WILLISTON, N.D. - With record-breaking graduates in 2017, Williston State College's internal program: Gear up for Graduation, has again seen increased numbers in early application submissions.

WSC hosted four "Gear Up" days throughout October to help students apply for graduation and answer any questions they might have.  Though it seems early to prep for graduation, WSC has several students who can graduate this fall. The application deadline for fall graduates is November 1, 2017 and April 1, 2018 for spring and summer graduates.

"To keep graduation numbers consistent from last year we have tried to get creative about how we talk about graduation with our students," stated Crystal Hotchkiss, WSC's Registrar, Research Analyst. From posting on social media and the campus TVs to emails and conversations with advisors and coaches, the team approach to has been successful over the past two years because of its focus on communicating with students.

"Using multiple approaches to foster communication has played a huge part in the past two years to increase our graduation numbers and engage students in the conversation," explained Hotchkiss. "We explain to our students why applying early is important for class schedule planning and how simple the process is."

An online, fillable form can be completed on mobile devices or computers in less than five minutes. "We listened to what caused hiccups in the past and tried to streamline the process," Hotchkiss stated. "Our increase showed us that our approach was successful."

Last May, WSC saw an increase in students graduating (222) and students participating in the ceremony (186), an increase from 2016's Commencement that had 167 students graduate and 101 students participate. WSC's fifty-seven commencement ceremony will be held May 11, 2018 in the Well at 10:00 a.m.

If you have any questions if you are eligible for graduation, please contact Crystal Hotchkiss at 701.774.4267 or to apply for graduation, please visit www.willistonstate.edu/graduate