2008 degree applications due now

By: Sarah Sherry
Contributing Writer

The word “graduation” can have many different meanings for students. To some students, graduation means moving on to pursue a chosen career, and is the culmination of the college experience. To other students, graduation means facing the “dreaded blue paper” and typing up their applications for degree.

All colleges have a similar process in which each student must file his or her intent to graduate. Students are requested to submit their application for degree two semesters before the expected graduation date.

The Monmouth College registrar, Sue Dagit, asks that students submit applications for degree at this time to “ensure that everyone is on track” and to allow students time to catch problems in their transcripts, such as missing a class required for their major or miscounting credit hours, before it is too late.

“There is no ‘plan B’ if you turn an application for degree in late and plan to graduate in May,” says Dagit. Last year, one student turned in his application for degree during the week of finals. While this student’s request to graduate was accepted, it also put his future in jeopardy.

“Last year was the worst year in terms of students turning in applications for degree very late. This prompted the development of written Commencement policies in order to catch potential problems early enough to correct them,” Dagit said.

If a student turns in his or her application for degree in the spring of junior year and the registrar sees the student is missing a class in order to graduate, he or she can take that class in the fall or spring of senior year and still graduate on time.

Many students gripe and complain, “Why do I have to print my application for degree on that stupid blue paper?”

Dagit says, “The blue paper is not meant to torture the student body,” but is an indicator for the people working in the registrar’s office that this document is indeed an application for degree. Many other forms in the Office of the Registrar are color-coded as well.

What many students do not know is they can get this blue paper from the Registrar’s Office, which is located on the top level of Poling Hall. Many departments also have blue paper for students to use.

Dagit describes the process which every student’s application for degree goes through as a “transcript audit.” The registrar runs a computer program which puts each student’s existing credits, current courses and courses the student is registered for against the courses which Monmouth College has determined are necessary for a particular major. If the credits do not match up, the student cannot graduate or receive the expected degree.

Dagit is working to have this program accessible through WebAdvisor so students and faculty can use the software, but right now the program is not very user-friendly.

Students expecting to graduate in May 2008 should turn in their applications for degree before they leave for the summer.