registrar.
BSN
Students must have completed all course work including removal of any course incompletes. Under special circumstances BSN students may "walk" early in May SON Commencement with documented approval of the associate dean for undergraduate programs and division.
Conferral of the Degree
Under all circumstances, a student may participate in Commencement only once. The date the University will confer the degree is the date that will be listed in the Commencement program. That is, if a DNP student did not meet the deadlines for submitting the final version of their DNP Project to the Graduate School and had received permission from the associate dean to "walk in May", the Commencement program would list that person as an August graduate.
Exceptions
None.
Contact Information
Email: nursing@unc.edu
Phone: 919-966-4260
Important Dates
- Effective Date and title of Approver: 3/28/2003 approved by the Administrative Council
- Revised: 02/2009
- Revised: 02/14/2012
- Revised: 03/07/2014
- Revised: 2/23/2016 by AAC
- Revised: 5/4/2023