Commencement
Commencement serves as a means for reflection, recognition and celebration of your
hard work and perseverance, as well as a rite of passage to what we are confident
will be a bright future.
Commencement Ceremonies for undergraduate and graduate students are planned for Saturday, May 10, 2025. Ceremonies for both undergraduate and graduate students were held at the same time with their prospective schools.
College of Liberal Arts and Education
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Lineup is at 9 a.m.
Ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m.
North and South Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Shannon Athletic and Convocation Center Main Arena
College of Nursing, Health Sciences and Business
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Lineup is at 2 p.m.
Ceremony begins at 2:30 p.m.
North and South Doors open at 1:30 p.m.
Shannon Athletic and Convocation Center Main Arena
For More Information:
Inquiries are welcome via email at commencementFREESXU or the commencement voicemail at 773-298-3366.
Commencement Eucharistic Liturgy
Friday, May 9, 2025
Queen of Martyrs Church of St. Gianna Parish
10233 S. Central Park Ave.
Evergreen Park, IL 60805
6:30 p.m.
Graduates and their guests are invited to the Commencement Eucharistic Liturgy. Tickets are not required. Graduating students are asked to wear their academic regalia gown (no cap needed) and arrive at 5:45 p.m. for lineup and procession.
Please contact Office of Mission and Heritage at 773-341-5734 for additional information.
Upon Arrival
- Graduates are to meet in the Shannon Center West Gym and obtain a name card.
- Graduates arriving after the procession has begun may not be allowed to participate in the ceremony.
Name Cards and Procession Lines
- A name announcer will read each graduate's name card as they walk across the stage.
- These cards will be distributed at a table hosted by the Office of Records and Registration in the West Gym.
- Staff will be available to help graduates line up.
Tickets
- All guests, including infants and children require tickets.
- Each graduate will receive 4 guest tickets
- The graduating student does not require a ticket
- The number of guest tickets is determined by the size of the graduating class, in conjunction with the capacity of the arena
- In the event that unused tickets become available, a link to request an additional ticket will be made available on this page on April 15, 2024.
- Seating is general admission.
- Doors will open one hour prior to the ceremony start time. Latecomers arriving after the ceremonies have started, will be seated at the commencement staff's discretion.
- Strollers are not allowed in the arena.
- Air horns, large banners, balloons and other distracting items are prohibited in the ceremony arena and may be confiscated.
Ticket Distribution Day
Mark your calendar for Wednesday, March 19, 2025 to stop by the Butler Reception Room between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. to pick up your commencement guest tickets.
The Following vendors and services will be available to you on this day:
- Regalia provider will be present to assist and answer any questions you may have about your cap and gown.
- Take professional photos in your regalia with our on-site photographer.
- Class rings and custom SXU Diploma frames will be on display and available to purchase.
- Stop by the "Announcer's Table" to assure your name is pronounced correctly on Commencement Day as you walk across the stage.
- Champ will be stopping by for photo ops with you and your friends
Be sure to bring your student ID or valid government-issued ID to secure your tickets.
Note: If you are unable to attend, you may pick up your tickets from the Office of Records and Registration in Warde Room #A203 beginning on Monday, March 24, 2025 until Friday, March 28, 2025. Any unclaimed tickets at this time will be forfeited.
Regalia Information
Regalia will be mailed directly to your home address as indicated when you submitted your petition to graduate.
Spring graduates will begin receiving their Regalia approx. the first week of March. Summer Petitioners will begin to receive their Regalia mid-April.
Congrats to All!
Faculty and Staff Participation
Reservations for regalia for Spring Commencement are accepted online only and must be submitted by March 1.
All faculty and staff members should indicate plans for attending the ceremony with the RSVP form.
For more information, please contact Janet Brady in the Office of the President at bradyFREESXU.
Exit Interviews
All graduating students need to complete Federal Exit Counseling for their student loans. Complete yours online today.
Federal Direct Loan Program
If you have borrowed from the Federal Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized loan programs while attending SXU, Direct Loan Exit Counseling must be completed prior to graduation. Sign in using your FSA ID.
Federal Perkins Loan Program
If you have borrowed from the Federal Perkins Loan Program while attending SXU, Perkins Exit Counseling must be completed prior to graduation.
If you fail to complete exit counseling or other requirements, a hold will be placed on your diploma, transcripts and academic regalia.
Please contact the Office of Financial Aid with any questions at 773-298-3070.
Eligibility
To be eligible for graduation honors, students must have completed at least fifty (50) graded semester hours at Saint Xavier University and earned a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher.
- Cum Laude (with honors) denotes a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50.
- Magna Cum Laude (with high honors) denotes a cumulative grade-point average of 3.70.
- Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors) denotes a cumulative grade-point average of 3.90.
The cumulative GPA is based exclusively on credits earned at Saint Xavier University and is the higher of:
- GPA for all credits earned at SXU, or
- Last fifty hours earned prior to graduation.
If the student reaches and exceeds fifty hours in a term, then all courses earned that term are counted in the GPA for the "last fifty hours."
The student is not allowed to pick the courses to equal fifty hours.
Graduate Students
Because graduate students must generally maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout their program, graduation honors are recognized for undergraduate degrees only.Honor Societies
Students who are members of academic honorary societies may acquire additional academic regalia (e.g. tassels, pins, cords) through their respective society's faculty sponsor.
Honors Cords
Students graduating with diploma honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude) will receive the appropriate honor cords when they obtain their name cards on the ceremony day.
For questions pertaining to academic honors and honors cords, please contact gradapplFREESXU.
Saint Xavier University students who have studied abroad, or international students who wish to highlight their home country, are invited to purchase a graduation flag sash. Sashes are 72 inches long and are available for every country. The purchase order for sashes is currently closed. If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Fox Reidy at reidyFREESXU.
Below are some frequently asked questions about Commencement.
Parking and Shuttle Service
Commencement parking will be available throughout campus as well as at the Graham School of Management (lot 13, south side of 103rd Street). Guests should allow at least 45 minutes to secure parking prior to the start of Commencement.
The University will provide limited complimentary shuttle service from remote lots to the shuttle drop off area near the Shannon Center. Saint Xavier University shuttles are marked with the university logo. Shuttles will continually circulate throughout campus parking lots until the ceremony start time. Please allow enough time to park, ride the shuttle to the drop off area and walk to the Shannon Center.
Graduates are expected to arrive one hour prior to the ceremony start time.
To avoid traffic issues at the main entrance (103rd and Hamlin), please consider accessing campus at 101st and Central Park and 102nd and Central Park.
Any vehicle displaying a government-issued ADA placard requiring the use of ADA parking should park in lot 3. Lot 3 is accessible from 103rd and Hamlin directly in front of the Shannon Center.
Please note that Saint Xavier University does not provide wheelchairs. Those with limited mobility may be dropped off in front of the Shannon Center entrance. Public Safety personnel will be on hand to help direct.
Lining Up and Getting Started
All graduates are to report to the Shannon Center, located at W. 103rd Street and S. Hamlin Avenue on the Chicago Campus, approximately one hour prior to the start of the ceremony. Graduates will be directed to the Shannon Center West Gym, where they are to obtain a name card from the Office of Records and Registration, and proceed to the appropriate processional line.
Staff will be available to help direct you to the appropriate areas. Staff will also be on hand to assist with any last-minute cap and gown issues.
Graduates are encouraged to leave their coats/jackets and personal belongings with their guests since there is no coat check in the Shannon Center. SXU cannot be held responsible for lost/stolen items.
Graduates are expected to arrive one hour prior to the ceremony start time with line-up beginning 30 minutes prior to the ceremony start time. Those who arrive after the processional has begun may not be allowed to participate in the procession. Additionally, it is important to arrive on time, so that graduates may receive instructions, as there is no rehearsal prior to the ceremony day.
Students graduating with diploma honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude) will receive the appropriate honor cords when they obtain their name cards on the ceremony day.
Students who are members of honor societies may receive other honor accessories, but these are generally distributed through the clubs themselves, prior to the ceremony day.
The Commencement Ceremony
All graduates are to report to the Shannon Center, located at W. 103rd Street and S. Hamlin Avenue on the Chicago Campus, approximately one hour prior to the start of the ceremony. Graduates will be directed to the Shannon Center West Gym, where they are to obtain a name card from the Office of Records and Registration, and proceed to the appropriate processional line (lines are arranged by academic unit, e.g., Liberal Arts and Education, School of Nursing, Graham School of Management, etc.).
Staff will be available to help direct you to the appropriate areas. Staff will also be on hand to assist with any last-minute cap and gown issues.
Tickets for Admission to Ceremony and Seating Issues
No, only guests are required to have tickets for admission. All guests, including infants and children, require tickets.
Please Note:You must present a physical paper ticket at the door in order to be admitted. Tickets on a phone or other mobile device will not be accepted and you will not be allowed to enter the Shannon Center Arena.
Selling tickets to Commencement ceremonies is in violation of University policy.
If any unclaimed tickets become available, a link to request additional tickets will
be made available on this page on TBD. The availability of extra tickets is determined by the size of the graduating
class, in conjunction with the capacity of the arena
Graduation Photos, Announcement Cards, Etc.
Professional photographers from GradImages will photograph each student. Visit the GradImages website and click on the pre-event email registration or call 800-261-2576. You will receive proofs in the mail with the option to purchase.
For inquiries regarding graduation pictures, ordering and related issues, please contact GradImages directly at 800-261-2576.
Please allow several weeks after the graduation ceremony for GradImages to mail out your proofs. If you have not received them within a reasonable period, please contact GradImages directly at 800-261-2576.
CB Graduation Announcements is SXU's vendor for announcements and related note cards. Several weeks prior to the ceremony, CB will send each graduate a generic sample of their product along with ordering information. Because these are only samples, please ignore any name or degree information that may appear on the announcements.
Graduates may submit their own name and degree information to CB for a personalized announcement order. Graduates are under no obligation to purchase.
Should you have inquiries regarding announcement card orders and related services, please contact CB Graduation Announcements directly at 800-433-0296. Questions or issues regarding graduation announcements need to be placed with CB Graduation Announcements directly.
Visit the Herff Jones website for custom diploma frames, SXU rings and nursing pins.
Visit the Saint Xavier University Online Bookstore to purchase Alumni Spirit wear.
Diplomas
The President will personally hand each graduate a diploma cover, but diplomas themselves are issued at a later time. Diplomas are either mailed to graduates, or held for pickup in the Office of Records and Registration (depending on student preference), at a later date when final grades are officially calculated.
August graduates are issued their diplomas after summer grades are finalized.
All questions related to diplomas, transcripts, and records should be directed to the Office of Records and Registration at 773-298-3501.
Saint Xavier University is committed to the equal access and specific needs of our graduates and their guests participating in our graduation events with disabilities. While every effort will be made to accommodate everyone, the University may not fulfill last-minute requests.
Seating/Ceremony
- A designated seating area on the main floor of the Shannon Center arena, behind the graduate seating section, will be available.
- Accessible seating is available for individuals with disabilities and mobility impairments. A designated seating area on the main floor of the Shannon Center arena, behind the graduate seating section, will be available.
- Each guest requiring main floor accessible seating may have only one additional ticketed guest seated with her/him in this area. All ceremony guests must have a ticket.
- Please contact Margaret Rose McDonnell at 773-298-3308 or mcdonnellFREESXU in order to discuss any further specific needs.
Students who petition to graduate a given term, but do not complete all degree requirements as verified by the Office of Records and Registration, will not be entitled to participate in commencement.
Petitioners are removed from the commencement participant list if and when the Office of Records and Registration determines they will not meet degree requirements. In some cases, this may mean an ineligible petitioner receives an invitation to commencement (or related commencement materials) prior to being removed from the list. While the commencement coordinators take care to avoid such confusion, receiving commencement mailings is not a guarantee of eligibility to academically graduate or participate in commencement. Please refer to the Academic Catalog for the full commencement participation policy.
Students uncertain of their status to academically graduate should contact the Office of Records and Registration directly via phone at 773-298-3501. Should a student not be eligible, he or she must re-petition to graduate after completing outstanding requirements.
In all cases, certification of the conferral of a degree is by receipt of a diploma or official transcript noting degree completion, not necessarily participation in the commencement.