The Commencement ceremony is an opportunity for MCC to pay special tribute to its graduates for the outstanding efforts they have shown in earning their degree or certificate.
Congratulations! You've made it!
Our commencement ceremony is held once a year in the Dort Financial Event Center (formerly Perani Arena) at the end of the Winter semester.
The Event Center has instituted required bag checks for everyone entering the arena. Our Public Safety will be conducting these as quickly as possible, but there will be delay in entering the facility. Please plan accordingly and also remember lines into the parking lot will be long as well.
Date & Time:
Saturday, Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 2:00pm
Commencement Ceremony Location:
Dort Financial Event Center 3501 Lapeer Rd. Flint, MI
Commencement will be Live Streamed
Arrival Time:
Graduation candidates need to arrive NO LATER than 12:30pm. There is NO rehearsal.
Assembly Location:
Proceed to the downstairs level of the arena. MCC staff will be present to direct the candidates in the commencement lineup.
Regalia:
Graduation candidates MUST wear traditional cap and gown.
Seating:
There is no assigned seating, however Honors College and PTK graduates are invited, but not required, to be seated in the front rows.
Calling to the Stage:
Degree/Certificate Presentation:
Only your name will be read at the stage; not your degree or certificate. The graduate is called to the stage only once, even if several degrees or certificates are conferred.
Traditional attire is required for participation in commencement ceremonies. Graduates may purchase their caps and gowns at the Student Life Center the from of April 17 - April 22, 2023. (see times below)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cap, Gown & Tassel | $35.00 |
| Extra Tassel | 5.00 |
| Honor Cords | 12.00 |
Honor Cords designation by color
White cords: 3.0 - 3.4999 "Graduation with honors"
Silver cords: 3.5 - 3.999 "Graduation with high honors"
Gold cords: 4.0 "Graduation with highest honors"
Cap & Gown Sales starts on April 17, 2023! You can purchase your cap and gown in the Student Life Center (Main Campus - CM 1129).
Graduate Honor Reception — Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
Eligible graduates who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher in their studies will be invited to a college-wide Graduate Honors Reception to be held on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Students who qualify receive an invitation from the Office of the Student Academic Success Vice President. Invited grads, families and friends must RSVP as tickets are limited. Graduates will receive their honors pins and those earning an Associate degree with a 4.0 GPA along with the Paul Karr and Phil Braun award winners will be recognized during the ceremony.
Paul Karr Award
The Paul Karr Award is awarded each year to the graduate chosen to represent the
class as its best citizen on the basis of scholarship based on number of credits and
GPA, character and service. This honor is noted on the student’s permanent record.
Phil Braun Award
Recognition is awarded each year to the graduate most outstanding in scholarship.
This honor is noted on the student‘s permanent record.
Graduation with Honors Designations
Students graduating with a cumulative 3.0 – 4.0 GPA will receive one of the following
notations
on their Associates Degree transcript:
A photographer will be present at the graduation ceremony to take photos before the ceremony and when you walk across the stage to receive your diploma. The company will send you information about ordering photos shortly after the ceremony.
This year the Event Center has instituted required bag checks for everyone entering the arena. Our Public Safety will be conducting these as quickly as possible, but there will be delay in entering the facility. Please plan accordingly and also remember lines into the parking lot will be long as well.
Location:
Dort Financial Event Center 3501 Lapeer Rd. Flint, MI
Please advise your family and friends to arrive early. There is NO reserved seating. Doors open at 12:30pm.
All parking at Dort Financial Event Center is FREE for the Graduation ceremony.
If you require special accommodations such as a stage ramp for a physical disability, or an interpreter for the deaf, please call (810) 762-0237 and email [email protected] so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Ridgway H. White became president of the Mott Foundation in 2015, as the Flint water crisis was still unfolding. White led the Foundation’s swift approval of a $4 million grant to help the city reconnect to the Detroit water system and begin the process of bringing clean water back to the community. He subsequently led the charge on Mott’s commitment in 2016 to provide up to $100 million over five years to help the city recover and rise from the crisis — a commitment that was fulfilled in just over four years and subsequently exceeded. White is a vocal champion of the Foundation’s support for a “one-water” approach to managing the nation’s drinking water, storm water and wastewater systems. He is an ardent believer in the power of community foundations to be local leaders of positive change, both in the U.S. and around the world. He also has been the driving force behind the development of Mizzen by Mott, an app that aims to deliver outstanding content to afterschool providers nationwide at no cost to them.
As part of White’s earlier program work for the Foundation, he also served as a loaned executive for the Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, a nonprofit organization focused on revitalizing Flint. Over the course of a decade, he oversaw the development of over 1 million square feet of mixed-use space, paving the way for numerous new businesses and restaurants to open. Notable projects included the creation of the Flint Health and Wellness District, a four-block area that is now home to the Flint Farmers’ Market and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. The Urban Land Institute Michigan and University of Michigan recognized the project with their Development/Redevelopment of the Year Award in 2014.
In a spirit of social entrepreneurship, White took it upon himself to build two schools that share a campus in the city of Flint. The project resulted in a new state-of-the-art home for the Michigan School for the Deaf, which is operated by the state of Michigan, and Powers Catholic High School.
White is a graduate of Hobart College, where he studied architecture, economics and urban planning. He serves as chair of the board of directors of U.S. Sugar and also serves on the boards of the Council of Michigan Foundations, Council on Foundations, The C.S. Harding Foundation, Isabel Foundation, Detroit Regional Partnership and Ayablu, a licensee of Burt’s Bees doing business as Burt’s Bees Baby. He is a member of YPO, the global leadership community of chief executives. White is past chair of the National Center for Family Philanthropy and the Sloan Museum governing council. He also served on Gov. Whitmer’s Return to School advisory committee and as co-chair of CMF’s COVID-19 Working Group.
Congratulations, you are a graduate and eligible to join the MCC Alumni Association!
Sign-up in the Alumni & Friends Registry to keep in touch with your classmates and MCC. There is no membership fee.
Remember, you will receive your degree or certificate by mail approximately 6 weeks after final grades are posted.
Your degree will take you farther at a 4-year university/college.
With our partnerships and transfer agreements with universities/colleges, your completed degree credits transfer towards your Bachelor's Degree.
