Commencement

A professional photographer from MJ Thomas will be at the ceremony. They will be taking two photos of each graduate, one holding the diploma and the other shaking hands with the President. Guests may take pictures from their seats.  

The week after graduation all graduates will receive a text and/or email with a link to order pictures from Graduation. If you have any questions or concerns please contact MJ Thomas directly at [email protected].

Stocker Stadium Map

Use the Commencement Traffic Flow Map and the May 2023 Stocker Stadium Seating Map as you reference the instructions below.

Arriving at the Ceremony

The venues and parking lots will not open until one hour before each ceremony. For those attending the 8 AM ceremony, please make post-ceremony arrangements to leave the parking lot by 10:15 to avoid congestion of those arriving at 10:30 for the second ceremony.   

Parking

Guests and ceremony participants are strongly encouraged to park in the Lincoln Park main lot. Car pooling is encouraged. See the Commencement Traffic Flow Map for parking lot and pedestrian entrances. Note that the 12th street parking lot entrance only allows a right-turn entrance and exit. Those heading south on 12th street will need to use the Gunnison Avenue parking lot entrance. The North Avenue entrance will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians.

Entering the Stadium 

• Guests can enter the stadium the main entrance from the Lincoln Park main lot or enter through the 12th street entrance. See the Stocker Stadium Seating map above for details. 
• Graduates and faculty - Enter the pre-ceremony staging area using the walkway along the outfield fence of Suplizio Field from the main parking lot. See the Traffic Flow map above for details.  
• The North Avenue stadium entrance will be closed. Arriving at this entrance will require you to walk around to the other entrances.

Guests:

• Bring weather appropriate gear such as sunscreen, jacket, boots, hats, gloves, poncho, umbrella, etc.
• Seating is on either side of the Stocker Stadium. Limited seating is available on the north side of the field behind the roped off area for the graduates. Guests are not allowed in any of the reserved areas.  
• ADA seating is limited to the ADA guest plus one and is available on a first come, first serve basis. 
• A professional photographer will be at the ceremony. Guests may take pictures from their seats.

Graduates:

Spring 2023 Commencement Instructions for Graduates (printable PDF)

• Bring your cap, gown, tassel, name card, and honors cords if applicable. The tassel should start on the right side of the mortarboard.  
• Bring weather appropriate gear such as sunscreen, jacket, boots, hats, gloves, poncho, umbrella, etc.

Graduates will need to go to the pre-ceremony staging area by using the walkway along the outfield fence of Suplizio Field baseball stadium from the main parking lot. Follow the directional signs to the north baseball stands. Graduates should check their name card for processional group A, B, or C, then follow the signs and sit in that section of the baseball stands.  For those that didn't pick up their name card, it can be picked up at a table in that same area.

Faculty and staff marshals will guide graduates from the baseball stands into the main ceremony at the start of the ceremony and throughout the ceremony as needed.

Walking across the stage:

When it is time to walk across the stage, the commencement marshals will instruct your row to proceed to the stage. Stay in your same seating order as you wait to go to the stage.

Photographers will scan your barcode before the stage and take a picture.

 As you arrive on stage, hand your name card to the announcer and walk to the President. Reach out and hold the diploma cover up with your left hand, shake the President's hand with your right hand underneath, look at the camera and smile for the professional photographer.

After exiting the stage, proceed back to your seat.

Turning of the Tassel

The 4.0 baccalaureate students and the departmental honors students will be directed by the speaker to stand and lead the turning of the tassels from right of the mortarboard to left. This will be followed by the CMU fight song.

End of the ceremony

Once the fight song has finished, remain at your seat until commencement speaker has closed the ceremony. There is no recessional. Feel free to congratulate your fellow graduates. At that time, if you have family and friends who want to meet you, we recommend you have a pre-arranged meeting place in the stadium. For those attending the 8 AM ceremony, please make post-ceremony arrangements to leave the parking lot at 10:15 to avoid congestion of those arriving at 10:30 for the second ceremony.

Caps, Gown, and Name Card Pickup

• Wednesday, May 10 - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Thursday, May 11 - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Where?  The Maverick Store interior entrance next to the UC first floor stage. 

Please bring a picture ID to pick up the following:

• Cap and Gown: All online orders placed for in-store pick up will be available. You can also purchase stoles of gratitude, hoods, alumni gear, and more.
• Name Card: The Registrar's Office will print your name card for the ceremony. You will need to bring it with you on commencement day, as it is used to read your name as you walk across the stage.
• Academic Honors Cords (if applicable): The Registrar's Office will have honors cords for students who have a CMU 3.50 GPA or higher, earning a baccalaureate or associate degree, and will complete all requirements by the end of the Spring 2023 semester.

If you are unable to pick up your items on these two days, you may stop by The Maverick Store for the cap and gown followed by the Registrar's Office for the name card prior to commencement day.  

More information on Caps, Gowns, Hoods, Stoles and Tassels

• A limited number of caps, gowns, hoods and stoles will available for purchase in-store at The Maverick Store.
• Check out our wide selection of custom stoles to celebrate your exceptional achievement! We have a variety of stoles celebrating specific departments and clubs, First Generation, Pride, Women, CMU, and many more!
• Commemorative tassels, alumni mugs and other alumni related gifts are available in store or through the Maverick Store website.
• Items will also be available for purchase the day of commencement. We will have items for sale just inside the main entrance at Stoker Stadium one hour prior to each ceremony.
• Alumni gifts are available for purchase at our main location at 1455 N. 12th Street or online at The Maverick Store website.

Diploma Frames

• The Maverick Store stocks a variety of unique diploma frames available in store at The Maverick Store website. To customize your diploma frame visit Church Hill Classics or University Frames.

Questions? Please call The Maverick Store at 970.248.1422 or email [email protected].

Students are eligible to participate in a commencement ceremony based on which semester they complete their graduation requirements.

• Summer Term* - December Commencement
• Fall Term - December or May Commencement
• Spring Term - May Commencement 

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they are enrolled in the necessary courses or have a plan on file with the Registrar’s Office using the “Graduation Planning Sheet” or DegreeWorks Plan which outlines how all requirements will be met. In the four months prior to the ceremony, students must be on track to complete all requirements to remain eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony.

*Summer graduates may participate in the preceding May ceremony only if they are registered by April 15 for one or more summer courses that do not exceed six credits or an internship course that does not exceed 12 credits. The student must be able to finish the summer coursework by the end of the summer term.

After grades post at the end of each term, the Registrar's Office reviews the DegreeWorks reports for all students who submitted an Intent to Graduate. Please be patient as it takes up to six weeks to review all graduates and change the Graduation Application Status in DegreeWorks to either awarded or denied. Students may review their own DegreeWorks report to check if all requirements were met.

The CMU transcript is the official document to verify degree completion. Awarded degrees will show on the official and unofficial transcript. If you need a copy of your official transcript prior to the degree award, please be sure to check "Hold for Degree Statement."

CMU issues one diploma per degree approximately eight weeks after the degree is awarded.  Additional copies may be purchased online through the Duplicate Diploma Request. 

CMU and WCCC graduates automatically become members of the Alumni Association.  An alumni card and other information about the Alumni Association will be mailed to each graduate within about two months of graduation.  In the meantime, graduates are encouraged to register for the MyMesa Alumni Portal and learn more about the services and benefits of the Alumni Association.