Commencement Ceremony

Commencement Ceremonies

The commencement ceremonies will be held on Sunday, December 10th, at 2:00 pm Kirkland Fine Arts Center. 

• Doors will open at 1:00 p.m. 
• Graduates should be at Kirkland lined up no later than 1:15 p.m.
• Each graduating student will be allowed up to ten guests to attend the ceremony. To make arrangements for guests that need accessible seating, please contact Lisa Hill by Monday, December 4th.  Guests in the accessible seating section may be accompanied by one other guest.  The accessible seats will replace general seating seats.
• No balloons, noisemakers, or signs will be allowed in Kirkland for the ceremonies.

Commencement Rehearsal

Graduates will be required to attend commencement rehearsal on Wednesday, December 6th at 5:00 p.m.

Graduates should enter through the stage door at Kirkland no later than 4:45 p.m. to check-in.

Caps, Gowns, Hoods, Tassels 

Cap and gown orders need to be made through Herff Jones no later than November 1st. If you are interested in purchasing announcements, souvenir tassels, Millikin custom stoles, etc., you may do so through the Herff Jones link.

• You may keep your cap, tassel, and honor cords.
• Gowns and graduate hoods must be turned in after the ceremony at Lower Gallery of Kirkland Fine Arts Center.
• Cap and Gown Distribution will be December 6-8 in Gorin Hall.
• Cap decorating guidelines
• Décor height must not exceed 3”
• Décor must not exceed the perimeter of the cap
• Décor must not include any profanity or explicit content
• Décor can only include university emblems/colors of a university that the student has attended, is currently attending, or will be attending.
• The cap worn must be the same color as the cap the individual was given

Commencement Photography

Photographers from Grad Images (1-800-261-2576) will be at the ceremony to record three photo opportunities: a candid photo as the graduate receives his or her diploma, a posed photo of the graduate with the diploma, and family/individual portraits after the ceremony.  No reservations are necessary for these photo opportunities.  Since photographers will be available throughout the ceremony, family members are encouraged to remain in their seats to relax and enjoy the ceremony.

Free Photo Gifts for the Graduate

Approximately six weeks after the ceremony, each graduate will receive a free 5x7 print as a gift from Millikin's alumni office.  The pose for this complimentary print is chosen by Grad Images and is typically the candid of the graduate receiving his or her diploma on the stage.  In addition, graduates who were photographed with their alumni relatives will receive one free 5x7 print of that photo, also a gift from the alumni office.

Photos with Alumni Relatives

Graduates with alumni relatives may choose to be photographed with those relatives prior to the ceremony. To take advantage of this alumni photo opportunity, please complete the online reservation form By December 4th, 2023.  Instructions with the location and time of the photos are provided on the form. Graduates will receive one free 5x7 print of this photo as a gift from the alumni office.

Ordering Photos

Within five business days after the ceremony, an email notification will be sent to your Millikin address with instructions to view free digital proofs.  Prints may be ordered online at www.gradimages.com.  There is no obligation to purchase any prints; however, several enlargement packages are available.  Remember, the graduate will receive a 5x7 portrait from the ceremony and print of photos with alumni relatives as gifts from the alumni office.

Degrees

• Participating in commencement does not mean you have earned a degree. Grades are due to the Office of the Registrar by Wednesday, December 20th.  If you have a newly discovered outstanding requirement for your degree, reach out to Lisa Hill for help putting a plan together for degree completion.

Diplomas

• A Millikin University Diploma lists Name of the Graduate, Degree Earned, and Latin Honors.  Information such as Major, Minor, Concentrations are listed on a transcript.
• Diplomas may be picked up or will be mailed near the beginning of February. We work as quickly as possible to award degrees, but confirming requirements can take some time.  You will be contacted when diplomas are ready for pick-up.
• Diplomas will be mailed to the permanent address on file with Millikin. If you need to update your permanent address, please contact the Registrar's office.

Transcripts

• Information on ordering transcripts can be found on the Registrar's website.
• When ordering a transcript choose the option “hold for degree”.   We will process held transcripts early July once degrees are confirmed.  Transcripts without the requested “hold” will be processed without degree information; additional transcript orders are processed at an additional cost.
• For those of you completing final requirements elsewhere, to be awarded a degree for December, transcripts must be received by February 1st, otherwise degrees cannot be awarded until May with a May graduation date.

Millikin Email Accounts

• Millikin email accounts, along with myMillikin access, will remain active for one year after enrollment at the University has ceased. If you decide to re-enroll or continue your education at Millikin, your email will be re-activated. Please begin to transition to a new email account over the next year by taking the following action:
• Back up important emails, files and contacts.
• Update external sites in which your millikin.edu account is used as a log in/username/recovery email.
• Provide Millikin a new, preferred email address at alumnews@millikin.edu.

Important Dates & Deadlines

November 1st, 2023: Deadline to order cap & gown from Herff Jones.

December 4th, 2023: Complete the Graduating Student Survey and qualify for the chance to win raffle prizes.  

December 5th, 2023: Cap & Gown distribution in Gorin Hall

December 6th, 2023: Commencement rehearsal: Check in at Kirkland Fine Arts Center by 4:45 p.m.

December 8th, 2023: Deadline to pay graduation fee, student account balance. If you have questions about your account, please contact Student Financial Services at 217-424-6317 or by e-mail at studentfinancialservices@millikin.edu.

December 10th, 2023: Commencement ceremony: Graduates check in at Kirkland Fine Arts Center by 1:15 p.m.

Each graduate should complete the Graduating Student Survey. Graduates will need to complete this 10-minute survey prior to picking up cap/gown in a single session. The survey gives Millikin invaluable data about your experience and can help shape Millikin for the future.  

Students completing the survey by Noon, December 4, 2023 will be entered in a raffle for the chance to win one of the following: 

• Millikin Diploma Frame (wood, blue/silver matte), value $75 
• Millikin Jersey (size large, 1/4 zip, long sleeve), value $48 
• Millikin Stadium Seat, value $36 
• Graduation picture package from GradImages, value $80 
• Kirkland “VIP Parking” spot for commencement ceremony, value “priceless” 

Winners will be announced at rehearsal on December 6th.   

For assistance with the survey, please contact the Office of Institutional Research at lbirch@millikin.edu or 217-420-6661. 

Note: The chance of winning a raffle prize depends on how many complete the survey by the specified deadline date; about 100 in December and 300 in May are invited to participate.