Times and Locations
Spring 2025 Ceremony Details
Commencement is a ceremony for all undergraduate and graduate students completing their degrees. Spring commencement will consist of two ceremonies honoring all undergraduate and graduate. Students qualify to walk in Spring commencement in May, as long as they have completed their degree requirements or have 12 credits or less outstanding in the summer term. Students with unusual circumstances or more than 15 credits outstanding need to apply to walk early with their advisor. All correspondence regarding commencement will be emailed to the graduate's SBU email address, and communicated on the student portal.
Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
Time: 11:00 am & 4:00 pm
Graduates need to arrive 1 hour prior to ceremony to check-in, to the I.M. gym, located in the back of the building.
Two commencement ceremonies will be held for our Spring 2025 graduates.
- SBU Commencement: 11:00 am
- Associates, Bachelors, & Graduate Degrees
- SBU Health Professions (including DPT): 4:00 pm
- 10:00 am DPT Pinning Ceremony (Pike Auditorium)
- 1:00 pm SBU Health Sciences Pinning Ceremony (Pike Auditorium)
Location: All ceremonies will be held in the Jane and Ken Meyer Wellness and Sports Center on the SBU Bolivar campus.
Jane and Ken Meyer Wellness and Sports Center:
1260 S Pike Ave, Bolivar MO 65613
Doors will open for seating 1 hour prior to the ceremony
Spring 2025 Ceremony Links:
Spring 2025 Academic Honors Event
Spring 2025 4 PM Ceremony (Health Professions)
FALL 2024 Livestream Links:
Spring 2024 ceremony links:
Archived Commencement Programs:
Regalia Details
Please watch for details on the student portal for pick up dates! (Coming soon!)
Please contact Corey O'Grady, the campus store manager for any questions at 417-328-1530, or by email: cogrady@slingshotedu.com
Graduates are responsible for ordering the appropriate regalia for their degree.
The Commencement Group
The Office of the Provost will be adding a special feature for our family's and guests of our graduates. "The Commencement Group" will be on campus for any gifts you may like to purchase for your graduating loved one. Flowers, stuffed animals, necklaces. Orders CAN be placed online as well as in person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Graduate FAQ
No. There is no rehearsal; therefore, all important instructions are given during
line-up before the ceremony begins. Check-in for your ceremony 1 hour prior to the
start of the ceremony.
The ceremony lineup will take place in the Intramural Gym inside of the Jane & Ken Meyer Wellness & Sports Center.
Check-in for your ceremony will open 1 hour prior to the start of the ceremony, which is when all necessary line-up instructions will be given. If you are late to check-in, you will be placed at the end of the graduation line and will not be able to graduate with your specific division.
Please be sure to bring your cell phone with you. There will be an online alumni survey
we ask you to complete upon your arrival to line up. We suggest you leave all other
personal belongings with a guest; however, these items can be stored in the lineup
location as it will be locked during the ceremony.
Recommended attire:
- Men: White dress shirt, dark slacks and dark dress shoes
- Women: Dark dress (or dark skirt/slacks and blouse) and dark dress shoes
Caps are worn level with tassels on the left at all times. Men will remove caps at times of prayer; ladies will leave caps on at all times. This regalia is for you to keep.
Undergraduate degrees: The stole is worn like an honor cord, draped around the neck with the seal on your right. Those receiving honor cords will wear them on top of the stole.
Only the stoles, honor cords distributed at graduation lineup, and medals awarded to the Dutile Honors Program graduates may be worn with the graduation gown.
Graduate degrees: Please be sure to bring your hood with you in order for it to be presented to you during the commencement ceremony.
Yes! A livestream of the commencement ceremonies will be available.
We are planning on your attendance as we want to celebrate this significant accomplishment with you. If you cannot attend your commencement ceremony, kindly notify the Office of the Provost Graduation@SBUniv.edu.
A minimum of 45 semester hours of credit must have been completed at SBU prior to the semester of graduation. For the graduation ceremony, honors are calculated on the Institutional Grade Point Average at the beginning of your final semester.
- Summa Cum Laude: 3.850-4.00
- Magna Cum Laude: 3.700-3.849
- Cum Laude: 3.500-3.699
After final semester grades are completed, official honors will be determined for transcripts.
Honor cords will be distributed at the Academic Honors Event to be held on Thursday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m. This will be an invitation-only event. The graduate will be responsible for bringing honors cords, along with all other regalia, to the commencement ceremony.
The list of graduates will be posted online, on the Media Relations page, once grades have been finalized.
News releases will be sent to Missouri newspapers.
For out-of-state newspaper announcements, complete this form if you would like to have a news release sent to your hometown newspaper.
Grad Images will make pictures available online for your purchase. Visit www.gradimages.com or call 1-800-261-2576 with questions. Or, contact Grad Images Customer Service.
To be eligible for a discount on photo purchases, visit www.gradimages.com/preregistration prior to the ceremony to pre-register for your graduation photos.
Diplomas will be available within four to six weeks after graduation. The diploma size is 8.5 X 11.
- Receive by mail: Diplomas will be mailed to the address you supplied when you submitted your online application to graduate. If there has been a change of address since completing this application you will need to notify the Registrar’s Office, ASAP.
All degrees will be granted contingent upon successful completion of all academic degree requirements, which includes the Chapel attendance requirements for graduates on the Bolivar campus, and payment of all financial balances. Once grades are determined and finalized, diplomas will be mailed to students who have successfully completed all requirements.
Please call the Registrar's Office (417) 328-1607 if you have not received your diploma after six weeks or if you have any concerns regarding shipment.
Graduate candidates can order announcements and other graduation products anytime prior to graduation ceremonies, visit the SBU campus bookstore.
Guest FAQ
There are handicap parking spaces in front of the Jane & Ken Meyer Wellness and Sports Center, as well as across the street in the Geneva Casebolt Music Center parking lot. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
There will be a designated area for special needs in the ceremony space. SBU Staff will be on hand to assist with the location of these areas and to answer any questions.
Yes! A livestream of the commencement ceremonies will be available.
Several hotels are located near the SBU-Bolivar campus:
- Best Western Plus, Bolivar: (417) 326-0188 (reserve by phone and ask for SBU discount)
- Comfort Inn, Bolivar: (417) 326-6169 (reserve by phone and ask for SBU discount)
- Country Inn, Bolivar: (417) 326-8004
- Super 8, Bolivar: (417) 777-8888
- The Barnwood Inn, Humansville: (417) 754-8250
Additional accommodations are located in nearby Springfield, Mo.
The Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce maintains a partial listing of Bolivar restaurants (those who are Chamber members).