April/May Update to Seniors

  1. Office & Department Directory
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  3. April/May Update to Seniors

TO:                 2023 Senior Class

FROM:           Paul Redfern, Vice President for University Communications
                         and Institutional Strategy

RE:                 April/May 2023 Commencement Update

Dear Seniors,

We’re in the home stretch for Commencement, May 21!  This update includes important business details to keep you on track for graduation.  Most important, however, is our hope that your last few weeks on campus will be filled with great conversations with teachers and friends, and that you think back on your four years here with the best memories. 

Please remember that graduates should arrive outside of Newell Field House to line up by 9:00 am on May 21. The procession will begin at 9:40 am.

How to Make Sure You Graduate and Receive Your Diploma

  1. Complete the Undergraduate Declaration to Graduate online in APR2.
  2. Check your transcript via the APR2 system to be certain that it is up to date and your major(s)/minor(s) are listed correctly.
  3. Check with your advisor to confirm that you have met all requirements for your major(s)/minor(s).
  4. Complete the Senior Survey from Institutional Research. This is completed when picking up your cap and gown.
  5. Visit the online billing link on the Student Financial Services page to review your bill. No student will graduate if they have not discharged all financial obligations to the University. Students with questions regarding their bill can visit the Student Financial Services Office located in the Sullivan Student Center. Your final bill will be available for viewing in June.
  6. If anyone, ever, has mispronounced your name, stop by the Registrar’s office now to record your name for our faculty Commencement readers.  Or you can email a sound bite to registrar@stlawu.edu.  Your family will thank you.  

Prior to departing campus, you will need to do the following:

  1. Arrange a time with Residence Life for a CA to complete the checkout portion of the Room Inventory & Inspection Sheet with you (failure to complete checkout with a residence life staff member results in loss of privilege to contest any room charges) or submit an Express Checkout Form with Residence Life.  Residence Life will have checkout stations located at select locations around campus during the afternoon following the Commencement ceremony.  All University residences close at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 21. If you have difficulty with your checkout process, please contact the Residence Life Office (x5250).
  2. Return all library books and any other borrowed items, or you will be charged for them. Call x5337 if you have questions.
  3. Clear out your mailbox at the Campus Mail Center.
  4.  At the senior meeting, you will be given information about loan exit counseling and your loan servicer.  Student Financal Services (SFS)will also email you, detailing specifics related to your account. You may contact SFS (x5581) for an exit interview if you have federal loans as part of your financial aid package.
  5. Contact payroll if you close your bank account before you leave campus .
  6. Make sure your address stays up to date for processing W2 information once you graduate.
  7. Return any equipment on loan from the Student Health Center (crutches, heating pads, etc.) to the Health Center (or you will be charged for them).
  8. Students in the McNair Scholars Program, CSTEP, and HEOP need to complete a short exit form at the respective program office in Fox Hall (McNair and CSTEP – Rm 206, HEOP – Rm 105).
  9. Athletes must turn in locks and equipment to the Equipment Attendant in the athletic complex, x5796.

Commencement Weekend Events:  A full schedule of events is available on the Commencement website.  Please RSVP here for the Senior Class Social (Friday, May 19) and Adirondack Dinner (Saturday, May 20).

Caps and Gowns:  Academic regalia may be purchased at Brewer Bookstore during Senior Week. We do not custom order regalia, so no advance reservations are necessary.

Announcements: Graduation announcements may be purchased by seniors through Brewer Bookstore.

Tickets and Guests:  Commencement itself requires no tickets. Graduates and families may invite as many guests as you wish to attend the weekend.

Livestream of Commencement Ceremony:  Join members of the St. Lawrence community here as we celebrate the Class of 2023! A livestream of the commencement ceremony will begin Sunday, May 21 at 9:50 a.m.

Meals: The St. Lawrence website https://www.stlawu.edu/about/regional-accommodations provides information and links to the Best Western County Seat Restaurant and area restaurants through the Canton Chamber of Commerce and St. Lawrence Chamber of Commerce websites. Reservations are encouraged. Dana Dining Hall will host a luncheon on Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at which Class of 2023 members are our guests and others will pay $9.75 per person for age 6 and older and free for those younger than 6.

Photography:  Genesee Photo Systems captures the moment each student receives his or her diploma.  Genesee will send proofs directly to students’ homes (through postal mail or email) and families may elect to purchase photos directly from this firm.  Families are invited to photograph or videotape the awarding of degrees from the designated area at the left side of the stage and should not impede the academic procession.

Family Members with Special Physical Needs:  The University designates a special seating area for individuals who have accessibility or other physical challenges, such as hearing impairment. If a family member has such challenges, please fill out this request form no later than May 12 for special seating tickets or contact Anne Chism, achism@stlawu.edu, 315-229-5585, to discuss your needs. We will reserve one seat for the person who has physical challenges and one additional seat for a family member. To accommodate those guests with physical challenges, we cannot seat entire groups in this section.

On-Campus Accommodations: 

  • Housing - Seeking housing for family members and friends for Commencement weekend? Due to limited hotel availability in the Canton area, St. Lawrence University offers the opportunity to register guests to stay in a University residence hall room on Friday and Saturday nights, May 19 and 20. Reservations will be accepted from March 27 to May 17 and must be made online. Room reservations can be made here and the link is also posted on the Commencement website. Phone reservations cannot be accepted since full payment of $50.00 per person, per night, must be made at the time of the reservation. Please note we only accept payment by credit card. 

    Guest check-in will be in the Sullivan Student Center on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20. Cancelled reservations will be refunded up until Friday, May 12. Please share with your guests that the University provides linen, as well as a pillow, towel, washcloth and blanket for each bed, but they should bring any additional amenities to make their stay comfortable. No meals are included in this price. Checkout is Sunday, May 21 by 6:00 p.m. Housing assignments are determined on a first-come, first-served basis. Special arrangements may be made for some health problems (please be sure to include this information under the “Special Request” section of your registration form). Please also note that Theme Cottages, Steiner Senior Townhouses, Kirk Douglas Hall, Hulett, Jencks, Sykes, and Dean Eaton will not be available for commencement guest housing due to the large number of seniors living in these buildings.
  • RV Parking and Rentals - Personal RVs may be parked on campus in the gravel lot by Appleton Arena. RV rentals are also available through Steve's RV Center in Potsdam. Rental arrangements may be made directly with them by calling 315-265-3211. Please register your personal or rental RV here so we can be sure to have enough space available. Note that this is a parking space only and no utilities are provided.

Keep in Touch:

SLUNews, a bi-weekly digital newsletter, and the St. Lawrence magazine will be automatically delivered to your email and home address, respectively.  That said, though your SLU email address will be functional for one year following graduation, be sure to update your email and address by simply emailing laurentians@stlawu.edu.

Visit the Alumni website for the latest on upcoming Laurentian events in various cities across the country, alumni travel programs, Laurentian Book Club and more!