The last day to petition to graduate with a degree or certificate for spring 2014 is March 7.
To graduate with an associate degree, students must apply for graduation by making an appointment with a counselor, who will prepare a curriculum planning summary sheet and complete a petition for graduation.
Students will need to fill out the paperwork with a counsellor and sign the petition before submitting it.
Students must take their completed petition for graduation to the enrollment services, office prior to the filing deadline. Petitions received after the filing deadline will be evaluated for the next term.
For certificates, students need to obtain a petition for certificate from the counseling office and submit it to enrollment services; a counseling appointment is not required, but is advised.
American River College adjunct counselor Keith Boal expresses the importance of getting a degree or certificate.
He encourages students to get either one, because in the workfield if you have “no skill set or certificate, (there’s) no way through the door.”
ARC offers Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Science (AS), Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T).
An associate degree signifies the completion of 60 units of college work, in general education and courses required for a major.
Students who wish to receive an associate degree from ARC must demonstrate competency in writing, reading and mathematics
Students that have earned an associate degree can participate in the annual ARC commencement ceremony held each May at the athletic field.
Very few students that graduate partake in the ceremony, and Cecilia Mayer, a personal assistant at the transfer center believes it is because students “just don’t care or don’t think it’s a big deal.”
Boal feels that student should care and it is important to take part in the ceremony to model success for younger students.
Diplomas are mailed to the students approximately six months from the graduation date.
The number of people that graduated with an AA or AS degree in 2013 was 1,862, and 1,541.
