Student Instructions & Itinerary

These are the instructions and itinerary for the Commencement ceremonies.

Start early

Start your day early, as traffic to Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion will be heavy. Commencement is one event where it’s not fashionable to be late! Consider the extra time it will take to get to Dempsey Field for check-in.

What to bring

  • Proof of identification (driver’s license, student ID, passport).
  • Cap, gown, tassel (and hood, if applicable).
  • Comfortable footwear you can walk in. You will be walking up and down stairs and on uneven ground.

What not to bring

  • Backpacks, handbags, etc. Students are encouraged to not bring any bags as there is no secure location to store them, and they are not allowed on the ceremony floor. Anything you have must be carried with you as you cross the stage because you will not be returning to the same seat after the conferral.
  • Infants or children. Infants or children are not permitted in the check in area or on the ceremony floor.
  • Balloons, air horns and noise makers. These items are not permitted inside Alaska Airlines Arena. For a full list of prohibited items, please visit Alaska Airlines Arena’s website.

What to expect

Purple Ceremony

9 a.m.

  • Student check-in at Dempsey Field. Guests of students enter through the main entrance at 10 a.m. Be prepared to open your gowns for visual inspection.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Students arriving after 10:30 a.m. are not guaranteed to sit with their school.

10:30 a.m.

  • Line-up will begin. You will be sitting by school. The people on either side of you will be seated next to you. If you wish to sit beside someone during the ceremony, you should march behind or in front of one another.

11 a.m.

  • Processional begins.

1 p.m. (estimated)

  • Purple Ceremony ends.
  • Graduates are to remain standing at their seats until all members of the stage party have left the stage and cleared the ceremony floor.
  • Family and friends are welcome to join you outside the arena, but they are not permitted on the ceremony floor.
  • Please plan post-ceremony activities accordingly.

Gold Ceremony

2 p.m.

  • Student check-in at Dempsey Field. Guests of students enter through the main entrance at 3 p.m. Be prepared to open your gowns for visual inspection.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Students arriving after 3:30 p.m. are not guaranteed to sit with their school.

3:30 p.m.

  • Line-up will begin. You will be sitting by school. The people on either side of you will be seated next to you. If you wish to sit beside someone during the ceremony, you should march behind or in front of one another.

4 p.m.

  • Processional begins.

6 p.m. (estimated)

  • Gold Ceremony ends.
  • Graduates are to remain standing at their seats until all members of the stage party have left the stage and cleared the ceremony floor.
  • Family and friends are welcome to join you outside the arena, but they are not permitted on the ceremony floor.
  • Please plan post-ceremony activities accordingly.

Ceremony conduct agreement

Commencement is intended to be a festive occasion celebrating the accomplishments of students. However, it is also ceremonial. Graduates are expected to abide by the following guidelines:

  • Graduates must follow any public health directives in place on June 9 regarding the wearing of masks, vaccination or COVID-19 testing.
  • Graduates should remain in their seats during the entire ceremony, unless using the restrooms.
  • Wandering around the floor of the stadium and visiting with guests in the stands is prohibited.
  • Cell phones are permitted, but out of courtesy for other participants, students are asked to make judicious use of phones and not use them during the formal speaking portions of the ceremony.
  • It is particularly important that students respect their fellow students and the faculty, administrators and guests who have come to witness and participate in the conferring of their degrees. For this reason, graduates are expected to return to their seats after they cross the stage and remain there until all students have walked and the members of the stage party have exited the stage.