Congratulations, Graduates!
Siena Heights University is excited to celebrate Commencement 2025 with you in Adrian, Michigan! This page provides all the essential information you need for a smooth and memorable graduation experience.
Eligible Graduates:
- Undergraduate and graduate students who graduated in August and December 2024, May 2025, and those anticipating graduation in August 2025.
- If you haven’t completed your academic requirements but want to participate early, please submit the commencement early participation form before ordering tickets.
Key Dates and Deadlines:
- February 17: Online regalia orders open
- March 1: Deadline for seniors to apply for graduation. The Application for Graduation can be found on MySiena:
- Login to MySiena
- On the right side of the screen, scroll down to Academic Information”
- Click on the “Application for Graduation” link.
- April 9: Deadline for ordering regalia.
- April 15: Deadline for:
- Commencement ticket ordering
- Name printed in the program
- Handicapped seating arrangements
- April 15: Deadline for:
- May 2:
- Baccalaureate Mass at 5:00 PM, St. Dominic Chapel
- Kente Ceremony at 7:00 PM, St. Dominic Chapel
- May 2:
- May 3: Commencement Day in Adrian with TWO ceremonies
- May 29: Diplomas mailed to graduates.
Commencement Ceremony Details:
Saturday May 3, 2025 on Siena Heights University’s campus in Adrian, Michigan. This year SHU will host two ceremonies. This is a ticketed event and each graduate is allotted a maximum of six tickets. Details forthcoming.
Ceremony Times
SHU Global Student Ceremony: 10 am
Adrian Campus Student Ceremony: 2 pm
Both ceremonies will take place outdoors with a inclement weather plan in place.
Tickets
- Free but Required: Order by April 15th (11:59 PM).
- Limit: Up to 6 guest tickets per graduate.
- Order Form: Use this registration page
- Ticket Pickup (Adrian Undergraduates): TBA
- Ticket Mailing (SHU Global): Mailed after April 15th to the address on the registration form.
Graduate Logistics
Details about meeting location and time forthcoming.
Guest Logistics
Details about parking, accessibility, and seating forthcoming.
Directions and Parking
Siena Heights’ address is: 1247 E. Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan 49221. The following maps will help guide you to campus:
To assist our students and guests with entering and exiting the Adrian campus efficiently, traffic heading east on Siena Heights Drive will be directed to the following parking lots: West Fieldhouse, Dominican & Performing Arts, and Addison Street Fairgrounds. Traffic heading west on Siena Heights Drive will be directed to the following parking lots: Adrian Dominican Motherhouse and the Siena Heights Drive Fairground entrance.
Photography
A professional photographer will take portraits of each graduation and they will be available for purchase following the ceremony. Information on ordering will be made available at the event. Guests are permitted to record or photograph from their seats but are asked not to use tripods or approach the stage during the ceremony so as not to disrupt the event for others.
Graduate Regalia
Regalia:
- Purchase: Online or at the SHU bookstore.
- Deadline: April 9th for online orders.
- Packages: Gown, cap, tassel can be purchased as a package or individually
- Academic Honor Cords: Details forthcoming
- Hood Color: Based on your degree (see list below).
Degree & Hood Colors:
- BBA: Light brown
- BFA: Dark brown
- BA: White
- BS: Bright yellow
- BAS: Bright yellow
- Nursing: Apricot
- Social Work: Dark gold
- Masters: Black, white, navy & gold
Baccalaureate Mass
In the Catholic Dominican tradition, we invite all graduating seniors and their families to thank God with a Baccalaureate Mass on Friday, May 2 at 5:00 pm in St. Dominic Chapel.
The meaning of the word Baccalaureate is “sermon to the graduates.” This year’s preacher and presider is Fr. Tom Helfrich OSFS, Siena Heights’ chaplain and pastor of St. Rita Catholic Church in Clarklake, Michigan. In addition, the Siena Heights Chamber Singers will be leading the worship music that day.
Please register yourself, family and guests to attend the service. There is no limit to the number of people to invite. Please register online. We need to get an approximate number of attendees, but all are welcome to Baccalaureate Mass including those who are not registered.
Kente Ceremony
The Kente program was initiated at Siena Heights in 1992 by members of the main campus group SHAAKA, the Siena Heights African American Knowledge Association. Those African American students, now alumni, established the ceremony to honor their heritage, recognize the challenges of pursuing and completing a college education, and motivate undergraduates of color to persist in their studies through to graduation.
The goals of the Kente program are the same today, but the program now embraces and recognizes graduates of African descent from all SHU sites and programs. On the main campus, SHAAKA has evolved into the student group Black Student Union.
Kente stoles are woven in Ghana, where Kente cloth was originally the cloth of kings and queens. The stoles represent the pride of perseverance, the honor of the accomplishment, and the importance of remembering your roots. Today’s bachelor’s degree (blue) stoles are embroidered with the ram’s horn, symbolizing humility and strength, wisdom, and learning. The master’s degree (black) stoles carry the symbol of lifelong learning and the continued quest for knowledge.
Hispanic and Latino/a/x graduates are also recognized during the Kente ceremony. Students are given a Serape stole to wear. These stoles are worn to show pride in their culture and to represent the challenges and accomplishments of earning a college degree.
The Kente Ceremony will take place on Friday, May 2 at 7:00 PM in St. Dominic Chapel. Please pre-register. Contact Shawna Eversole at 517-264-7607 or seversol@sienaheights.edu for more information on this ceremony.
Celebratory Brunch
A delicious brunch will be available for purchase at the University Center. Details forthcoming.
Diplomas
You will receive only the diploma cover when crossing the platform. The Office of Records and Registration will mail diplomas after graduation requirements are complete and obligations to the University have been met. Once all requirements and obligations are met, diplomas will be mailed May 29. To ensure timely delivery of your diploma, be sure to confirm your correct mailing address through your MYSIENA account. If your address needs to be corrected, please email the Registrar’s Office or call (517) 264-7120.
Note: Name changes must be documented with the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office will not mail documents to a SHU campus mailbox unless it is your legal mailing address. If you live in an apartment that is not your legal address, or if you will be leaving at the end of April, notify the Registrar’s Office at (517) 264-7120 of where to send your diploma.
Also note: Master of Arts diplomas do not specify the program area in which they are earned. Students completing a second concentration or major at the graduate level may participate in commencement if they choose; however, a second diploma will not be issued.
