Commencement vs. Graduation
Registering for Commencement and applying for graduation are two different things—two different processes. Commencement is the ceremony that celebrates your academic accomplishments as you complete your degree. Participating in a ceremony does not mean you have earned your degree. Some students are still in process while others have already completed their requirements. Graduation is when a student has completed their degree requirements, verified by the Office of the Registrar, and the degree is awarded, and official university records are updated.
To participate in a Fall or Spring Commencement ceremony, you must have applied for graduation in addition to registering for your specific Commencement ceremony in the semester you wish to participate.
If you have questions whether you are on track to graduate and receive your degree, please contact the Office of the Registrar at records@humboldt.edu.
If you have questions whether you have registered for Commencement, please contact the Commencement Coordinator at grad@humboldt.edu.
Commencement Registration
Student registration to participate in Spring 2025 Commencement is open! The deadline to register is April 9. If you missed the registration deadline and would still like to participate, please email grad@humbold.edu.
Regalia & Memorabilia
A black cap and a black gown are required to participate in a Commencement ceremony. Caps, gowns, tassels, hoods, and more will be available to purchase online through Herff Jones from February 5 through March 28 at 8:59 p.m. PST. Online orders can be shipped to a home address or picked up at the Cal Poly Humboldt Campus Store's on-campus location on the second floor of the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center building around May 1.
Missed the online deadline? Regalia packages and individual items will be available for purchase directly at The Campus Store's on-campus location on the second floor of the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center building after March 26. They are open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays. If you have any questions regarding regalia, please contact The Campus Store at (707) 826-3741.
The Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) is also offering cap and gown rentals. Please contact them for more details at ccat@humboldt.edu.
At Commencement, you can wear sashes, stoles, and cords over your black gown, if desired. These items serve as a keepsake to acknowledge your accomplishments and to remember your time at Cal Poly Humboldt, but are not required for participation. Check out the regalia page for more details.
A Grad Fair hosted by The Campus Store will be held on March 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at their on-campus location. This will be a one stop shop for all Commencement and graduation needs. Campus departments such as Commencement, the Office of the Registrar, Forever Humboldt Alumni Association, Graduate Studies, etc., will be present. GradImages, our graduation photography vendor, will also be present to take cap and gown portraits.
Caps and gowns can be recycled for future grad use. Donations can be made after your ceremony to Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) or The Campus Store.
If you have any questions regarding regalia or the Grad Fair, please contact The Campus Store at (707) 826-3741.
Guest Tickets
Guest tickets to attend a Commencement ceremony are not required for entry at this time. For planning purposes, you will be asked to RSVP the number of guests attending as part of the graduate registration process. Registered guest counts will be considered in the planning process as capacity at the venue is limited. Accommodations for additional guests after registration closes may not be possible, so please be as accurate as you can. All seating is first come, first served.
Accommodations
Graduates in need of disability-related accommodations to participate in Commencement will be asked to provide these details when registering for Commencement. The Commencement Coordinator will work together with the Campus Disability Resource Center to arrange reasonable accommodations. Some accommodations may take several weeks to arrange. If you registered for Commencement and requested an accommodation, you will be contacted directly by the Campus Disability Resource Center with specific details. If you would like to contact the Campus Disability Resource Center, they can be reached at (707) 826-4678 or sdrc@humboldt.edu.
If your guests are in need of disability-related accommodations, we ask you to please provide those details when registering for Commencement.
Parking & Accessibility
For the on-campus ceremonies, graduates and guests may park in all general lots on campus, but G11, G12, G13, and G14 are recommended. Parking permits are not required on the day of Commencement and all meters within campus are free to use except those on Rossow, Harpst and B streets.
The green lots shown on the Commencement event map (coming soon) are open for graduate/guest/general parking and the blue lots are recommended for ADA and shuttle access. No general vehicle traffic, parking or drop-off will be allowed past the barricades at 17th and Union Streets or Laurel Drive and B Street due to pedestrian safety. Please note: 17th Street will have single lane west bound traffic only on Commencement day due to shuttle access needs.
ADA parking is available in FS9 (the faculty/staff parking lot at the end of Rossow Street, between Gist Hall and Student Business Services). Shuttles for those with mobility issues will run continuously from the FS9 lot by Gist Hall at the end of Rossow Street and will drop off at the south entrance of Redwood Bowl in between the Recreation & Wellness Center and Forbes Gym. The number of shuttles available is limited which may result in lengthy waits at the shuttle pick up and drop off locations. If you do wish to utilize the shuttles, we encourage you to plan to arrive at the pick-up location early. If needed, graduates and guests can also utilize the accessible paths of travel (please see campus ADA map for details).
Due to the limited number of shuttles available for the on-campus ceremonies for those with mobility limitations, the shuttles will be prioritizing getting graduates and their guests to and from Redwood Bowl and the parking lots. Unfortunately, we will not be able to take anyone to receptions or celebrations.
American Sign Language Interpreters will provide in person interpretation at the ceremony, and they will be located near the stage. They will be interpreting the script with the exception of graudate names during the presentation of degrees. If a graduate or guest would like a name interpreted, there will be a request form near the interpreter's designated location. Graduates will need to be identified to the ASL Interpreter when the graduate is lined-up near the stage. Ushers are available to assist in this process.
The Center for Translation & Interpretation will be offering live in person simultaneous interpretation for Spanish speakers. They will have a table at the south end of Redwood Bowl where guests can check out devices before the ceremony. An item must be left with them for collateral (such as keys, ID, etc.). They ask that devices are returned immediately after the ceremony for further Commencement event usage. Devices will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
For the Regional Commencement, information about accessibility accommodations will be forthcoming to those that register.
Please contact grad@humboldt.edu if you have questions about accommodations.
Check-in
For the on-campus ceremonies, arrive with your cap and gown in hand at the line up area, located in the West Gym (Recreation and Wellness Center 202) no later than:
8:15 a.m. | College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
11:15 a.m. | College of Natural Resources & Sciences
2:15 p.m. | College of Professional Studies
For the Regional Commencement, arrive with your cap and gown in hand at The Saban Theatre no later than:
1:15 p.m. | All Colleges
A no-touch visual search for any illegal or prohibited items will take place upon entry and then you may put on your cap and gown. Once inside the line up area, you will be directed to pick up your name card (if you haven't done so already) and assemble in the processional line by major.
Name Reader Card
Name reader card pick-up lines can be long for the on-campus ceremonies. You have the option of picking up your pre-printed name reader card on two different days. For the on-campus ceremonies, your name reader card can be picked up the day before Commencement in the Admissions Lobby (Student Business Services building) between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or on Commencement Day one hour before your on-campus ceremony in the West Gym (Recreation & Wellness Center 202).
If you are participating in the Regional Commencement, please pick up your name reader card at The Saban Theatre before your ceremony.
Hold onto your card before and during your Commencement ceremony—as you enter the stage, you'll need to present it to the Stage Manager, so your name is read as you cross the stage.
Processional
The Mace Bearer and Student Marshals will lead graduates into the Commencement venue, followed by the Faculty Marshals, the general faculty and staff, and the Platform Party. You must stay in line with your major as you exit the line up area and enter the venue to your seat. Please do not stop for photos or to talk with family and friends. Marshals and ushers will direct you to your seats.
For the on-campus ceremonies, graduates will file out of the line up area in two single file lines.
For the regional ceremony, graduates will file out of the line up area in one single file line.
During Ceremony
For the on-campus ceremonies:
- Following the cue, you will be directed to exit your seat and line up near the stage one row at a time.
- You will stop at two locations to take a posed photo before lining up at the stage entrance.
- When it is your turn, hand your name reader card to the stage manager, and cross the stage as your name is read.
- Move to the floor marker on the stage in front of the podium and receive your diploma cover. Pause and face the photographer for a photo centerstage.
- After the photo, marshals and ushers will direct you to exit the stage and return to your seat.
- For master’s candidates, you’ll be instructed on how to hold your hood. You will be hooded on stage prior to receiving your diploma cover.
- Following the reading of the graduate names, degrees will be conferred, and you will be asked to switch your tassel from the right side of your cap to the left. Please ask your guests to stay for this celebratory moment.
Information about what to expect during the Regional Commencement ceremony is similar except that your posed photo will be taken after you receive your diploma cover when you exit the stage.
Recessional
For all ceremonies, after the closing remarks, there will be a musical cue for the Mace Bearer to lead the Platform Party, faculty, staff, and graduates out of the venue with the assistance of the marshals and ushers. Exiting will be prompted one row at a time. After graduates have left, guests will be directed to exit.
Diploma
You will receive a diploma cover at the Commencement ceremony when you cross the stage. After your degree is verified and awarded, your official diploma will be mailed. Learn when to expect your diploma and your options for how your name is printed on diplomas & transcripts. If you have any questions about your diploma, please contact the Office of the Registrar at 707-826-4101 or records@humboldt.edu.
Things to Remember
- The on-campus Commencement will be held outdoors and will go on rain or shine. Please be prepared for any weather.
- In the event of an emergency, remain calm and listen for instructions from the stage.
- Please stay for the entire ceremony out of respect for your classmates and your families.
- Humboldt is smoke- and tobacco-free and smoking is not permitted anywhere on the Humboldt Campus.
- Dogs are not allowed in Redwood Bowl or in any campus building, with the exception of service animals. This rule applies to The Saban Theatre venue as well.
- Confetti poppers and cannons are not allowed in the audience or graduate seating area as part of Humboldt's commitment to environmental sustainability and venue agreement. Anything that could cause a distraction (toys, balloons, beach balls, etc.) is prohibited and can be confiscated.
- Bring your own reusable water bottle and encourage your guests to do the same. There will be hydration stations for graduate and guest use for the on-campus ceremonies.
- Graduates in need of disability-related accommodations to participate in Commencement will be asked to provide these details when registering for Commencement. The Commencement Coordinator will work together with the Campus Disability Resource Center to arrange reasonable accommodations. Some accommodations may take several weeks to arrange. If you requested an accommodation during registration, you will be contacted directly by the Campus Disability Resource Center with specific details. If you would like to contact the Campus Disability Resource Center, they can be reached at (707) 826-4678 or sdrc@humboldt.edu.
Watch Online
The on-campus ceremonies will be livestreamed so that families, friends, and the campus community can watch and help graduates celebrate their big moment. Live captioning will be provided on the livestream in English and in Spanish. The links to the livestream will be available on the day of the event on the Commencement website and humboldt.edu. Guests can simply click on the link to view (no registration needed). A video will be available to watch online after the ceremony at commencement.humboldt.edu in the weeks following.
Photos
GradImages photographers will be on hand to capture official graduation portraits at all ceremonies. After the ceremony, you’ll be sent a link to preview your images. There is no obligation to purchase photos. Graduates can pre-order Commencement photos and get 20% off.
Graduates consent to having portraits and candid photos taken by Commencement photographers. Candid photos may be used in Humboldt publications, website, and social media. If you do not wish to be photographed, email grad@humboldt.edu.
Commencement Flowers
Leis and other Commencement flowers from Haggerty Designs will be available for purchase for the on-campus ceremonies. They offer local delivery or pick up options. Pre-sales are available and are recommended to ensure availability. The last day to pre-order is May 1. Limited supplies will also be available for purchase day of Commencement.
Congratulations! Remember to stay connected to campus through Forever Humboldt.
