Commencement Ceremony Information for Graduates
Admission is Free. RSVPs not needed
- Admission is free. Tickets are not required.
- The entrance gates to Corsair Field will open at 2:00 p.m.. They are located on 16th Street, between Pico Blvd., and Pearl St.
- Guests are encouraged to arrive no later than 3:30 p.m. and to dress appropriately for the weather.
- The ceremony will promptly start at 4:00 p.m. Late arrivals may need to wait to enter until the Platform Party and graduates are seated.
- General admission seating is stadium seating and are not wheelchair accessible.
- Limited seating for guests requiring accessible seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Guests should enter through Gates 1 and 5.
Can't make it in person? Watch at home!
- The ceremony will be streamed online at www.smc.edu/graduation starting at approximately 3:50 p.m.
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.
- Guests requiring accessible seating should enter through Gates 1 and 5.
- The bleachers at the stadium are not wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair accommodations are available in proximity to the stage.
Parking is Free
Parking will be free at the Santa Monica College Main Campus on Commencement Day. The Corsair Field stadium is located on the southwest side of the campus along 16th Street, between Pearl Street and Pico Boulevard. We recommend you park in Parking Lot 3 and 4, which are closest to Corsair Field. For directions to our campus and for a campus map go to www.smc.edu/map. Be sure to select “Main Campus.”
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.
Take Notice
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.