Ceremony Conduct Agreement
Commencement is intended to be a festive occasion celebrating the accomplishments of our students. However, it is also ceremonial. Graduates are expected to abide by the following guidelines:
- Graduates should remain in their seats during the entire ceremony.
- Restrooms will be closed for the walk to the stage.
- Wandering around the floor of the stadium and visiting with guests in the stands is prohibited.
- Students are asked to make judicious use of phones and not use them during the formal speaking portions of the ceremony. Further information about what items are permitted at Husky Stadium is available on the Security Information page.
- 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 who are walking (those with purple tickets) are expected to return to their seats after they walk and remain there until all students have walked and the members of the stage party have exited the stage. Please plan post-ceremony activities accordingly. Those who are not walking (gold tickets) will be directed to exit points and photography following the conferral of degrees.
Start Early
Start your day early, as traffic to Husky Stadium will be heavy. Students are expected to be in their seats by 1:25 p.m. If arriving after that time you will be held at the entrance to the field until the procession of faculty and university leadership is completed. Consider the extra time it will take to park the car, get to the Outdoor Practice Field, and find your seat on the field in the stadium. (Faculty marshals will be there to greet you and help you get seated.) We recommend using the Link Light Rail system for less stressful travel.
Check in at 12:00 p.m.
All graduates will enter on the Outdoor Practice Field (east of Husky Stadium – see map).
- Present both your ticket and your Husky card or state-issued photo ID. Hold on to your ticket! Our faculty marshals will want to see it once you enter the stadium field.
- Be prepared to open your gowns for visual inspection. No backpacks allowed. Do not bring bags, purses, etc., as there is no secure location to store them and they are not allowed on the field.
- Upon entering, you will receive
- A small card with the order of events and a link to the full Commencement program.
- A bottle of water.
- You will then pass through our photographers and continue to the stadium field, where faculty marshals will ask to see your ticket and direct you to your seating section. All graduates not in their seats by 1:25 p.m. will be held until the opening procession of faculty and university leadership has concluded.
Commencement Apparel
All gowns are fastened in the front. Mortarboards should be adjusted to remain level on your head and your tassel should hang on the left side at all times. Honor cords are worn around the neck and should hang evenly. If you have a problem or question regarding your apparel, please contact the Office of Ceremonies at (206) 543-2592. Oak Hall will have booths on the Outdoor Practice Field on Commencement Day, to address any last minute needs or confusions about how to wear your apparel.
Names in the Commencement Program
Only those students who received degrees Summer 2024, Autumn 2024, Winter 2025, and the candidates of Spring 2025 are named in this year’s Commencement program. If you are receiving a degree during Summer Quarter 2025, your name will be listed in the following year’s Commencement program.
The Ceremony Experience
This year graduates have chosen one of two experiences:
Instructions for Experience 1 (purple ticket holders):
- These graduates will be seated on the field and up into the back bowl, depending upon their arrival time.
- Graduates will be directed to the stage by the marshals – doctoral candidates first, followed by master’s, then bachelor’s. Smile for the cameras. Accept your diploma cover with both hands – no hand shaking. Your image will appear on the HuskyTron.
- Doctoral degree graduates will be given a card that they will present before they go to the stage. The card will be scanned, allowing their name and field of specialization to be shown on the HuskyTron screen under their image as they receive their diploma memento.
- After walking, all graduates return to their seats until the ceremony concludes.
- Be in your seat when a special guest joins the celebration and we take the Class photo!
- 4 graduates will each receive a round-trip ticket from Alaska Airlines to anywhere in the United States plus a $100 Starbucks gift card. The winners will be selected from their seats during the recession of the stage party.
Experience 2 (gold ticket holders):
- These graduates will be seated in the west end lower bowl.
- They walk up the stairs to the concourse level after degrees are conferred.
- On the concourse they
- Receive their memento (diploma cover)
- Have their portrait photo taken with the stadium, stage and HuskyTron in the background (optional)
- Are then free to meet up with their friends and family and enjoy the rest of the day.