Commencement

• Commencement will be held May 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. on the Columbia-Greene campus.
• Graduates are asked to arrive at the robing rooms 202/206 by 8:30 a.m.
• Doors to the gymnasium open at 8:45 a.m. for guests, seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please note, the gymnasium is not air conditioned.
  • Overflow seating is available across the hall in the Student Dining Hall.
• Columbia-Greene Community College is committed to providing an inclusive experience for all guests. Inquiries concerning accessible parking, seating and engagement should be directed to oasweb@sunycgcc.edu.

The 2024 Commencement Committee is now accepting submissions from graduating students interested in performing the National Anthem or representing the graduating class as Student Speaker.

NATIONAL ANTHEM SINGER:

The Commencement Committee is seeking a musically gifted student performer to sing the National Anthem during the Columbia-Greene Community College Commencement Ceremony to be held on Saturday, May 11 at 10:00am. All C-GCC graduating students are eligible to apply and must be in good academic and disciplinary standing for consideration.

STUDENT SPEAKER:

The student speaker is chosen to reflect on the graduating class experience and represents the very best of Columbia-Greene Community College. Being selected for this role is one of the highest honors one can receive in their collegiate career.

Applicants are asked to compose a commencement speech that is no more than 500 words in length and no longer than 5 minutes.  This is draft should be submitted with the application. While this speech will reflect your personal experiences at the College, it should be relatable to all graduates, faculty, and guests in attendance. Creativity and authenticity are encouraged.

Please submit the following application by 5:00pm on Friday, April 5.

All graduating students who plan to participate in the Commencement are asked to complete a RSVP Form by May 1, 2024.

The Student Activity Fee purchases all academic regalia for students participating in the Commencement, including robe, mortarboard, tassel, and hood. There is no additional charge to the student for their regalia.

The Student Activities Office will notify students when the campus’ regalia order is delivered to campus in early May. The regalia order will be a bulk order consisting of various robe and mortarboard sizes for students to select from. Students do not need to place an individual order.

Wednesday, May 8 at 5:00pm in Main Building Student Court and rooms 202/206

All graduates who are attending Commencement are asked to attend rehearsal on May 9 as event details will be shared, name pronunciation cards will be completed, and students will be given answers to all their Commencement questions. Graduates do not need to bring regalia, guests, or any additional information with them. This rehearsal will last less than an hour.

If a graduate is unable to attend Rehearsal, they should indicate that on the Commencement RSVP form or if something changes, contact commencement@sunycgcc.edu by May 7 at 12:00pm.

There is not a limit to the number of guests who attend with each graduate, but seating is available on a first come first serve basis in the gymnasium.

The gymnasium is inside the Main Building and guests can access the space through the south entrance doors. There will be event signage and staff to assist on the day of the event.

Graduates and their guests are asked to park in the South Lot as it is located the closest to the gymnasium, but overflow parking will be available in the PAC parking lot when the South Lot is closed.

All accessible parking spaces are identified on the Campus Maps with a blue symbol. Accessible parking is available to those with an approved vehicle tag from your local Town/Village.  Parking attendants will direct drivers to accessible parking spaces.  Be sure to display the tag on your rear-view mirror or license plate.

Accessible seating for guests with disabilities and 1 companion is in the back right corner of the Gymnasium, as marked, or in the adjacent Student Dining Hall.  Guests with restricted mobility should plan to arrive by 9:00am.

Access to the stage, for graduates unable to access stairs, is done through a stage lift. The Office of Accessibility Services needs notice by April 28 of any student using the lift. Conversations regarding accessibility can also be held during Commencement rehearsal.

Commencement is approximately an hour and a half.

All graduates, faculty, and platform party members will process out of the gymnasium at the conclusion of the event. Guests will then be allowed to leave the space. To avoid congestion and confusion outside of the gymnasium, we ask graduates to make a plan with their family ahead of time. Convenient places to meet after the ceremony include the parking lot, quad area or event reception tent.

Graduates will be able to keep their personal items in rooms 202 or 206, as assigned. These rooms will be locked during the Commencement ceremony with a Security staff member monitoring.

Graduates will be notified via email in early May when regalia is delivered to campus and with details regarding when and where they can pick up their items.

For any questions regarding Commencement or the information above, please contact commencement@sunycgcc.edu.