COMMENCEMENT AWARDS
To be considered for a commencement award all candidates must register to attend a 2024 commencement ceremony, meet the qualifications listed below, and submit the Award Application by the deadline below. Only one Valedictorian and Outstanding Graduate are chosen per in-person ceremony, and only one Featured Graduate is chosen per virtual ceremony. The winners are chosen based on the qualifications listed below as well as responses submitted on the award application.
Award applications for the in-person ceremonies are now open. Award applications will open for the virtual commencement ceremony in July.
2024 DATES & DEADLINES
D.C. Commencement
Date: Saturday, June 29, 2024
Award Submission Deadline: Friday, May 3, 2024
Greenville Commencement
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
Award Submission Deadline: Friday, August 9, 2024
December Virtual Commencement
Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
Award Submission Deadline: Friday, October 11, 2024
Valedictorian Requirements
To be eligible for Valedictorian, graduates must meet the following qualifications:
- Must be registered for an in-person ceremony
- Must be receiving a bachelor’s degree
- Must have a final 4.0 GPA
- Must have completed all coursework by the award submission deadline
- Have been approved for degree conferral by the award submission deadline
- Must be present at the ceremony to deliver a 3 to 5 minute Valedictorian speech
Apply to become Valedictorian
Outstanding Graduate Requirements
To be eligible for the Outstanding Graduate Award, graduates must meet the following qualifications:
- Must be registered for an in-person ceremony
- Must be receiving a master’s degree
- Must have a final 4.0 GPA
- Must have completed all coursework by the award submission deadline
- Have been approved for degree conferral by the award submission deadline
- Must be present at the ceremony to accept the award
Apply to become the Outstanding Graduate
Featured Graduate Requirements
To be eligible for the Featured Graduate award, graduates must meet the following qualifications:
- Must be registered for Virtual Commencement
- Must be receiving a bachelor’s or master's degree
- Must have a final 4.0 GPA
- Must have completed all coursework by the award submission deadline
- Have been approved for degree conferral by the award submission deadline
- Must deliver a 3 to 5 minute speech which will be shown during the Virtual Commencement ceremony
Apply to become the Featured Graduate
Donald R. Stoddard Faculty Award of Excellence
Nominate a faculty member for their outstanding teaching skills, superior ability to motivate students, contribution to a positive learning environment and sincere passion for their profession.
Degree Banner Carrier
Degree banner carriers lead their fellow graduates in the processional by carrying their degree banner flag. Degree banner carriers are selected and contacted by the commencement committee and are the students with the highest GPA by degree program - no application necessary. Degree banner carriers must be present and willing to carry the degree banner in the graduate processional.
HONOR SOCIETIES & HONORS AT COMMENCEMENT
Honors Designations at Commencement Ceremonies
Honors designations at commencement ceremonies are based on the degree candidate's cumulative academic record as of the commencement registration deadline. Associate and bachelor's candidates whose grade point average is 3.5 or greater as of the commencement registration deadline, and master's candidates whose grade point average is 3.9 or greater as of the commencement registration deadline, will be eligible for an honors designation to be read aloud during the name reading portion of the ceremony. Final honors designation eligibility will be determined at the end of a student’s final quarter based on cumulative academic record and is printed on your diploma. Honors are as follows:
Associate and Bachelor’s honors designations:
- GPA of 3.5 - 3.69: Cum Laude
- GPA of 3.7 - 3.89: Magna Cum Laude
- GPA of 3.9 - 4.0: Summa Cum Laude
Master’s honors designations:
- GPA of 3.9 - 3.94: Graduate with distinction
- GPA of 3.95 - 4.0: Graduate with high distinction
Honor Medallions
All degree candidates who have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater are eligible to receive and wear a complimentary Strayer University honor medallion at the commencement ceremony. For in-person commencement ceremonies, honor medallions are ONLY available at the commencement ceremony and can be obtained in the graduate area. Your eligibility will be noted on the name card you receive in the mail prior to the ceremony. For virtual commencement ceremonies, honor medallions will be mailed to eligible degree candidates to the home address included on their registration.
Honors Scholar
Associate and bachelor’s candidates who are honors scholars within the honors program (see eligibility requirements) are eligible to receive and wear a complimentary honors scholar cord at the commencement ceremony - coursework must be completed to be eligible. For in-person commencement ceremonies, honors scholar cords are ONLY available at the commencement ceremony and can be obtained in the graduate area. Your eligibility will be noted on the name card you receive in the mail prior to the ceremony. For virtual commencement ceremonies, eligible degree candidates will receive an honors scholar cord to the home address included on their registration. Your Honors Scholar citation will be announced at commencement, but will NOT be printed in the commencement program.
Honor Society Membership Information
All degree candidates who are members of one or more of the following honor societies recognized by Strayer University by the registration deadlines will have their name printed in the commencement program under their respective honor society. Honor society members are encouraged to wear their respective honor society’s honor cords, medallions or stoles at commencement (purchasing information included in the links below). Honor society items are NOT sold the day of the ceremony and NOT sold by Jostens.
Alpha Chi National Honor Society
Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society
Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society
Golden Key International Honour Society
