[Jump to University Commencement Instructions]
Columbia College Class Day
Tuesday, May 20, 8:00–10:30 a.m.
Graduate Information
Check-in
Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall, 6:30–8:00 a.m. (Enter via Lerner Broadway Entrance)
- Arrive through the Broadway Entrance of Lerner Hall with your CUID (or, if you graduated in October or February, a print-out of your registration and a government ID) and wearing academic regalia.
- You will be given a name card, which has been pre-filled with your information. Please do not edit this card. Keep it with you so that your name can be announced during the ceremony. If you lose it, you will have to get a new card and go to the back of the line as well as sit in the back of student seating.
- Upon check-in, if there is no name card on file for you, please visit the walk-in table to obtain a blank card to fill in your information. You will then need to go to the back of the line as well as sit in the back of student seating.
- Dress for the weather. South Lawn will be tented, and the ceremony will take place rain or shine!
- Limit or leave at home any additional items; there will not be storage or security for your belongings.
Procession
- After you check in, line up on the ramps of Lerner Hall by 7:55 a.m. – at which time, bells will ring to signal the start of the procession.
- To sit next to someone during the ceremony, you must process directly in front of or behind them.
- The procession will be led by staff and the senior marshals.
- You will process in two single-file lines to Butler Lawn and remain standing until after the faculty and stage party are seated.
Your Turn on Stage
- When instructed to stand and head to the stage, leave personal belongings on your seat. Seating marshals will keep an eye on them.
- Take your name card with you and hand it to the person scanning cards as you approach the podium at center stage.
- Follow the directions of the seating marshals to get to the stage and back to your seat.
- As your name is called, you'll walk across the stage and will also appear on the monitors. Keep moving as your name is called; do not stop and wait for your name to finish being read. This ensures that it will be perfectly timed on screen for your guests to see!
- Your photo will be taken three times: once as you approach the stage, once as you cross the stage, and once as you exit the stage.
Please remember to be courteous of your classmates and their families by remaining in your seats and being attentive throughout the ceremony. Graduates are not permitted to leave the ceremony until the conclusion of the recession. Staff will be on hand throughout the ceremony to help guide you and respond to your questions.
The ceremony can also be enjoyed via our live webcast.
Recession
- All faculty and stage party participants will formally recess offstage to upper campus. Once the stage is clear, graduates will be asked to follow, recessing in two single-file lines as you did for the procession.
- A swift recession is important; staff need to prepare for another ceremony immediately following this one.
- We invite all students and guests to meet at Revson Plaza, located on the overpass between upper and east campus, overlooking Amsterdam Avenue, for celebratory photos before you head off campus to continue your celebrations.
Ticket Information
- Please print and/or distribute e-tickets through Tassel to your guests in advance of the event! Guests will be required to present their electronic ticket to staff to scan upon entry into the tented seating areas. Any guests that arrive without a ticket will not be admitted.*
- Tickets have a unique QR code that allows only one entry to the event after it has been scanned. The selling or buying of tickets is strictly prohibited.
- Seating is first-come, first-served. Encourage your guests to arrive early to find seats. Seats cannot be saved.
Guest Information | Guest Map
- Please view the Class Day Guest Map for information on entrances, water stations and restrooms.
- Seating will open at 7:00 a.m.
- Seating is first-come, first-served.
- Guests should plan to queue on 115th Street and Amsterdam.
- Guests with disabilities should enter campus at 116th Street and Amsterdam and will queue just inside the gates on College Walk. Seating in the disability section will open at 7:00 a.m.
University Commencement
University Commencement is Wednesday, May 21 at 10:30 a.m. The Commencement team has put together a Preparation Guide outlining the critical details graduates and guests need to know to participate in one of Columbia’s most exciting and longstanding traditions.
*Please print and/or distribute e-tickets to your guests in advance of the event! Guests will be required to present their electronic ticket to staff to scan upon entry into the tented seating areas. Any guests that arrive without a ticket will not be admitted.*
Graduate Information
- Graduates may enter campus at the 120th Street Gate between Broadway and Amsterdam beginning at 7:30 a.m. Do not attempt to use a lower campus entry point.
- Once on campus, graduates should begin to assemble with their school at their assigned line-up location. All school line-up areas will be marked with banners with your abbreviated school name. Plenty of event volunteers will be present to help direct you.
- Wear your cap and gown and carry your University ID. If you no longer hold a University ID, bring a photo ID and your Commencement registration confirmation or a letter from your school on University stationery.
- All graduates must present their electronic graduate ticket to gain admittance to the line-up location. Staff will be scanning tickets and only graduates with a ticket will be allowed to line-up and participate.
- The candidate procession will begin by 9:00 a.m. at the latest, but may begin earlier.
- Please bring water and dress appropriately for the weather. The ceremony is held rain or shine.
Be Prepared
- Campus is very busy during University Commencement. Do not leave anything until the morning of:
- Get your regalia in advance.
- Know where to line up with your school (view Assembly of Candidates Map) on Upper Campus starting at 7:30 a.m.
- Give your guests their printed tickets in advance.
- Make a plan of how you will meet up with your guests following the Ceremony.
- The Ceremony will be held outdoors, rain or shine: Please dress accordingly and bring water. Indoor seating will be available for guests.
- Bags are discouraged. Any bags or packages brought to University Commencement will be subject to search.
Guest Information
- Have Your Ticket Ready: Screenshots are encouraged for quick and easy access. Tickets are required for entry and there is no re-entry.
- Your ticket shows your assigned viewing location—head straight there. Seating is first-come, first-served and seats cannot be saved.
- South Lawn Guests join the queue at 115th St. & Broadway Ave. starting at 8:30 a.m.
- ADA Guests arrive at 116th St. & Amsterdam Ave. Entry will begin at 8:30 a.m. Disability services staff will be on-site on the day of the event to direct and assist individuals to their seats.
- Levien Gymnasium Guests join the queue at the corner of 120th St. & Broadway Ave. starting at 8:30 a.m.
- Note: guest seating areas are separate from graduate seating on Low Plaza.
- Ceremony Timing: 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- Post-Ceremony Meet-Up: With large crowds and limited campus access, finding your graduate afterward can be tricky. Pick a meeting spot ahead of time to avoid confusion.
- Stay Hydrated & Prepared:
- Bring a reusable water bottle—fountains and refill stations will be available.
- Don’t forget a valid ID.
- Rain or shine: The ceremony goes on! Pack for inclement weather—umbrellas, ponchos, or sun hats, depending on the forecast.
- What NOT to Bring:
- Pack light! Bags, backpacks, and purses larger than 12" x 6" x 12" inches are not permitted. All bags are subject to a bag check at entry.
- See the full list of what you can and cannot bring.
- If you are feeling sick or cannot make it to the ceremony, join us virtually.
Now, celebrate! On the night of University Commencement, from dusk until after midnight, the top of New York’s iconic Empire State Building will be lit in blue and white in honor of the Columbia University Class of 2025. Congratulations on your remarkable achievements.