Graduate’s Checklist

Order Cap & Gown (Deadline: March 20, 2026, at 10:59 p.m. CST) – No Charge
Order announcements and class ring (optional)
Complete federal loan exit counseling
Complete your Career Services survey by clicking here.
Pay student account in business office (April 1, 2026)
Provide a forwarding address to mailroom
Return all library materials
Attend the Graduation Fair (April 27, 2026)-More info to come!
Pick up cap and gown (beginning April 27, 2026)

Alumni Association

The Office of College Advancement and the Office of Alumni Relations congratulates all graduates and warmly welcomes you to the Simpson Alumni Association. As you begin the next phase of your Simpson experience, we hope that you carry with you fond memories and lifetime friendships. Upon graduation, you will become a member of the Simpson College Alumni Association. Membership comes with no dues and includes lifelong benefits. To ensure you receive the alumni magazine and stay informed about special events, reunions, and campus news, please complete the Graduate Questionnaire distributed by the Office of Career Development and Civic Engagement prior to graduation. If your contact information changes in the future, please update it via the Simpson College Alumni Office update form, or by calling us at 515-961-1547. Simpson alumni are located across the nation and around the world. By staying connected to your alma mater, you can network with fellow alumni and discover both professional and personal opportunities. Our very best wishes go out to our newest members!

Announcements

Announcements may be ordered at this link . It is suggested to order 4-6 weeks prior to graduation.

Business Office

Your account must be paid in full by April 1, 2025. Your transcripts and/or diploma will not be released until your student account is paid in full. For further assistance call ext. 1655.

Cap and Gowns

Order Deadline: March 20, 2026, at 10:59 p.m. CST – No Charge

To order your cap and gown, please go to the HERFF JONES website before March 20, 2026, at 10:59 p.m. CST. Placing your order on-line will guarantee you have the correct size for your height and weight. If you are not able to place an order on or before March 20, 2026, at 10:59 p.m. CST, please call or visit the Simpson Spirit Shop. We will have extra caps & gowns available at the Spirit Shop in various sizes, but we cannot guarantee we’ll have your exact size. If you have any questions, please feel free to call our store at 515-961-1635. Cap and Gown pick up will take place on April 27, 2026, at the Graduation Fair, (more information coming to your email about the fair soon), unless you have notified the Spirit Shop of your need for alternate pick-up arrangements.

Career Development

Congratulations on your graduation! Our office is responsible for collecting data on students’ first-destinations following college. Please complete this short survey by clicking here. This survey must be completed to receive your diploma. As you prepare to graduate, we also encourage you to take advantage of our resources and services. Please schedule an appointment through Handshake.

Class Rings

Class rings may be ordered at this link. Class Rings ordered now will likely not be delivered until sometime after graduation.

Diplomas

During the Commencement Ceremony, each graduate will receive a diploma cover. Diplomas will be mailed out approximately 6 weeks following the commencement ceremony once all requirements for completion have been met. Your diploma will be mailed to your permanent address on file in the Registrar’s office.

Honor Graduates

When you check in on commencement day students who are graduating with honors will receive a red and gold neck ribbon with an honors medallion. Students may keep these ribbons and medallions. Honors for the Commencement Ceremony are based on the cumulative GPA and number of earned and registered credits as of March 20, 2026. For more information call the registrar’s office at 515-961-1642.

Housing Checkout

All May graduates must be checked out of their housing assignments by 12pm on the Sunday after Commencement (May 3rd). Residents are strongly encouraged to set up a time with their CA to checkout before Commencement exercises begin. If your CA is unavailable at the time that you wish to checkout from your space, residents must complete the Express Checkout form. Further information about steps to properly checkout will be sent out and posted in early April. Closing Floor/Apartment Meetings will take place April 20th through 23rd, and all residents are required to attend. If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Residence Life at ext. 1306 or at ResLife@simpson.edu

Library Materials

Dunn Library wishes you the best lifelong learning adventure – your local libraries are there for you! You will receive an e-mail from us in early April if you have any items to return before you leave. If you have questions, please email Lo Stone at lo.stone@simpson.edu .

Loan Information

Exit Counseling – Federal regulations require all students borrowing under the Federal Direct Loan programs to complete exit counseling prior to graduation. The exit counseling will provide information on your cumulative student loan borrowing and repayment options.

Federal regulations also require TEACH Grant recipients to complete exit counseling prior to graduation in preparation of your teaching commitment. The TEACH Grant exit counseling will prepare you for proper management of your grant should it become payable as a Federal Direct Loan.

Information regarding your loans, grants, and exit counseling will be provided in early April.

Mailroom

If you have a campus mailbox make sure to fill out the Grad Address Form on SC Connect. First Class mail will be forwarded for one year and magazines for only sixty days. For additional information please contact the Mailroom at 515-961-1638 or mailroom@simpson.edu.

Photos

A professional photographer will take photographs as each graduate receives their diploma cover from the President of Simpson College, as well as individually, holding their diploma cover. The graduate will receive an email from the photographer with a link where they can see and order their photographs. Purchase is optional.

Tickets

All seating is general seating, no tickets are required. Ushers on duty will be pleased to provide assistance to all guests. Anyone who would like to be seated near the sign language interpreters is asked to express that desire to an usher who will direct them to that specific area.

Have questions?

Traditional undergraduate students should contact:

Mindy Blanchard
Office Coordinator for Student Development
mindy.blanchard@simpson.edu
515-961-1589

Simpson Online and Graduate Studies students should contact:

Adian Hawkins
Academic Advisor for Simpson Online & Graduate Studies
adrian.hawkins@simpson.edu
515-961-1882

Spencer Waugh
Associate Dean of Academic Innovation
spencer.waugh@simpson.edu
515-961-1891