O F F IC E O F T H E R E G IS T R A R - De La Salle Health Sciences ...

C o n g r ess io n a l A v e., D a s m a r i ñ a s , C a v it e 41 1 4 • Phone: (46) 48 1 - 800 0 / (0 2) 98 8 -3 10 0 / Local 146 2 / Fax: (4 6) 4 81 - 80 11 • e mail: regis trar@d lshsi.edu.ph
OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR
REVISED POLICY AND GUIDELINES ON GRADUATION, HONORS AND
RECOGNITION
The recommendation for graduation, honors and recognition of deserving students of De La Salle
Health Sciences Institute shall be in accordance with pertinent procedures of the Institute and is
subject to the rules as follows:
GENERAL GUIDELINES
1. The graduation rites shall be conducted in a distinctly Lasallian and solemn ceremony,
befitting the graduating students and their parents and shall not in any way be used as a
venue for any political activity.
2. The date of the graduation shall be set annually on the third or fourth week of April.
3. The graduation is usually held in the campus, but may also be held in any appropriate venue
taking into consideration the number of candidates for accommodation, their security and
safety.
SPECIFIC GUIDELINES
1. Requirements for Graduation. No student shall be recommended for graduation unless
the student has complied with all the requirements and other prerequisites for graduation on
or before the deadline set for this purpose. Such requirements and other prerequisites for
graduation include:
a. Application for Graduation:
i. Submission of the completely filled out Application for Graduation
ii. Submission of the accomplished Exit Interview and Anonymous Program
Survey form
iii. Payment of the graduation fee,
b. Satisfactory completion of all the course work specified in the curriculum;
c. Submission of bound copies of thesis for the undergraduate programs and MAN;
d. Student Clearance
2. Eligibility for Graduation. All those who completed the academic requirements for their
respective titles or degrees as of May of the previous academic year, October of the current
academic year, and March or April of the current academic year may apply for graduation.
3. Application Period. Application for graduation for each semester begins in November and
ends in February.
4. Graduation Fee. The graduation fee collected from the candidates for April graduation
shall also apply to the candidates for May and October graduation for the same calendar
year. The graduation fee is computed annually based on the second semester’s enrollment
data and presented to the graduating class before it is recommended to the Academic Council
for approval. The approved fee shall then be posted on conspicuous areas in the campus to
notify the students.
5. Deliberation of Candidates for Graduation. The Office of the Registrar shall release a
list of students who have applied for graduation (indicating deficiencies, if any) and the
candidates for academic and special awards one week after the final examinations in March.
The Faculty Council of the undergraduate and graduate programs shall then convene in

three (3) days to deliberate on the candidates for graduation and awardees. The Faculty
Council of the medical program, however, shall hold its deliberation of the candidates for
graduation and awardees within the first week of April. The recommendation of each
Faculty Council shall be forwarded to the Graduation and Awards Committee within three
(3) days after the deliberations. The committee then presents the list candidates for
graduation and awardees to the Academic Council for final approval.
6. Graduation and Awards Committee. The committee shall be convened by the Registrar
as Committee Chair. The body shall be composed of the Academic Deans, the OSS Dean, the
Alumni Relations and Assistance Office Director, the Chair of the St. Mutien Marie Awards
Committee (Office of the VCLML), and the Chair of the St. Miguel Febres Cordero Awards
Committee (appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Academics).
7. Awards and Recognition
a. Students who have maintained exceptionally high academic standing based on their
GPA shall be recommended for Academic Honors.
i. The GPA of a graduating student refers to his cumulative GPA. In the
College of Medicine and the College of Physical Therapy, the computation of
the cumulative GPA does not take the grades of the students in the clinical
education courses into account. For the MAN program, the grade in the final
thesis defense shall not be included in the computation of GPA.
The following cumulative GPA requirements shall apply to students
graduating with honors:
1. Master of Arts in Nursing
a. With Highest Distinction – 99 to 100
b. With High Distinction – 97 to 98
c. With Distinction – 95 to 96
2. Baccalaureate and Post-Baccalaureate Degrees:
a. Cum Laude – 3.00 to 3.24
b. Magna Cum Laude – 3.25 to 3.49
c. Summa Cum Laude – 3.50 or better
3. Non-Degree Programs:
a. With Distinction – 3.00 to 3.24
b. With High Distinction – 3.25 to 3.49
c. With Highest Distinction – 3.50 or better
ii. Other requirements:
1. Must have finished the course in the required number of years for the
non-degree, baccalaureate, and post-baccalaureate programs
2. Must not have an incomplete or failing grade in any subject
3. Must not have a grade below 1.50 in any academic subject in the nondegree,
baccalaureate, and post-baccalaureate programs
4. Must not have a grade below 93 in any subject in the MAN program
5. Must have minor revisions only in their theses for the MAN program
6. Must have not been found liable for any major disciplinary offense
iii. Medals are prepared by the Office of the Registrar to be awarded on
Graduation Day.
b. Class Valedictorian and Salutatorian:
i. The graduating student with the highest cumulative GPA in each academic
program shall be recognized as Class Valedictorian whereas the graduating
student with the second highest cumulative GPA shall be the Class
Salutatorian.
ii. Other requirements:
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1. Must have finished the course in the required number of years
2. Must have no incomplete or failing grade in any subject
3. Must have no grade below 1.50 in any academic subject
4. Must have not been found liable for any major disciplinary offense
iii. Medals are prepared by the Office of the Registrar to be awarded during the
Baccalaureate Mass or Thanksgiving Mass for the undergraduate programs
and on graduation day for Medicine.
c. Special Awards
i. The Loyalty Medal is given to students who have enrolled in a Lasallian
School since Grade 1.
ii. The St. Br. Mutien-Marie Award is given to deserving graduating students of
DLSHSI to recognize their day-to-day, quiet, unassuming, and deeply
religious lives who like St. Mutien-Marie, truly lived out our Lasallian values
of spirit of faith, zeal for service, communion in mission, and reverence for
life.
iii. The recipient of the St. Miguel Febres Cordero Award may be invited to
render a commencement speech on graduation day.
iv. The medals for the special awards are given on Graduation Day; however, the
nominees for the St. Br. Mutien-Marie Award may be recognized during the
baccalaureate mass or thanksgiving mass.
d. Students with excellent grades in all academic subjects for both degree and nondegree
courses also deserve recognition at the end of every semester.
i. The College and University Honors List are prepared and released by the
Office of the Registrar based on the recommendation of the Faculty Council of
each program and upon the approval of the Academic Council.
ii. Certificates of Recognition for the College and University Honors are
prepared by the respective Colleges to be awarded by the Dean and the Vice
Chancellor for Academics respectively during an appropriate ceremony.
iii. Criteria for the College Honors List:
1. Must be a regular student
2. Must have a regular load applicable for each semester
3. Must have no grade below 1.50 in any academic subject
4. Must have a semestral GPA of 2.75 or better
5. Must have not been found liable for any major disciplinary offense
iv. Criteria for the University Honors List:
1. Must be a regular student
2. Must have a regular load applicable for each semester
3. Must have no grade below 1.50 in any academic subject
4. Must have a semestral GPA of 3.00 or better
5. Must have not been found liable for any major disciplinary offense
8. Baccalaureate Mass or Thanksgiving Mass. A Eucharistic celebration shall be held
before the graduation ceremonies. On this day, the graduation medals, awards for cocurricular
and extracurricular activities, and other medals are given out, leaving only the
major academic awards and special awards to be given out on the graduation day itself.
9. Order of the Commencement Exercises. The program for each graduation ceremony
shall be in the following order:
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a. Academic Procession. The DLSHSI Order of Precedence shall be observed in the
academic procession. The Order of Precedence is a nominal and symbolic hierarchy
of important positions in the academe and it shall be used to dictate ceremonial
protocol such as the graduation rite.
Clergy and other important guests including officers or representatives of the alumni
association or their designate shall take precedence depending on their status in
relation to the highest ranking academic official in the event.
The Philippine National Flag and the DLSHSI Flag shall lead the candidates for
graduation and faculty members as they enter the hall while the Registrar, the mace
bearer, leads the procession of the academic officials.
The candidates for graduation, faculty members, and administrators at the audience
shall remain standing during the procession and until the highest ranking academic
official takes his seat after the Philippine National Anthem and the invocation.
i. Candidates for degrees from the colleges arranged in descending order and in
alphabetical order:
1. Graduate in Midwifery
2. BS Radiologic Technology
3. BS Physical Therapy
4. BS Nursing
5. MA in Nursing
6. Doctor of Medicine
ii. Academic Support Personnel
iii. Faculty members from the colleges arranged by year of acceptance to the
Institute:
1. Faculty Members, General Education Department
2. Faculty Members, College of Medical Radiation Technology
3. Faculty Members, College of Nursing and School of Midwifery
4. Faculty Members, College of Physical Therapy
5. Faculty Members, College of Medicine
iv. Members of the platform party:
1. Registrar
2. Other members of the platform party
a. Principal, School of Midwifery
b. Vice Deans
3. Dean, Office of Student Services
4. Dean, College of Medical Radiation Technology
5. Dean, College of Nursing and School of Midwifery
6. Dean, College of Physical Therapy
7. Dean, College of Medicine
8. Vice Chancellor for Shared Services
9. Vice Chancellor for Lasallian Mission and Linkages
10. Vice Chancellor for Research
11. Vice Chancellor for Hospital Services
12. Vice Chancellor for Academics
13. President
14. Trustees by year of acceptance to the board
15. Chairman of the Board of Trustees
b. The Philippine National Anthem and Invocation. The caps of the members of the
academe and the candidates for graduation need not be removed for the singing of
the Philippine National Anthem and the Invocation.
c. Introduction of the Commencement Speaker. The audience is enjoined to rise as a
sign of appreciation and respect for the Commencement Speaker after he has been
introduced. The audience may sit down upon signal from either the guest speaker or
the master of ceremonies.
d. Commencement Address. The graduation speech shall be limited to a minimum of
ten (10) minutes and a maximum of fifteen (15) minutes. A plaque of appreciation
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shall be awarded to the Commencement Speaker after he has delivered his speech. A
token of appreciation may also be given at the luncheon or dinner in honor of the
guest speaker.
e. Conferment of the Degrees. Earned titles or degrees shall be conferred in descending
order (i.e. master’s degree first and non-degree titles last) and in alphabetical order
(i.e. BS Nursing, BS Physical Therapy, BS Radiologic Technology). The Academic
Deans shall present their candidates for graduation to the Brother President by
stating the following lines:
Br. President, I have the honor to present to you the (number of candidates)
candidates for graduation with the degree of __________ after having satisfactorily
completed the requirements prescribed in their course of study. I respectfully
request that they be accepted and admitted to the degrees and titles they have
merited.
The candidates for graduation shall then rise and remain standing.
After the Deans have presented all the candidates for graduation, the President
declares:
By virtue of the authority vested in De La Salle Health Sciences Institute by the
Commission on Higher Education of the Republic of the Philippines, I accept the
candidates presented for the academic titles and degrees with the rights and
privileges as well as duties and responsibilities appertaining thereunto.
At this point, the graduates shall transfer the tassel of their caps from left to right.
Recipients of Academic and Special Awards shall then immediately proceed to the
designated spots beside the stage for the Awarding of Medals.
f. Awarding of Medals. Deserving graduates shall each receive their medals for their
academic or special achievements on stage from the Vice Chancellor for Academics,
assisted by the Registrar, while their parents wait on the platform below the stage to
assist the awardees in putting on their medal. The parents of the awardees shall be
assisted to the platform right before the name of the graduate is called. They need
not be called individually to come to the platform.
Awardees shall pose for picture taking after the handshake during the receiving of
medals and at the platform with each of their parents.
During the awarding of medals, names shall be called by the Master of Ceremonies
beginning with the first name of the graduate. Applause shall only be done when the
award is mentioned. Screaming, shouting, and other unbecoming behavior shall be
prohibited while the awarding of medals is going on.
g. Distribution of Diplomas. At a pre-arranged time, the graduates should have moved
into processional order at the foot of the stage. Each of the graduates shall:
i. Receive a decorative leather diploma folder from a school administrator with
the left hand and shake hands with the right. The actual diplomas and other
credentials are released after they have fully complied with their clearance.
ii. After receiving the diploma, graduates from the College of Medicine and
MAN shall proceed to a designated spot for the hooding ceremony.
Otherwise, the graduates shall immediately stand on the designated spot to
bow to the audience and then return to their seats and remain standing until
everyone has received a diploma.
Graduates shall also pose for picture taking after the handshake during the receiving
of diploma and at the platform down the stage.
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During the distribution of diplomas, two (2) names shall be called by the Vice Dean of
the College of Medicine in alphabetical order beginning with the first name of the
graduate while four (4) names shall be called by the Vice Deans of the
Undergraduate Colleges and the Principal of the School of Midwifery in alphabetical
order beginning with the first name of the graduate.
Applause shall only be done when the last name is called. Screaming, shouting, and
other unbecoming behavior shall be prohibited while the distribution of diplomas is
going on.
h. A Graduate’s Message. The words of appreciation for and on behalf of the graduates
shall be delivered by the graduate with the highest cumulative GPA.
i. The Hippocratic Oath. The Dean of the College of Medicine or his designate shall
lead the graduates of Doctor of Medicine in the oath-taking rite.
j. Alumni Oath-Taking. The newly proclaimed graduates shall recite their pledge of
loyalty to be led by the DLSAA President or his representative.
k. Apostolic Blessing. The blessing may be given by a bishop in accordance with the
laws of the Catholic Church.
l. The Alma Mater Song. Hail to De La Salle shall be sung at the end of the gathering
with the gesture of raising a clenched fist into the air.
m. Recessional. Tossing of caps and gowns shall be prohibited. During the recessional,
the ushers shall stand guard on the aisles as the Philippine National Flag and
DLSHSI Flag, administrators, honored guests, and faculties march out following the
Order of Precedence in reverse:
i. Members of the platform party:
1. Chairman of the Board of Trustees
2. Trustees by year of acceptance to the board
3. President
4. Vice Chancellor for Academics
5. Vice Chancellor for Hospital Services
6. Vice Chancellor for Research
7. Vice Chancellor for Lasallian Mission and Linkages
8. Vice Chancellor for Shared Services
9. Dean, College of Medicine
10. Dean, College of Physical Therapy
11. Dean, College of Nursing and School of Midwifery
12. Dean, College of Medical Radiation Technology
13. Dean, Office of Student Services
14. Other members of the platform party:
a. Vice Deans
b. Principal, School of Midwifery
15. Registrar
ii. Faculty members from each colleges arranged by year of acceptance to the
Institute:
1. Faculty Members, College of Medicine
2. Faculty Members, College of Physical Therapy
3. Faculty Members, College of Nursing and School of Midwifery
4. Faculty Members, College of Medical Radiation Technology
5. Faculty Members, General Education Department
iii. Academic Support Personnel
iv. Candidates for degrees from each colleges arranged in descending order and
in alphabetical order:
1. Doctor of Medicine
2. MA in Nursing
3. BS Nursing
4. BS Physical Therapy
5. BS Radiologic Technology
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10. Academic Costume Code
6. Graduate in Midwifery
a. Academic Dress. It is compulsory for the graduating students to wear academic
dress as usually followed by American colleges and universities. Graduates should
wear their gowns and hoods throughout the ceremony. Graduates and all their
guests are required to conform to dress standards, which are appropriate to such an
important event. A dress shirt with tie, dark-colored pants and black leather shoes
are recommended for the gentlemen while a pair of black, closed, high-heeled shoes
and a formal dress are recommended for the ladies. T-shirts, sleeveless shirts,
shorts, trainers, caps, sandals or slippers are not permitted. Graduating students
shall wear the following academic costume:
11. Other Guidelines
i. Gowns. Gowns lend an air of academic greatness to graduation ceremonies.
The design of the gown for the bachelor’s degree has pointed sleeves and is
designed to be worn closed. The gown for the master’s degree has an oblong
sleeve that hangs down in the typical manner. It has a slit for the wrist
opening, but the rest of the arch is closed. Maroon is the dominant color for
medicine while black is the dominant color for the degrees from the
undergraduate colleges. The gown usually falls halfway between the knee
and ankle, and is worn over formal clothing.
ii. Hoods. Graduates shall wear hoods banded with the color associated with
their particular degree (i.e. green for medicine, apricot for MAN and
combination of green and yellow for nursing, green and white for physical
therapy, and tangerine for radiologic technology). No hood is worn by
graduates of non-degree courses. The candidates for graduation who will be
hooded individually should not wear the hood until the degree is actually
conferred except for a candidate for a bachelor’s degree, in which the degrees
are to be conferred en masse.
iii. Caps. The mortar board is recommended. The tassel on the cap of a
candidate for graduation should be on the left side. It is only worn on the
right side of the cap after the conferment of titles or degrees.
a. Accessories.
b. Costs
i. Males shall not wear earrings while dangling earrings are not allowed to be
worn by females.
ii. Nothing else should be worn on the academic gown.
i. Graduation costs shall be limited to the following depending on the number of
graduates:
1. Venue, staging, audio-visual equipment, and lights and sounds
2. Toga rental
3. Medals, diplomas and other credentials
4. Printing of graduation program, invitation, tickets
5. Graduation picture
6. Alumni fee
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7. Food and miscellaneous expense
c. Time. The duration of the graduation rites shall not go beyond four (4) hours.
d. Each candidate for graduation for the non-degree, baccalaureate and master’s degree
is allowed to invite as many as three guests while each candidate for graduation for
Doctor of Medicine is allowed to invite as many as five guests to the graduation
ceremony.
e. Parents or guardians of graduating students with academic honors and special
awards are seated in front.
f. All graduating students must come on time for the processional. Latecomers will be
seated at the back and may only be allowed to join the rest of the graduating class
after receiving his diploma.
g. Ushers and usherettes will be around to guide and assist the graduates and their
guests on graduation day.
h. Only the official photographers are allowed to take pictures during the ceremony.
i. Giving of flowers or gifts is not allowed during the ceremony. Graduates are advised
to wear their corsage or garlands before going to the assembly area.
j. Everyone should observe solemnity during the Baccalaureate Mass and the
Commencement Exercises.
k. Mobile phones must be turned off during the ceremony.
l. Food and drinks are not allowed inside the venue. Smoking is also prohibited inside
the campus.
m. As a sign of courtesy to the graduates whose names will be called last, no one will be
allowed to leave the hall until the ceremony has ended.
n. The recessional is a part of the ceremony. Graduates and guests should maintain an
orderly march.
12. This policy and guidelines shall take effect by AY 2010-2011.
Prepared by:
(Signed)
REYNALDO G. CRUZ, MSPT, PTRP
Endrosed Approval:
(Signed)
RAMONA LUISA P. SANTOS, MD, FPARM
Approved:
(Signed)
BR. AUGUSTINE L. BOQUER FSC, Ed.D.
Registrar Vice Chancellor for Academics President
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