GRADUATION DAY
Wednesday, May 21
University Commencement
Schedule:
8:30 a.m. General admission gates open (West 114th Street and Broadway)
9:00 a.m. Degree Candidates line up (enter campus 117th & Broadway)
9:30 a.m. Degree Candidate Procession begins
10:15 a.m. Ceremony begins with the Academic Procession
12:00 p.m. Ceremony concludes
Webcast: http://bit.ly/CUcommencement16
Guest Seating: Tickets allow entrance into Morningside Campus on Commencement Day however they do not guarantee a seat. Seats are on a first come first served basis, they are unassigned, and cannot be reserved. University Commencement is a highly popular event and therefore space is very limited.
General admission gates are located at West 114th Street and Broadway
All guests with disabilities should enter Morningside Campus at the following gates:
116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
115th Street and Amsterdam Avenue (between Wallach and Hartley Halls)
The Levien Gymnasium of the Dodge Fitness Center will also serve as an indoor, weather-friendly, accessible viewing location for any guest with a general admission ticket.
Gates open to Commencement ticket holders at 8:30 a.m.
Graduates will be sitting in the bleachers, left staircase, on the Dodge/Lewisohn side of Low. Wear sensible shoes, especially if it is raining.
The best place for parents to sit to see you in the bleachers is on the Amsterdam side of the campus. Don’t forget to remind them to bring their Commencement tickets, a camera and/or cell phone. Many students call their parents so they can wave to them at the appropriate moment. The University Commencement ceremony is an outdoor event which is held rain or shine. Prepare yourself appropriately for the weather conditions. Please bring sunscreen and a hat as well as an umbrella, raincoat, towel, and plastic bags should there be inclement weather.
After the ceremony it will be very difficult getting around so please pick an obvious place to meet your loved ones. Off campus is best, for example, in front of “Morton Williams.” The campus will be a mass of confusion with the graduates and families all trying to find each other. Patience is the word for the day as well as the use of cell phones.
Graduate Seating: Journalism graduates must enter the Earl Hall gate on Broadway at 117th street (east side of Broadway, opposite the Barnard gates) wearing your cap and gown (please have CUID too). Please note access to the Journalism building from that side of campus will be impossible. If you need anything from the building, get it before lining up. Also, bathroom breaks are difficult once the event begins.
Weather: The University Commencement ceremony is an outdoor event which is held rain or shine. Prepare yourself appropriately for the weather conditions. Please bring sunscreen and a hat as well as an umbrella or raincoat, should there be inclement weather. There is also an indoor, weather-friendly viewing location in the Levien Gymnasium of the Dodge Fitness Center, which can be accessed with general Commencement admission tickets.
Street Closures: For those planning to drive or park near campus during Commencement Week, please note that many streets surrounding Morningside Campus will be closed (to both traffic and parking) by the NYPD.
After the ceremony: The ceremony will end shortly after noon. We recommend that graduates and their families choose a designated area off campus to meet after the ceremony. With more than 30,000 people on campus, it can be very difficult to find someone — even with a cell phone — without planning ahead.
Bags: For security reasons and to save time, we ask that everyone refrain from bringing bags to campus on Commencement Day. Any bags or packages brought to the ceremony will be subject to search and must be kept in the owner’s possession at all times. Bringing bags will slow down entry and cause delay.
Graduating Student Instructions: For those who have purchased academic attire to walk in the University Commencement, we will congregate next to Low Library on the Broadway side just north of the flag pole (see map) at 9:00 am. Don’t be late. Look for the sign and Dean Huff and our student marshals Lora Moftah, Astha Rajvanshi, and Kevin Stawicki.
Meet Dean Huff and your student marshals at Section 11 per this map:
http://www.columbia.edu/files/columbia/content/degree_candidate_line_up_map.pdf
J-School Graduation
3 pm-5 pm (seating begins for guests at 2:15 pm)
Lerner Hall, entrance at 115th street. Roone Arledge Auditorium; CUIDS are
required for faculty, staff and graduates. Non-graduating students may not attend.
Doors for seating open at 2:15p.m. Your guests must present Journalism School Graduation ceremony tickets at the entrance. Guest seating is general admission.
Guests who would like a seat in the auditorium should arrive early as Arledge auditorium will be at maximum capacity this year.
Strollers are not allowed in the auditorium and children have to be removed from strollers prior to entry. Strollers will have to be left in the foyer.
Student seating will be assigned by your program and core course (PhD, Knight Bagehot, Spencer, M.S. Reporting or M.A. Seminar in Discipline). A numbered chart will be given to you as you enter the event.
This event will be webcast live by Columbia University for the audience in all corners of world at this link: bit.ly/cjslive
At the appointed moment, you will directed to the stage with your fellow
classmates where your name will be read and you will receive handshakes,
congratulations and your diploma placeholder envelope (diplomas will arrive in the mail in early June) from the deans and your primary instructor. Dress is afternoon wedding or business attire.
Graduates will be photographed with their diploma envelopes as they exit the stage, and will have options to purchase these photographs (custserv@islandphoto.com or 516-767-1234). Personal cameras are OK but please caution anyone who will be taking pictures to stay in their specific seating section.
A reception immediately follows on Furnald Lawn between Lerner Hall and the Journalism School. In the event of steady rain, it will be held at the Journalism School. We recommend all guests exit the Auditorium and meet their guests at the reception.
