It’s finally here. May 3 & 4, 2024

Graduation is just around the corner, and there’s a lot to do.  We'll do our best to make the process simple and easy, so you can focus on these last precious moments of college! From tickets for loved ones, to your cap and gown, to your diploma, UC is here to help you with it all. It’s time to get ready for the start of the rest of your life! After all, like the word “commencement” means, this isn’t the end – it's a brand-new beginning.

 

Friday, May 3
Graduate2:30 pm
Graduate6:00 pm

 

Saturday, May 4
Undergraduate9:00 am
Undergraduate12:30 pm
Undergraduate4:00 pm

Graduation Day

Videos

Videos

We want you to be able to look back at your achievement, so recordings of the ceremony will be available for download and will be streamed on University of the Cumberlands’ Facebook page. Whether this marks your first degree or your third, graduation day is worth remembering.

Tickets

Tickets

After registering for a ceremony, undergraduate students will be directed to an online ticketing reservation system and can select up to 7 tickets for their event. Graduate students will not be required to request tickets for their guests. 

Campus Map

Campus Map

Use our Campus Map to find your parking spot as well as to direct your guests across campus. 

Information for Students

Information for Students

Participating in Commencement? Head to the volleyball gym/intramural gym no later than 45 minutes before your registered ceremony. You will be lined up prior to the procession into the O. Wayne Rollins Center, where you will be provided with more information.

It is a rite of passage: the parade with your peers, gowns flowing, the pomp, the circumstance, and throwing your cap into the air! Regalia is part of the tradition and is required attire for those in Commencement ceremonies. Look the part and prepare for the next step toward the rest of your life! 

To participate in Commencement, you will need university-approved regalia. On Commencement day, you will bring all contents of your cap and gown packet with you to the volleyball/intramural gym. All university regalia is specially ordered, so no "extra" supplies will be available to purchase at the last minute. 

All students may order regalia HERE or by visiting or contacting the campus bookstore at 606.539.4354. You may email ucbarnesandnoble [at] ucumberlands.edu (ucbarnesandnoble[at]ucumberlands[dot]edu) for more information.

Diplomas

You receive both a physical and digital diploma when you graduate from University of the Cumberlands. Your digital diploma will allow you easier access to needed information for things like social media, résumés, and applying to grad school, while your physical copy can be framed and kept safely at home.  You will receive an email letting you know that your degree has been awarded; in that email, we will give you instructions on how to claim your digital diploma.

You can expect to receive your paper diploma in the mail approximately four weeks after your degree conferral date. 

If you have any questions about your University of the Cumberlands diploma or transcripts, please contact the Office of the Registrar. 

Transcripts

Students can request official transcripts online from the Office of the Registrar. 

Class Rings, Announcements & Mementos: Barnes & Noble at UC, in partnership with Jostens, can help you commemorate graduation with custom class rings, announcements and mementos. Shop in-person at the UC bookstore on the mid-level of the Boswell Campus Center or order online at  JOSTENS. You can order diploma frames to properly display your achievement through UC's  Barnes & Noble  campus store. The sore also sells a variety of other items ranging from sweatshirts to bottles to décor and more. Get shopping and preserve your UC memories!

When you cross the stage, you will have the opportunity to have two professional pictures taken. The first is a photo with Dr. Cockrum as he presents your diploma tube. The second is in front of a UC backdrop with your diploma tube. These photos, along with the digital program and video recording of the event, will be available starting May 10. Please visit ucumberlands.edu/classof2024 to update your alumni information and access the files.

Travel Information

Travel Information

Directions

  • University of the Cumberlands is located off Exit 11 on Interstate 75.
  • If you're traveling south, at the end of the exit ramp, turn left. If you are traveling north (through Tennessee) on I-75, at the end of the exit ramp, turn right.
  • At the first traffic light, turn left onto 10th Street (KY 2386). 
  • Travel on 10th Street past the Cumberland Inn.
  • To get to campus, continue traveling on 10th Street. At the traffic light (directly in front of Williamsburg Independent Schools), turn right onto Main Street (KY 296).
  • As you proceed down Main Street, turn right into the main campus entrance. 
  • Staff will help direct guests to available parking areas. 

Parking

  • Parking for the event will take place on campus, with parking attendants located at key points to direct you to available spaces. Due to the anticipated number of guests, we do advise you to carpool if possible and to arrive early to allow for adequate time for parking. 
  • To request handicapped seating or to inquire about parking availability, contact Shirley Stephens in the Office of Academic Affairs at 606.539.4214 or by emailing  shirley.stephens [at] ucumberlands.edu (shirley[dot]stephens[at]ucumberlands[dot]edu).

Lodging

  1. Hampton Inn - 4.5 out of 5 stars 
    1.9 miles from campus 
    530 West HWY 92 
    Williamsburg, KY  40769 
    606.549.3775 
  1. Holiday Inn Express - 4.5 out of 5 stars  
    1.2 miles from campus 
    56 West HWY 92 
    Williamsburg, KY 40769 
    606.549.1300 
  1. Super 8 - 3 out of 5 stars 
    1.3 miles from campus 
    30 West HWY 92 
    Williamsburg, KY  40769 
    606.549.3450 
  1. Best Western - 4 out of 5 stars 
    15.8 miles from campus 
    2630 Cumberland Falls HWY 
    Corbin, KY  40701 
    606.528.2100 
  1. Cumberland Falls State Resort Park - 4.5 out of 5 stars 
    17.3 miles from campus 
    7351 HWY 90 
    Corbin, KY  40701 
    606.528.4121 
  1. Holiday Inn Express & Suites - 4 out of 5 stars 
    14.5 miles from campus 
    1973 Cumberland Falls HWY 
    Corbin, KY  40701 
    606.523.4000 
  1. Baymont Inn & Suites - 4 out of 5 stars 
    18.4 miles from campus 
    174 Adams Road 
    Corbin, KY  40701 
    606.523.9040 
  1. Quality Suites - 4 out of 5 stars 
    19.6 miles from campus 
    47 Adams Rd, Corbin, KY 40701 
    606.526.6646 
  1. Hampton Inn - 4 out of 5 stars 
    19.9 miles from campus 
    125 Adams Road 
    Corbin, KY  40701 
    606.523.5696 

Campus Map

Use our Campus Map to find your parking spot as well as to direct your guests across campus. Commencement services will be held in the O. Wayne Rollins Athletics Center. Campus attendants will help director graduates and guests to parking locations and the event center. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate Students:

You are eligible to walk in the 2024 graduation ceremonies if you successfully completed your degree in one of the following months:

  • July, August, October, or December 2023
  • March, May, June, or August 2024

For students enrolled in an education program, you are eligible to walk in the 2024 graduation ceremonies if you are completing your student teaching in the Fall 2024 term.

Graduate Students:

You are eligible to walk in the 2024 graduation ceremonies if you successfully completed your degree in one of the following months:

  • July, August, October, or December 2023
  • March or May 2024

 

  • Go to MyUC student portal 
  • Click on View Profile 
  • Go to Academics 
  • Click on Overview 
  • Under Educational Objective, if you have an application on file, it should show "pending completion" under status.
  • If you have questions, contact the Office of the Registrar.

May 2024 

Yes, both undergraduate and graduate students must take two steps in order to participate in an in-person Commencement ceremony: 

  • Apply and be approved to graduate 
  • Register for a Commencement ceremony 

Please contact Academic Affairs for any date/time changes. Email academicaffairs [at] ucumberlands.edu (academicaffairs[at]ucumberlands[dot]edu) or call 606-539-4214.

All undergraduate students attending graduation services will need to reserve tickets for guests to attend Commencement. All graduating students will be sent an RSVP email from the registrar's office they will need to complete to select the ceremony they choose to attend. Undergraduate students will then be directed to a ticketing site to select seats for that ceremony. 

Yes, every person who enters must have a ticket, including children. Infants are the only exception. 

A digital copy of your diploma will be emailed to you during graduation weekend. A hard copy will be mailed to you. It should arrive approximately 4 weeks after graduation. 

After the first week of May is over, when your degree is awarded, you may order transcripts from the Registrar

The Office of the Registrar, located in the Gatliff Building, will have the honor stoles, tassels, and medallions ready for pickup on the Friday before undergraduate Commencement, as well as the Saturday of the ceremony. They will provide the items inside the volleyball gym/intramural gym, where you will be lining up prior to Commencement. Please arrive early to ensure time for parking, walking to the gym, and receiving the items associated with your honors.

All departmental award winners will be contacted by their respective academic departments for award distribution. This typically happens in the weeks leading up to Commencement.

Visit our campus bookstore webpage and navigate to the graduation tab.

Under “Caps, Gowns, and Announcements,” click on the Undergraduate, Master’s, or Doctoral Student link to purchase your regalia. 

Alumni celebrate during homecoming

Welcome, newest alumnus!

Once you graduate, you automatically become a member of the UC Alumni Association, a network designed to help you keep in touch with your classmates, professors, and your alma mater as you journey through life! Find out what the Alumni Association ha

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A group of Graduate students entering during the processional at Commencement.