CMCC 2025 Commencement
Congratulations Graduates!
The College looks forward to celebrating the 60th graduating class of Central Maine Community College, the Class of 2025. This year’s commencement ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 6pm inside The Colisee in Lewiston, Maine (190 Birch Street, Lewiston, ME). The in-person ceremony will also be streamed live from CMCC’s YouTube page which can be viewed by clicking here.
Tickets are not required and there is no limit on the number of guests a student can bring. Additional information and details will be shared with students as the event date gets closer.
Are graduation and commencement the same?
They are not the same! Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference.
Graduation is the process of completing program requirements as indicated by the course audit, and settling all financial obligations to the college. Once final grades are posted, your record will be evaluated and your diploma will be sent to you via mail to your address on file. The process of auditing all students for graduation takes an average of 6-10 weeks from the end of the semester.
Commencement is the spring ceremony, officiated by the President of Central Maine Community College, to celebrate the importance of your academic accomplishments. It is also a time for Central Maine Community College, The Maine Community College System Board of Trustees, The Maine Community College System President, administrators and faculty to acknowledge the exceptional efforts you have shown in earning your certificate or degree.
How do I know if I’m eligible to graduate?
Eligibility for degree or certificate conferment is contingent upon completion of all requirements of a designated program of study in accordance with the Maine Community College System and CMCC requirements. Students must:
- Satisfactorily complete all courses in the program.
- Complete the aggregate number of credit hours in a program with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
- Participate in College-wide or program-specific assessment activities.
- Meet the residency requirements as defined in the CMCC catalog.
- Fulfill all financial obligations to the College in order to receive a degree or certificate. (Make sure all library fines, fees, account balances, etc. are paid at the CMCC business office).
All degree requirements, including transfer credit, must be completed and accepted by the College prior to the last semester of enrollment. The only exceptions are the courses in which the student is currently enrolled.
What does the graduation process entail?
To initiate the graduation process, a student must:
- Fill out and submit the “Apply to Graduate” form by the deadline in the semester that you will complete all degree requirements. The graduation application can be completed by clicking on this link.
- Deadlines are:
- Last Friday in March for May graduation
- Last Friday in July for August graduation
- Last Friday in November for December graduation
- Once the Registrar’s Office has received your confirmation, a degree audit will be performed. If there is an issue with your degree audit, the Center for Advising and Registration (C.A.R.) will contact you and/or your advisor via email for clarification. Please contact the C.A.R. if you have questions regarding your degree audit or graduation requirements.
- At the end of the term, after final grades have been recorded, the C.A.R. will begin its final review of degree audits. If you have not fulfilled the program requirements, you will receive an email to your CMCC email account. It is important to regularly check your student email account, and provide accurate personal email and phone numbers.
- Upon verifying successful completion of all degree requirements your diploma will be mailed approximately 6 to 10 weeks after the end of the semester.
Am I eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony in May?
Any student who has, or will, meet the degree requirements for graduation by the end of the summer, fall or spring semesters may participate in the May graduation ceremony. Summer 2024, Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 graduates may participate (march) in the May 2025 commencement ceremony. A graduation confirmation form must be received by the student in order to participate in commencement.
Students who are no more than 6 credits short of completing degree requirements and wish to participate in the commencement ceremony may do so if the student is enrolled for the required credits during the next term that the course or courses are available.
How do I order regalia (cap and gown) for the commencement ceremony?
If you plan to participate in the 2025 Commencement ceremony, you must order your regalia (cap and gown) which can be done by clicking on this link. The deadline to order regalia for this year’s ceremony is March 23, 2025. The cost of your cap and gown is covered by the CMCC.
If you decide after the deadline to participate in the ceremony, we will do our best to locate regalia extras. You must email from your CMCC email to cmccregistrar@mainecc.edu with your name, ID number, height, weight. Please understand that we are very limited in on-hand regalia and you are best served by ordering directly from the company using the link above ahead of the deadline.
What do the cords worn at commencement represent?
For the purpose of wearing honors cords at commencement, students must meet the cumulative GPA requirements listed below:
- Honors – 3.30 to 3.599 receives one honor cord;
- High Honors – 3.600 to 3.899 receives two honor cords;
- President’s Honors – 3.900 to 4.000 receives two honor cords.
The calculation of the cumulative GPA does not include spring semester grades, since these may not be calculated for all students at the time of the ceremony. However, final calculation of GPAs made after spring semester grades are posted will be used to determine the display of honors on final transcripts.
If you have any questions about the honors policy, please contact the Center for Advising and Registration at 207-755-5292 or cmccregistrar@mainecc.edu.
Am I able to wear extra graduation paraphernalia to the ceremony?
The only “extra” items allowed in the commencement ceremony are listed below. Graduates are allowed to decorate their caps provided the decor are appropriate and in good taste; CMCC reserves the right to remove any caps that could be considered offensive, derogatory or vulgar.
Phi Theta Kappa
If you are a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, you may wear a PTK honor stole at graduation. Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) members may purchase the PTK gold honor stole from the PTK website.
- Please Note: The stole is the only commencement paraphernalia that is worn at CMCC’s commencement ceremony, but you can purchase anything for your own personal use.
- Questions? Contact the PTK advisor, Judi Moreno, (jmoreno@mainecc.edu) in the Learning Commons.
If you are transferring to another college to complete a four-year degree, remember to inquire about scholarships for Phi Theta Kappa members.
National Society of Leadership & Success (NSLS)
If you are a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, you may wear a NSLS honor stole at graduation. NSLS members may purchase the NSLS honor stole from the NSLS website.
- Please Note: The NSLS stole is the only commencement paraphernalia that is worn at CMCC’s commencement ceremony, but you can purchase anything for your own personal use.
- Questions? Contact the NSLS advisor, Grimes Williams (gwilliams@mainecc.edu) in the Student Services suite located in Jalbert Hall Room 13.