Florida Commencement Ceremonies

Coronavirus Update:

Congratulations on completing your degree!  This page provides new plans to mark your academic accomplishment during this most unusual graduation season.

Please believe us when we say that we understand how meaningful traditional commencement ceremonies are for our new degree recipients and their families. We love planning and hosting the event, and our faculty members relish the opportunity to applaud our students’ successes. But we value the health and wellbeing of you and your family even more. With this in mind, Saint Leo University has made the following decisions concerning 2020 commencement:

Class of 2020 Virtual Celebration Ceremony

In lieu of having a commencement ceremony this year, the university will be holding a celebration ceremony for the Class of 2020 in July. This virtual ceremony will feature speeches from your Saint Leo University administration, faculty, and more, while providing the opportunity for each graduate to be recognized by name. Students who have confirmed registration for a 2020 commencement ceremony will receive a personalized email for the Class of 2020 Virtual Celebration Ceremony. This email will be sent in May and will include a link to provide information for your personalized recognition slide. You will be able to include information on the pronunciation of your name, a photo, and brief personal message for display during the ceremony.

Diplomas and Transcripts

While we will not be holding a traditional commencement ceremony for some time, you can still expect to receive your official Saint Leo University diploma during the summer. Please complete the Degree Conferral Application on eLion, if you have not already. This application is required to confer your degree and issue your diploma. Students who have confirmed registration for a 2020 commencement ceremony will receive their diploma in a formal diploma cover (as they would have received at the ceremony). Additionally, we will email an eDiploma to all students to your personal email address (if one is on file) or the Saint Leo email with instructions for electronically claiming their diploma. Recognize your accomplishment with others by sharing your eDiploma on Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn or email.

Also important, you will be able to request academic transcripts just as you would in any other year. We know how important it is to be able to verify the completion of your degree with transcripts for prospective employers and others, and the instructions on attaining them is located here.

All 2020 graduates will be invited to participate in the commencement ceremonies that will occur in the spring of 2021.  Additional information will be shared at the end of the calendar year. We will add a ceremony next May 2021 for the classes of December 2019 and May 2020 should there be sufficient registered interest and we are able to offer such a ceremony at that time. Otherwise, we will specifically honor the December 2019 and May 2020 graduates within the two ceremonies we currently plan to offer (again, if we can offer these).

Please know that our commencement planning committee looked at several alternative solutions for hosting a commencement ceremony, but ultimately, they could not find a way to hold the ceremony this year in a way that would protect the health of all participants. Our best solution was to organize a virtual celebration this summer and then invite graduates to walk in the ceremony scheduled for spring 2021. Current federal and state guidance is recommending the postponement of all large-scale social gathering, and it is important that Saint Leo University adhere to this recommendation. In keeping with our core values, it is the morally responsible thing to do for the health and safety of all members of our university community.

Saint Leo University is not alone in this decision, several other universities have opted to offer virtual ceremonies, or they have canceled the ceremony altogether. We are doing our best now to plan an engaging and meaningful virtual celebration for you this July, and a memorable ceremony in spring 2021 that celebrates your significant accomplishment.

Regalia

Visit https://collegegradwarranty.herffjones.com/?event=capGownReturns or call Herff Jones Customer Service at 800-837-4235 for more information regarding possible regalia order changes or refunds.

Laptop Return - University Campus Students Only
Saint Leo laptops and/or tablets are due back to TI3 no later than noon on, JUNE 1 for all graduating seniors. Devices that are NOT returned by this date will be billed up to $1,200 for the device (based on replacement value) and a $250 late fee. Graduates who fail to return their devices will be placed on a financial hold and will not receive their transcript or diploma without first settling the account. NOTE: If you return the device after Monday, JUNE 1, you will still be liable for the $250 late fee. If shipping the laptop back to TI3, please ensure the laptop is properly packaged and include your full name and student ID. Ship to: Saint Leo University, University Campus - MC2066, 33701 State Road 52, Saint Leo, FL 33574-6665. If you have any questions, please contact Ivey Moran in TI3 at Ivelise.Moran@saintleo.edu.

If you have any additional questions about any of these activities, please contact the Office of the Registrar at commencement@saintleo.edu. Thank you and we look forward to celebrating the conferral of your degree soon.