Summer graduates may request a Commencement Appeal due to extenuating circumstances that prevent the graduate from attending the following year’s commencement ceremony.
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. (See Bag Policy below)
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 2:00pm
Dort Financial Event Center 3501 Lapeer Rd. Flint, MI
Commencement will be Live Streamed
Graduation candidates need to arrive NO LATER than 12:30pm. There is NO rehearsal.
Proceed to the downstairs level of the arena. MCC staff will be present to direct the candidates in the commencement lineup.
Graduation candidates are required to wear the traditional black cap and gown for the commencement ceremony. Only solid black regalia will be accepted, with no additional colors or modifications permitted. This ensures uniformity and honors the formality of the occasion.
There is no assigned seating, however Honors College and PTK graduates are invited, but not required, to be seated in the front rows.
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.
It is strongly recommended by Dort Financial Center to avoid bringing bags to events. However, if necessary, attendees may bring:
Traditional attire is required for participation in commencement ceremonies. Graduates may purchase their caps and gowns at the Student Life Center starting April 21, 2025.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cap, Gown & Tassel | $45.00 |
| Extra Tassel | 8.00 |
| Honor Cords | 15.00 |
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 21, 2025! You can purchase your cap and gown in the Student Life Center (Main Campus - CM 1129).
Graduate Honor Reception — Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
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, April 30, 2025. 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.
Contact Information: Call Photography (734) 449-2467 or email [email protected].
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.
Sheldon Neeley is a lifelong resident of Flint. He is a father, small business owner, and a man of God with an enduring commitment to serving his neighbors and his community.
Born September 20, 1969, at Hurley Medical Center, Neeley is the son of Marva Neeley and Sam Neeley. He attended Bunche Elementary School and graduated from Flint Northern High School in 1986. He went on to earn an associate’s degree from Delta Community College and attended Saginaw Valley State University. He spent 27 years working as a broadcast engineer for WJRT-12 in Flint and was the local union president for the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-Communication Workers of America until 2020. He also worked as a counselor in Flint Community Schools for 10 years and served as voluntary CEO of the Flint Inner City Junior Golf League, founded by his father.
His commitment to public service started in 2002 when he joined the Flint Civil Service Commission, a board that investigates claims of wrongdoing at City Hall. In 2005, he was elected to the City Council, the first African-American councilperson elected from the 6th Ward, a racially diverse area serving Flint’s central west side. Re-elected in 2009 and 2013, Neeley successfully passed ordinances to curb truancy and establish University Avenue by renaming the main corridor between the University of Michigan-Flint and Kettering University. In 2014, the residents of Flint elected Neeley to the state House of Representatives serving the city’s 34th District. Neeley won nearly 50 percent of the vote against a pool of eight Democratic primary candidates and went on to nab 91 percent of the vote in the general election. He went on to win landslide re-election victories in 2016 and 2018. In the state House, Neeley fought on behalf of the residents of Flint during the Flint Water Crisis—helping to bring millions of dollars in aid to the city, and changing state law to require residents be informed whenever harmful elements are present in their drinking water.
On Nov. 5, 2019, the residents of Flint elected him mayor based on his pledge to bring transparency and fiscal responsibility to Flint City Hall. Within just a few months, Mayor Neeley spearheaded an operational audit to ensure City Hall operates better and more efficiently, successfully led the city’s proactive response to limit the spread of COVID-19, launched a major initiative to Fight Blight, and continued his lifelong fight for equity with multiple local reforms. The voters returned Neeley to Flint City Hall for a second mayoral term in November 2022.
Neeley married Cynthia Renay in 1992. Together, they have two children, Taylor and Morgan. He is a member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, an avid golfer who rarely has time to hit the links, and a relentless champion of Flint who regularly sums up his life simply by saying, “I’m blessed.”
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.
