Graduation & Commencement

Graduation Survey (available at time of next commencement)

Fall 2024 Commencement

Watch the Ceremony Livestream (Beginning at 7 p.m.)

Graduation Application Checklist

1. Apply for Graduation

Students who are preparing to graduate must apply for graduation BY THE DEADLINE. To apply for graduation, go to Student / Resources / Graduation / Apply for Graduation in FlashLine.

2. Reserve Your Place at Commencement

Make sure there's a chair for you during the ceremonies. Please respond to the commencement survey (click here) that you received from the Ashtabula Commencement Office via your @kent.edu email. 

3. Guest Tickets

You will not receive paper tickets, however, you will need to fill in your guests' information on the RSVP survey.  The ceremony will also be live-streamed into the Auditorium across the hall from the gymnasium. Reservations are not needed to watch Commencement from the Auditorium

4. Permission to Publish Graduate's Name

When you graduate from Kent State at Ashtabula, there are many places that your name could be published. This includes, but is not limited to: the Commencement Program; releases to the media, which will include, name, city and degree; and the kent.edu website.

Please check here to make sure the proper restrictions are either in place or lifted depending on what you want the public to know about your upcoming graduation.

To make any changes to your information restrictions, please follow these steps:

1. Login to FlashLine.
2. Click on Student, Resources, Requests, and Authorizations
3. From the Requests and Authorizations channel, select Maintain the Disclosure of Your Directory Information
4. Cancel you restriction of disclosure of directory information

5. Purchase Cap and Gown

Information regarding regalia purchase through the Kent State Bookstore will be available soon.

6. Arrival Times
We ask that you and your guests arrive at the check-in time under the last name of the student. If you arrive early, please wait in your car until your appropriate time.

• If your last name begins with A - M, please arrive at 6:15 PM *
• If your last name begins with N - Z, please arrive at 6:30 PM *

*If you requested an accommodation on your RSVP, please arrive at 6:15 PM, regardless of your last name.

7. Graduation

You now have a degree from Kent State University. Enjoy this evening and all the other celebrations you may wish to have commemorating all that you have accomplished.

Diplomas are mailed 6-8 weeks after commencement from the Kent Campus. If you have any questions regarding your diploma, please contact the One Stop for Student Services.

Additional Details

Anticipating some of your questions, we offer the following:

• Students graduating with institutional honors will need to pick up your cords in the Academic Affairs Office in Stocker Hall. An email will be sent to you before commencement on when to pick them up. Please wear the cords to commencement.
• If you are a Veteran, you will receive your cords prior to commencement, please wear them to commencement.
• Once you RSVP, and closer to Commencement, you will receive more detailed information in a separate email.
• The commencement ceremony will be livestreamed for family and friends at home on our Ashtabula YouTube Channel.
• The ceremony will last one hour (7-8 PM).
• Your diploma will be mailed to your home address by the Kent Campus 6 (six) to 8 (eight) weeks after the ceremony. The Ashtabula Campus does not handle this mailing.
• If you attend the ceremony in person, you will receive a diploma cover. If you do not attend in person, we cannot mail one to you.

Click here to view the graduation email from the Ashtabula Commencement Office COMING SOON