Commencement

THE COLLEGE-WIDE CEREMONY
The seventieth Commencement of the College of Staten Island will take place on Thursday, May 30, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. The ceremony will be held outdoors on the Great Lawn, rain or shine. You will need to be at the College no later than 8:15 a.m. to participate in this ceremony. Report to the building where your major is. Degree candidates receiving an Associate degree of Liberal Arts and Science, (A.A. or A.S. degrees) should meet in front of the Campus Center (Building 1C).
 

The Commencement ceremony will be live-streamed to watch online. Live-streaming will be available by 9:00 a.m. on May 30th.
 

Departmental exercises will follow the College-wide ceremony.  Please find more information on these ceremonies below.
 

PARKING AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
Please be mindful that parking is limited and will be available at all marked lots on campus and make every effort to carpool to the College when possible. Please convey this to your guests as well.
 

Please note that all MTA buses (including the S93) will stop at the main gate on Victory Boulevard and a CSI shuttle bus will pick people up and bring them onto campus near the Great Lawn.
 

Preparing for the Ceremony

CAP AND GOWN
All degree candidates (for January, June and August) must be measured for and pick up their cap and gown on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 between 12:00 noon and 8:00 p.m. or on Thursday, May 23, 2019 between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. in the Campus Center, 1C, Room 209. The order form is here. You may keep your cap and gown after the ceremony.

If you are unable to pick up your cap and gown during these times, you may send a friend or family member. Please provide them with a completed, signed copy of the cap and gown order form.
 

INVITATIONS
Commencement invitations will be distributed with caps and gowns for memorabilia, on May 21, 2019 and May 23, 2019, in the Campus Center (Building 1C, Room 209).
If you would like to have additional copies of invitations you may pick them up in the Office of Student Life, in the Campus Center (Building 1C, Room 201).
 

THE PROGRAM
The Commencement program is not available until the day of Commencement. Additional copies of the commencement program may be picked up during the week following commencement in the Office of Student Life, Campus Center (Building 1C, Room 201). These extra copies will be available for only one week after commencement. 
 

Day of the Ceremony

ROBING AND LINING UP FOR THE PROCESSION
You will report in cap and gown to the building where your major is by 8:15 a.m. If you are receiving an Associate degree of Liberal Arts and Science (A.A. or A.S.) please meet in front of the Campus Center (Building 1C). Degree candidates and faculty will be led to Alumni Walk by faculty marshals at 8:45 a.m. from the designated meeting locations.
 

ROBING INSTRUCTIONS
Caps are to be worn flat on the head. Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree candidates wear tassels on the right; Master's degree candidates wear them on the left. Since the procession and ceremony will be held outdoors, it is suggested that degree candidates take weather conditions into consideration and wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Robing, lining up, and moving in the academic procession involves being on your feet for a considerable length of time. Therefore, comfortable footwear is recommended.
 

SECURING PERSONAL BELONGINGS
There will be no place for securing personal belongings. Bring with you only items that you can carry. No backpacks, fanny packs, umbrellas, or any other bags will be allowed in the procession.
 

THE COLLEGE-WIDE CEREMONY
You, as a degree candidate, will be led by a member of the faculty or a graduating student who will be carrying the departmental banner. All candidates must be assembled by department along Alumni Walk by 8:45 a.m. Departmental signs will be posted, so you may easily identify your group. Within departments, you will line up in the following order: Associate’s degree candidates, Bachelor's degree candidates, Master's degree candidates, and Sixth‑Year Certificate candidates. Faculty from each department will follow. The procession will move from Alumni Walk, through the Center for the Arts courtyard, through the Atrium onto the Great Lawn. 
 

DECORUM
The Commencement ceremony lasts about two hours and is a serious occasion. All participants are expected to comport themselves appropriately during the ceremony. Cell phones and other electronic devices should be switched off or to vibration mode during the ceremony.
 

PRESENTATION OF DEGREE CANDIDATES AND CONFERRING OF DEGREES
The Provost for Academic Affairs formally presents each group of degree candidates (A.A., A.S., A.A.S., B.A., B.S., B.FA, M.A., M.S., M.S.Ed., and Sixth Year Certificates) to the President. January and June graduates will be presented first, followed by August graduates. The Provost will ask each group to rise and remain standing until all degrees have been conferred. The President will read a statement conferring degrees. At the conclusion of the President’s statement, all Bachelor’s and Associate’s degree candidates may move the tassels on their caps from right to left.
 

RECESSIONAL
At the close of the exercises, graduates will be led from the Great Lawn by the faculty marshals.
 

DEPARTMENTAL EXERCISES
Departmental exercises take place immediately following the College-wide ceremony to honor you in a smaller ceremony by the department from which you are receiving your degree. Be sure to proceed directly to the location of your departmental exercises from the Great Lawn. You will receive additional information about the departmental exercises from your department. If you have questions about these ceremonies, please call your department.
 

Please make sure that your guests know the name of the department and location of where your departmental exercises will take place. The campus map may help them get there. Guests should proceed to the site of the departmental exercises immediately following the College-wide ceremony and be seated. You will meet them there. Note: Some departmental exercises may require a ticket. Please confirm with your department as soon as possible.
 

YOUR GUESTS
The music prologue for Commencement begins at 9:00 a.m. and guests should proceed directly to the Great Lawn and be seated as the College-wide ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. Seating is limited, so please think about the number of guests you will invite to the outdoor ceremony. Remember, after the College-wide ceremony your guests should proceed to the site of the departmental exercises immediately. Some departmental exercises require tickets and do limit the number of guests. See “Information for Guests” below regarding the ceremony, departmental exercises, and other information.
 

RECEPTION
A Commencement celebration will take place directly after the departmental exercises in the Campus Center (Building 1C). Light refreshments will be available to you and your guests.
 

STUDENTS/GUESTS WITH DISABILITIES
Special arrangements will be made for degree candidates with disabilities. If you require assistance, contact the Center for Student Accessibility at 718-982-2510. Guests who are wheelchair users or who have limited mobility, should inquire at the entrance gates about special on-campus transportation. They will be directed to a drop-off point where they and one companion will be able to access special transportation to and from the site of the ceremony. If the need should arise while on campus, please notify a uniformed Public Safety Officer.
 

DIPLOMAS
Diplomas are not distributed at Commencement. The Registrar of the College will notify you by mail when diplomas may be picked up.