Graduate Ceremony Instructions

Thank you for submitting your attendance to the Fall 2024 Graduate Commencement Ceremony on Friday, December 20th, at 7:00 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum. We look forward to celebrating with you and your guests! If your plans have changed and you no longer plan to attend, we ask that you email us at graduation@iastate.edu, so our attendance numbers stay accurate.

 

Date, Time, and Location:

  • Friday, December 20, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum
  • Doors will open for guests at 5:30 p.m.
  • It is anticipated that the ceremony will last no longer than two hours.              

 

Parking:

  • Parking is available in the lots around Hilton Coliseum.
  • Additional parking has been identified around Jack Trice Stadium, Maple Willow Larch, and Lied Recreation Center.
  • We ask students and their guests to arrive early enough to find parking and walk to the check-in location (for graduating students) or guest seating in Hilton Coliseum. We encourage carpooling if possible.
  • Handicap parking is available in lot C2.
  • If you or your guests park in the Maple Willow Larch parking lot or at Lied Recreation Center, please cross at the light and follow all traffic laws.
  • A parking map is available online here: Parking Maps for Hilton Coliseum and Jack Trice Stadium | Graduation & Commencement | Iowa State University

 

Tickets and Guests:

  • Tickets are not required.
  • Guest seating is unlimited – please invite everyone who wishes to celebrate your significant achievement!

 

Check-in/Line-up:

  • You may begin arriving for check-in at 5:30 p.m., but plan to arrive by no later than 6:15 p.m.
  • Your assigned check-in location will be in the Scheman Building (located to the north and west of Hilton) on the 200 level, which is the top level of the building, in Room 220.

 

Academic Attire (e.g., Caps, Tassels, and Gowns):

Doctoral Academic Attire

  • Doctoral graduates are required to wear the official Iowa State University doctorate regalia (i.e., Doctoral gown, Doctoral hood, and Doctoral tam). The tassel should be worn on the left side.
  • Hoods:
    • The Office of the Registrar will provide each doctoral candidate with a doctoral hood to use during the ceremony.
      • If you use one of the doctoral hoods provided by the Office of the Registrar during the ceremony, you will need to return the hood to the Office of the Registrar staff on stage immediately after the ceremony. Failure to do so will result in a charge to your U-Bill of $135.00 for the replacement costs of the hood.
      • If you will be bringing your own doctoral hood or would like to borrow your hood after the ceremony, please contact Abbie Suntken in the Office of the Registrar via e-mail at asuntken@iastate.edu before 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
  • The deadline to rent doctoral regalia from the Iowa State Bookstore is NOVEMBER 1, 2024 BY 5 P.M. CT. THIS IS A FIRM DEADLINE. NO EXCEPTIONS.
    • Rented doctoral regalia will be shipped to the ISU Book Store for doctoral candidates to pick up. Rented doctoral regalia will need to be returned back to the ISU Book Store.
  • Leave purses, coats, and other valuables with family or friends. There will be no secure place to leave them during the ceremony.
  • Graduates are not allowed to enter Hilton Coliseum with anything that would obstruct others’ enjoyment of the celebration.
  • Celebratory adornments are welcomed and should be respectful.

Master's Academic Attire

  • Graduates are required to wear a master's gown, a master's hood, a black cap, and a black tassel (tassel should be worn on the left side). Attire can be purchased through the Iowa State University Bookstore, located in the Memorial Union, and through their website: https://www.isubookstore.com/cap-gown-tassel/master
  • Students are encouraged to wear their adornments (cords, medallions, etc.)
  • Graduates who are a member of the United States Armed Forces are welcome to wear uniforms.
  • Graduates who need to wear specific attire for religious or cultural purposes (e.g., hijab, etc.) are welcome to do so.
  • Leave purses, coats, and other valuables with family or friends. There will be no secure place to leave them during the ceremony.
  • Graduates are not allowed to enter Hilton Coliseum with anything that would obstruct others’ enjoyment of the celebration.
  • Celebratory caps and adornments are welcomed and should be respectful.

 

Accommodations:

  • Graduates needing special assistance (e.g., wheelchair seating, sign language interpreter, captioning services, service animals, etc.) prior to, or during, the ceremony should contact Michelle Becker, mbecker@iastate.edu, by December 17th.
  • Special accommodation seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Handicap parking is available in lot C2.
  • Guests needing a handicap accessible entrance and/or elevator should utilize Hilton Coliseum’s west entrance, located under the catwalk between Scheman and Hilton.
  • Guests needing a wheelchair and/or scooter will need to supply their own or work with outside vendors to secure a wheelchair and/or scooter. Hilton Coliseum does not have any to rent or loan.
  • A sign language interpreter will be available.

 

Ceremony Process:

  • After check-in, graduates will proceed to the line-up area.
  • Please complete the photography portion of the card you were given at check-in prior to the start of the ceremony. 
  • During the ceremony, graduates will be led to the photography area and then led across the stage by a Faculty Marshal. Photographers will use a flash when taking photos. 
  • After crossing the stage, graduates will be led back to their original seats. 

 

Diploma Tubes:

  • The President or Provost will hand you a diploma tube on stage during the ceremony.