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Day-of Instructions: Columbia Engineering

Columbia Engineering graduates

Columbia Engineering Class Day

Monday, May 18, 1:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m.

Graduate Information

Check-in

Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall, 11:00 a.m.–12:45 p.m. (Enter via Broadway Entrance)

  • Enter through the Broadway Entrance to Roone Arledge Auditorium with your CUID (or, if you graduated in October or February, a printout of your registration and a government ID) and wearing academic regalia.
  • Please view the Class Day Graduate Map for information on entrances, water stations, and restrooms.
  • 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 need to alert a member of the student seating staff.
    • Upon check-in, if there is no name card on file for you, go to the walk-in table to obtain a blank card to fill in your information. You will 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 unnecessary items; there will not be storage or security for your belongings.

Procession

  • After you check in, line up on the ramps of Alfred Lerner Hall by 12:55 p.m., at which time bells will ring to signal the start of the procession.
  • Your position in line is on a first-come basis. There is no set order and you are free to line up and sit with your friends!
  • 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 that will split to move down the left and right aisles of Butler Lawn. 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 be courteous to classmates and their families by remaining in your seat 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 guide you and respond to questions.

Recession

  • All faculty and stage party participants will formally recess offstage toward the Mudd Building. Once the stage is clear, graduates will be asked to follow, recessing in two single-file lines as for the procession.
  • A swift recession is important; staff need to prepare for another ceremony immediately following this one.
  • All students and guests are invited to head toward the Mudd Building for celebratory photos before heading 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 for scanning upon entry into the tented seating areas. Any guests who arrive without a ticket will not be admitted. No exceptions.
  • Each ticket has 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. Seats may not and will not be saved.

Guest Information

  • Please view the Class Day Guest Map for information on entrances, water stations, and restrooms.
  • Please refer to your ticket to determine which entrance you should use. Guests should plan to enter the queue at either 120th Street and Broadway or 120th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. If your ticket does not show a specific entrance, please enter the queue at 120th Street and Broadway.
  • Guests who need accessibility accommodations should enter campus at 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue and will queue just inside the Gates on College Walk. Disability Seating will open at noon.
  • General seating will open at noon and is first-come, first-served. Encourage your guests to arrive early. Seats may not and will not be saved.
  • Columbia University asks graduates and guests to travel light. Bags of any type are not permitted. Wallets and small clutches are allowed but subject to screening upon entry. Exceptions for ADA, nursing, and medically necessary items will be permitted following inspection. Any item requiring additional screening may delay entry.
  • The ceremony can also be enjoyed via live webcast.

University Commencement

The Undergraduate Ceremony of University Commencement is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, 5:00 p.m. –6:30 p.m.. The University Commencement team has put together a Preparation Guide outlining the critical information graduates and guests need to know to participate in one of Columbia’s most exciting and longstanding traditions.

Graduate Information

  • All graduating students must enter campus on 120th Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, in their regalia and with a graduate e-ticket and CUID.
  • Student line up begins at 2:30 p.m. for the undergraduate ceremony. View this campus map to find your line-up location.
  • Send guests their e-tickets in advance and remind them to head to the correct campus entrance, as indicated on their ticket.
  • Graduating students and guests are seated separately, so plan a meeting spot ahead of time for after the ceremony.
  • If you need accessibility accommodations, make sure you’ve coordinated with Disability Services in advance. An accessible entrance will be located at the 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue Gates.
  • Share the celebration via the livestream by sending the link to family and friends who can’t be there! The stream will be available on the University Commencement website.

Guest Information

  • Please view the University Commencement Guest Map for information on entrances, water stations, and restrooms.
  • Tickets are required for entry and screenshots are encouraged for quick and easy access. No re-entry will be permitted. No exceptions.
  • Your ticket shows your assigned campus entrance. Guests should join the queue at either 120th Street and Broadway or 120th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, based on your ticket.
  • Guest entry will open at 3:00 p.m. for the Undergraduate Ceremony.
  • Graduating students and guests are seated separately, so plan a meeting spot ahead of time for after the ceremony.
  • Guests requiring accessibility accommodations should arrive at 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Disability Services staff will be on site to direct and assist individuals to their seats.
  • For information on transportation guidance and shuttle services, please visit the University Commencement Preparation Guide.
  • If you are sick or cannot make it to the ceremony, join it virtually via livestream.

Ceremony Guidelines

We look forward to celebrating our graduates and welcoming their families and loved ones to Class Day and University Commencement. Following are updated guidelines for graduates and guests to keep our celebrations safe, respectful, and running smoothly.

Student Conduct Disclaimer

  • Commencement season is a time to celebrate and enjoy the accomplishments of our graduates. To honor the spirit and significance of this occasion, we do not permit the interruption of speakers or audience disruptions. Currently, all participants and guests attending Commencement season event(s) understand and agree to follow the responsibilities set forth in University policies, including the Rules of University Conduct, Anti-Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policy, and Standards and Discipline. Those found in violation will be asked to discontinue and may be asked to leave the venue. If there are any future updates or changes, we will communicate directly to all registered guests and graduates.

Media Consent Notice

  • By participating in the University Commencement ceremony and/or your school-specific ceremony, all participants are giving consent to being photographed, filmed, and recorded. Please note that these photos and recordings may be shared publicly or on social media at the University's discretion. An archived video will also be made available online for viewing after the event.

Bag Policy

  • Columbia University asks graduates and guests to travel light. Bags of any type and gifts are not permitted for Class Day and University Commencement. Wallets and small clutches are allowed but subject to screening upon entry. Exceptions for ADA, nursing, and medically necessary items will be permitted following inspection. Any item requiring additional screening may delay entry.

What To Bring to Class Day and University Commencement

To be a prepared attendee, we recommend bringing the following items:

  • Tickets
    • All graduates must be pre-registered to attend, and must bring their CUID (or, if they graduated in October or February, a print-out of registration and a government ID).
    • Guests must have a ticket saved, loaded, and/or ready to scan. All guests over the age of 3 must have a ticket. Only guests with tickets will be allowed into the event venue. No exceptions.
    • Photo ID is required for guest and graduate entry.
  • Regalia
    • Regalia is required for graduate participation in University Commencement. Graduates must arrive with regalia unzipped, as checks might take place before entry or during lineup.
  • Pre-filled, reusable water bottle
  • Inclement weather gear
  • Comfortable footwear
  • Fully charged phone (and maybe even an external battery)

What Not To Bring to Class Day and University Commencement

We want to work together as a community to provide a safe, positive, and unobstructed experience for all our graduates and guests. The following items are not permitted:

  • Bags of any type and graduate gifts are not permitted to be brought to University Commencement. Wallets and small clutches are allowed but are subject to screening upon entry. Exceptions for ADA, nursing, and medically necessary items will be permitted following inspection. Any item requiring additional screening might delay entry.
  • Obstructive or disruptive items
    • Balloons or sky lanterns
    • Signs, placards, or banners of any kind
    • Any item that obstructs views or interferes with amplified sound
    • Noise-making devices, including airhorns and cowbells
    • Any item that might interfere with or distract speakers, graduates, or guests
  • Dangerous items
    • Weapons of any kind, including pepper spray or mace
    • Glass bottles or projectiles
    • Lighters, matches, or flammable materials
    • Sharp objects or laser pointers
    • Any other item deemed dangerous, inappropriate, or in violation of University policies