Late filers fly to fulfill grad check deadlines

After toiling for years in the hallowed classrooms of Cal State Long Beach, graduation is as much a relief as an accomplishment.

For students that forget to file for graduation on time, the process can be overwhelming and stressful.

"Late filers usually need departmental support in order to get approval," said Susan Alvarez, associate director of evaluation at Enrollment Services. "Some of the acceptable reasons for late filing are if the student has a job lined up or if they are attending graduate school."

In order to process the large number of graduating students, deadlines must be set months in advance.

The deadline for graduation in spring 2001 passed Oct. 1 and students must take special steps, in addition to the normal requirements, in order to graduate.

Another option is to participate in the graduation ceremonies, as planned, and file by March 1 to graduate in fall 2001.

Regular graduation requirements include finishing 124 units, 30 of which must be at CSULB and 40 upper-division units, completing all general education requirements, finishing the writing proficiency exam, and satisfying all requirements within the major.

Late filers must have these requirements fulfilled as well as getting special permission from the department chair or faculty advisor.

A $10 processing fee is also required for late filers.

Because of the large volume of requests Enrollment Services must process, late-filed requests are not handled until the ones filed on time are processed.

"It takes about eight weeks to get through the entire class during the fall and spring semesters," Alvarez said. "After those are finished, we switch to grade queries before moving to the 200 or so late requests."

To make sure the process runs smoothly, students are urged to check on their status with academic advising or their department chair during their sophomore and junior years.

"Once students have completed 90 units, finished the WPE and declared a major they should fill out a request to graduate," Alvarez said.

The Enrollment Office is up-to-date on processing requests, but with enrollment rates at CSULB steadily on the rise the office might have to adjust to an increased workload.

"President Maxson has been helpful and good resource planning has given us help," Alvarez said.  "We expect graduation requests to rise proportionately with an increased student population."