Thank you for submitting your attendance to the Spring 2025 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 17th, at 9:00 a.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:
- Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in Hilton Coliseum
- Doors will open for guests at 7:00 a.m.
- Guests may enter at the North, South, and Lower West entrances.
- It is anticipated that the ceremony will last around two and a half hours.
Parking:
- Parking is available in the lots around Hilton Coliseum.
- Additional parking has been identified around Jack Trice Stadium and Maple Willow Larch.
- 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, 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:
- Upon arriving at the spring graduation events, all guests will go through a clear bag check and security screening. We appreciate your patience as we create a safe environment for all guests, graduates, faculty, and staff in attendance.
- Tickets are not required.
- Guest seating is unlimited – please invite everyone who wishes to celebrate your significant achievement!
Clear Bag Policy:
- To ensure the safety of all guests, graduates, faculty, and staff in attendance at the Spring Commencement Ceremonies, a Clear Bag Policy with be enforced.
- The following bag types are allowed:
- Plastic, vinyl, or PVC clear totes that do not exceed 12x6x12 inches and do not have a logo larger than 4.5x3.5 inches;
- One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags (i.e. Ziploc or similar);
- Small clutch bags no larger than 6x9 inches;
- Exceptions will be made for bags containing items required for medical, family, or child care.
- The following bag types are allowed:
- All bags are subject to search at the discretion of staff, and prohibited bags will not be held by staff during the event. Unlawful items are subject to confiscation.
- Guests may bring a sealed, clear 20 oz water bottle or an empty reusable water bottle into Hilton Coliseum.
- Prohibited Items include, but are not limited to:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Artificial noisemakers
- Backpacks, fanny packs, purses (or any bag that is not clear)
- Cameras (a lens less than 6 inches is permitted in the Coliseum)
- Chairbacks or stadium seats
- Coolers or containers
- Beach balls
- Food and beverages
- Pets (with the exception of service animals used by disabled guests)
- Pocket knives, multi-tools, etc.
- Strollers
- Umbrella
- Video cameras
- Weapons
- Tools, razor blades, scissors, etc.
- Sealed packages of any kind, including gifts
- Laser pointing devices, flashlights, or glowsticks
- Selfie sticks, telescopic devices, tripods, or camera poles
- Hazardous items including, but not limited to, fuels, torches, lighter fluid, chemicals, paint, batteries, or aerosols
- Prohibited items must be returned to the owner’s car or discarded a minimum 300 feet away from the exterior of the venue. Any unlawful items are subject to confiscation, and the person in possession of such items is subject to arrest.
- Confiscated items will NOT be returned.
Check-in/Line-up:
- You may begin arriving for check-in at 7:30 a.m., but plan to arrive by no later than 8:30 a.m.
- Upon arriving for check-in, all graduates will go through security screening. We appreciate your patience as we create a safe environment for all guests, graduates, faculty, and staff in attendance.
- All graduating students will need to enter at the Scheman ground floor doors.
- Your primary college will determine your assigned check-in location:
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Scheman Building, 100-Level
- Ivy College of Business
- Scheman Building, 200-Level
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Academic Attire (e.g., Caps, Tassels, and Gowns):
- Graduates are required to wear a bachelor's gown, a black four-sided cap, and the appropriate color tassel (tassel should be worn on the right side). Attire can be purchased through the Iowa State University Bookstore, located in the Memorial Union, and through their website: https://www.isubookstore.com/graduation/bachelor
- 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 clear bags, coats, and other valuables with family or friends. There will be no secure place to leave them during the ceremony.
- Please review the Clear Bag Policy for more information.
- As you prepare for your next adventure, we invite you to leave behind a legacy that will benefit future Cyclones by donating your cap and gown. In partnership with Enrollment Services, the Center for Student Educational Success (CSES) is collecting graduation caps and gowns to donate to future graduating students who face financial barriers that prevent them from purchasing their own.
- DONATION OPTIONS:
- Collection Bins: Staff and collection bins will be at the north and west entrances Hilton Coliseum immediately following commencement
- Mail-in: If you need to hang on to your regalia for a while longer (for pictures or other occasions), you can pick up a postage-paid envelope at the above-indicated Hilton locations and mail it in at a later date.
- For inquiries, email us at firstscholars@iastate.edu.
- DONATION OPTIONS:
- 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 Gabby Leitner, leitnerg@iastate.edu, by May 13th.
- 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 before 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 Covers:
- The President or Provost will hand you a diploma cover on stage during the ceremony.