Macon

We hope the information provided here will assist you and your family in planning for Commencement. Additional information will be added to this page as it becomes available during the Spring semester.

Commencement Ceremony

Commencement for the Class of 2025 will be held on Monday, May 12, at 8 a.m. at Five Star Stadium. The ceremony will last approximately two hours.

Eligibility and Participation

Please read carefully the following statements concerning your degree requirements and eligibility to participate in the graduation ceremony. In addition to the information below, you will also receive emails to your Mercer-issued student email account throughout the Spring with information regarding your participation in Commencement.

Your ceremony location is determined by your degree program. If you have not received emails to your student email account specific to the Macon ceremony, you may be on the wrong page.

Confirm Participation Status

Students who plan to participate in the ceremony must have indicated this on the Graduation Application submitted to the Office of the Registrar before the published deadline, or respond to the Commencement-related email communications if the identified participation status is incorrect. These emails continue throughout the Spring for eligible students who have indicated they will participate.

Eligible students who have opted not to participate will receive at least one email from the Office of the Registrar to confirm this status, offering an opportunity to participate.

While participation may still be possible, inclusion in the printed program cannot be guaranteed for participation status confirmed after February 28.

Who constitutes the Class of 2025?

The Class of 2025 includes students who completed requirements in the previous Summer or Fall semester and will complete requirements in the current Spring semester.

Additionally, students completing requirements in the upcoming Summer semester may participate if official approval to participate is granted. See “Students Completing Requirements in Summer” below. Once approved to participate in Commencement, a student may not participate in any future Commencement ceremony for the same degree.

All students who have completed all degree requirements and have properly informed the Office of the Registrar by the published deadline of their plan to participate may march in the ceremony.

For more information, visit the Graduation Information web page at registrar.mercer.edu.

Students Completing Requirements in Summer

Students completing requirements in Summer may be eligible to participate in the May Commencement ceremony with special approval provided by the end of February.

• Undergraduate Students who are on track to have no more than 12 credits remaining and will complete requirements by the end of Summer may participate with documented approval of their academic advisor via the Special Request to Participate form.
• Graduate students who will finish requirements by the end of Summer do not need to submit a form, but should contact their school/college, department, or advisor to notify the Office of the Registrar of eligibility to participate.
• Doctoral candidates must complete all graduation requirements before the ceremony in order to participate.

Graduation Day

Graduates will report to Hawkins Arena before 6:30am for a walkthrough rehearsal. Seat assignments and other details will be emailed to the participating graduate’s Mercer student email address in the days before the ceremony.

Various other details will also be sent to the Mercer student email address throughout the Spring as the event gets closer.

Attire for Graduates

The traditional cap and gown are considered formal academic attire for Commencement. Mercer will provide cords and medallions to indicate specific academic honors and military service.

The Herff Jones Company will be happy to assist you with the ordering of your caps, gowns, stoles, ring, personalized announcements, and more. Visit their web site for more information at herff.ly/mercer, and choose the Macon ceremony, your college/school, and your degree to ensure the correct cap/gown packages are available to you.

The deadline to order caps, gowns, and stoles is Friday, March 31. Additional items such as announcements, frames, and class rings may continue to be ordered after the deadline, but regalia will not be available after the deadline.

Recommended Attire: Appropriate attire for the occasion might include dark slacks, dark shoes, and a shirt with a white collar; comfortable dark dress shoes with a dress or skirt that does not show below the gown; or dark slacks and a blouse.

Students involved in registered student organizations recognized by the university (such as Greek organizations and/or honor societies) may wear stoles purchased from the organization. Acquisition and purchase of the stole is the responsibility of the student.

Academic Information

Recognition of Scholarship and Graduating with Honors

Honors printed in the Commencement program for undergraduate students are based on coursework completed through the fall semester preceding the ceremony. Final honors printed on your diploma may differ from honors printed in the program should grades earned after Fall semester result in the GPA crossing one of these thresholds.

• The University Honors Program is based on meeting specific criteria while a student at Mercer University, typically including a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5, satisfactory progress in honors courses, and completion of an engaged learning pathway.
• Separately, the minimum GPA for each honors threshold (3.50 for Cum Laude, 3.70 for Magna Cum Laude, 3.85 for Summa Cum Laude) must be achieved with both the Mercer-only GPA and the overall undergraduate GPA.
• Refer to the Academic Information of your Mercer Catalog for more information.

Formal Degree Conferral and Distribution of Diplomas

A degree is awarded only to students who have satisfied all requirements of the University and the school/college certifying the degree. Participation in Commencement does not guarantee conferral of the degree

• Diploma Covers will be distributed to all participants during the ceremony, and are available to non-participants upon request.
• Diplomas were mailed to students who completed all degree requirements in previous terms and with no outstanding financial or loan obligations to the University.
• Diplomas will be available to students who completed all degree requirements in Spring semester immediately following the ceremony for approximately 1 hour. Specific information for degree pick-up will be provided before the ceremony. (Only graduates will be allowed in the diploma distribution area.)
• For students not eligible to receive a diploma, whether for academic, financial, or other reasons, diplomas will be mailed to the permanent home address after degree requirements are completed and certified. Students should verify this address in MyMercer, and update it via the Name/Address Change Form on the Academics menu if the address is incorrect.
• After degrees are awarded, graduates are eligible to order, at their expense, a duplicate diploma or an oversized 14”X17” diploma (covers are not provided for large diplomas). Order forms are available on the Office of the Registrar web page at registrar.mercer.edu under Macon Campus / Forms.

If you have any questions concerning the completion of your degree requirements and/or whether you may participate in the Commencement ceremony, please contact your academic advisor(s) or the Office of the Registrar.

Guest Information

Ten (10) guest tickets will be provided to each participating graduate after completing the Graduate Career Outcomes Survey. The survey will be available in mid-April, with ticket distribution to begin soon after the priority deadline for survey completion. Students who complete the survey promptly will have access to guest tickets on the first day of ticket distribution.

Guests without tickets will not be permitted to enter the Stadium. Infants under 2 years of age are not required to have a ticket.

More information will be provided via student email and this web page as it becomes available.

Local Accommodations

Mercer has partnered with Campus Travel Management to offer discounted hotel rates with no service fees to University visitors. Visitors looking to book a hotel should go to campustravel.com/university/mercer-university. The site offers hotels at various price points and during high volume periods allows users to compare rates at multiple hotels with just one click.

Dining After Our Ceremony

There are many restaurants just waiting for you and your families and guests! Both Mercer Village and downtown Macon are full of incredible, local establishments that are Mercer favorites. Slightly further away from campus, you can also find many chain restaurants that will be happy to see your smiling faces. Visit maconga.org for a detailed listing of options.