Commencement Ceremony Information for Graduates
Updates:
- Graduates should arrive at the Main Campus at 2:00 p.m. for check-in. Line up for the processional will be at 3:45 p.m. The ceremony will promptly start at 4 p.m.
From Check-In to End of Ceremony
- You must be at the SMC Campus Quad by 2:00 p.m. to check-in with your QR code.
- A photo identification is required.
- You will receive your name card for the ceremony. DO NOT LOSE THE NAME CARD as it will be used to call your name on stage at the ceremony. Late arrivals will be turned away.
- No person may substitute for you at the ceremony. Only graduating students may participate and must wear the SMC graduation cap and gown.
- Do not bring any valuables to the ceremony. Purses and backpacks cannot be carried with you. You may check-in small items for safe-keeping (guarded by College Police staff) at the Pavilion. Items can be picked up immediately following the ceremony (no later than 7:30 p.m. as the Pavilion will close at this time).
- Friends and family cannot accompany you at the Campus Quad. They should go directly to Corsair Field and take their seats. Gates open at 2:00 p.m.
Be Ready by 3:30 p.m.
- Graduates will be asked to congregate around 3:30 p.m. so that event staff may go over Processional and Ceremony details. All activity booths will close at this time.
- You will be asked to line up in two separate lines. One line will enter Corsair Field, where the ceremony is held, from the north gate and the other line will enter from the south gate. If you requested a special accommodation, please line up at the front of the line heading north. Signs will point you to each line.
- Bachelor’s degree graduates will line up at the front of both lines but will sit all together once at Corsair Field. Students graduating with an Associate Degree or a Certificate will follow.
- Marshals will lead each line to Corsair Field. Once at Corsair Field, Pomp and Circumstance will play in the background and the streaming of the ceremony online will start. Marshals will tell you where to sit and will fill one row at a time at the Corsair Field bleachers. Watch the rows as you are sitting down to ensure you are not leaving space between you and the next graduate.
- Sit down as soon as you arrive at your seat in the bleachers.
- The Commencement program will be available online at our Graduation webpage and on the SMCGO app a few days prior to the ceremony. A printed program will be given to you and your guests, while quantities last.
- Introductory remarks will be made and the Pledge of Allegiance will formally start the ceremony.
- At a point during the ceremony, you will be asked to come receive your “diploma.” Process onto the stage at the signal of the Marshal. Students on the right side of the stage (facing the stage) will turn to their right and will proceed out their aisle and onto the stage. Students on the left side of the bleachers (facing the stage) will turn to their left and will proceed out their aisle and onto the stage.
- Students receiving the Bachelor’s degree will go to the stage first.
- The college photographer will take your photo as you get to the stage.
- Once on the stage, hand your NAME/PHOTO CARD to the faculty member reading the names.
- You will receive your diploma case from a member of the SMC Board of Trustees.
- Receive the diploma with your left hand, pause, smile, and shake hands.
- When you reach the center of the stage, the College President will also shake your hand.
- You must remain seated throughout the ceremony and must follow the direction of the marshals.
- At any point during the ceremony, If you are suddenly feeling unwell and need assistance, please call the Marshal near your area for assistance. If you exhibit signs of physical impairment due to the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other substances, you will be asked to leave.
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Wear your cap and keep your tassel on the right side.
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Interaction Design degree graduates may rent their bachelor degree regalia through the Bookstore and will require a credit card to secure the transaction.
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Students graduating with Honors may purchase the corresponding honor sash at the SMC Bookstore after receiving an email from Admissions & Records authorizing the purchase. Emails will be sent by mid-May.
- Announcements and assorted gifts for the graduate are also available at the Bookstore.
- For more details about the bookstore's hours and location, visit the SMC Bookstore.
- The SMC Bookstore will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Commencement day.
Regalia Costs
B.S. Interaction Design Graduates
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- Bachelor Degree (cap/gown set): $60.00 +tax
- IxD students must provide info by March 14 to their IxD counselor. (Late orders will not be accommodated)
Associate Degree and Certificate Graduates
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- Cap and gown set (includes tassel) $54.99 +tax
- Gown only $38.99 +tax
- Cap only $13.99 +tax
- Tassel only $7.99 +tax
- Cap and tassel $19.99 +tax
Honor Cords and Sashes (pre-approved eligible students only)
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- Honor cords: $TBD
- APK/PTK/Honor sashes: $TBD (limited quantities)
- Blue - Honors
- Silver - High Honors
- Gold - Highest Honors
- AGS members: contact Prof. John Quevedo to purchase your AGS sash.
To enter the contest:
- Decorate your grad cap.
- Post a picture of your cap on Instagram.
- Tag your photo with #SnapMyCap and @smcedu by June 11. Your Insta profile must be public to enter.
- The winner of our grand prize will be announced on Instagram and other college publications. All participants must adhere to SMC’s Student Conduct Rules.
- Have fun, be creative with your design! We can't wait to see what you come up with.
Official photographers will be in attendance at Commencement.
Search/Order Your Graduate Portraits
- Save 20% on official photos taken by GradImages (our event photographer partner), including your graduation portrait! You must Pre-register to get the discount.
- Photo stations for the graduates will be available in the SMC Pavilion upon check-in.
- Photo stations for graduates and guests will be available after the ceremony at the SMC Campus Quad.
Guest Photography
- Personal photos may be taken during the ceremony by guests directly from their seating location only.
Diplomas Come Later
- Diplomas are not distributed at the Commencement ceremony. Your diploma will be mailed to your mailing address after the final evaluation of your record takes place.
- Diplomas are mailed approximately 12-16 weeks after the Ceremony to students who confirm their address in Corsair Connect.
- Only students attending the Commencement Ceremony will receive a free SMC diploma case. Diploma cases are not available for purchase.
- An unpaid balance will prevent you from receiving your diploma. Take care of any fees owed.
Graduates:
- Graduates requiring accommodations for this event should contact the Center for Students with Disabilities at 310-434-4265 or dsps@smc.edu at least 5 business days in advance. The Center’s staff will assess your needs and work with the Commencement team to ensure approved accommodations are met.
Guests:
- A limited number of seats for guests with disabilities and one accompanying guest will be available. Seating is on a first come, first served basis.
Graduate and Guest Parking is free on Structures 3 and 4--closest to the event venue (see Campus Maps)
USE OF IMAGE, LIKENESS, AND VOICE
When you enter a Santa Monica College campus or event, you enter an area where photography, film, audio, video, and/or other recording activities in a variety of media may occur. Santa Monica College reserves the right to engage in these activities and to use photographs, videos, and electronic or other media images and/or likenesses and/or voice recordings taken of you on College property and at College-sponsored events for advertising, marketing, and other promotional purposes, without payment or other compensation to you.
Keeping Us Safe
- Santa Monica College has implemented security measures to ensure the safety of all participants and guests at Commencement. Please listen to and follow directions from event personnel, security, and College Police officers. If you have security concerns during the ceremony, please get the attention of an event staff member.
SMC’s Clear Bag Policy, familiar to those who have attended athletics games, concerts, and the like, restricts the types and sizes of bags allowed when entering the campus for Commencement related activities. The following exceptions apply:
- One clear bag made of plastic, vinyl, or PVC, not exceeding 12” x 6” x 12”, or a one-gallon clear plastic storage bag (e.g., Ziploc bag).
- In addition to the clear bag, guests may carry a small clutch bag or purse, approximately hand-sized, with or without a handle or strap.
- Medically necessary items, diaper bags, and camera bags may be allowed after proper inspection.
Prohibited Items
Prohibited bags include, but are not limited to: purses larger than a clutch bag, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, luggage of any kind, oversized seat cushions with pockets or metal structures, computer bags, or any bag larger than the permissible size.
These measures are designed to promote public safety while encouraging guests to limit the items they bring into the venue to create a more efficient screening and entry process. We ask that all items are visible when entering the venue. The fewer items that are concealed, the quicker the process becomes.
All approved bags are subject to inspection upon entry.
The clear bag policy affects the type and size of the bags permitted into the stadium — not the items (keys, makeup, combs, phones, wallets, and credit cards) that you would normally bring to Commencement. Guests can still carry these items in their pockets. Guests will also be allowed to openly carry a blanket or jackets into the stadium, though they will be subject to search.
