What to expect on your big day
All graduates from Summer 2023 and Fall 2023 term and Spring 2024 candidates for graduation will be invited to participate in our formal Commencement ceremony in Spring 2024. Date of the ceremony and the venue will be determined at a later date. Emails will be sent out to all students in March 2024 with information to register for the ceremony.
Pre-ceremony Instructions
Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the event and remember to bring your Name Card.
Arrive dressed in your regalia. We recommend wearing business casual clothing underneath your gown along with comfortable shoes. Your gown should be zipped and if you have a stole or cords, drape these over your shoulders. Your tassel should be on the right side of your cap.
Check-in. College staff will direct you to the appropriate area where you will be able to pick up honor cords and Veteran cords. These cords are distributed 30-45 minutes ahead of the event.
Following direction from SPC staff, each graduate and their guests will be ushered to the stage. The graduate will hand their name card to the presenter, have their name called and a formal photo taken with SPC leadership as they receive their diploma cover.
If you requested accommodations, meet your Accessibility Services coordinator at the designated location. When attending Commencement in Spring, plan to arrive one hour before the ceremony begins. This will allow you to conduct a walk through with Accessibility Services staff, to secure your seat and have a professional graduation photo taken in advance.
Decorum
Both Commencement are ceremonies that recognize your achievements and you are encouraged to bring as many guests as you like to celebrate.
Because the Commencement ceremony is a formal event, decorum is very important for graduates, candidates, and guests. Please use good judgement and celebrate your accomplishment in a way not to disrupt others.
As a courtesy to fellow classmates and their guests do not exit the venue until the entire ceremony has concluded.
Programs
In an effort to reduce waste and support eco-friendly practices, the formal Commencement program will only be available in a digital format. At the ceremony, graduates and guests will receive an event agenda with a QR code to access the program.
A limited number of printed programs will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis at our campus bookstores.
Programs are available for download and viewing.
Official graduation photos
A professional photographer from Grad Images will be on stage to take your picture as you greet the president. To see proofs and order copies of professional photos taken, log in with your last name and the year of the ceremony at the Grad Images website or email ecc.giservice@gradimages.net.
Photos taken by Grad Images are not posted on SPC social media. If you have questions about photos taken by Grad Images, please visit gradimages.com/Home/EmailUs.
Candid graduation photos
A selection of candid graduation photos taken by SPC’s Marketing & Strategic Communications staff are shared on the college’s Facebook page. Graduates can freely save and download any candid photos from this posted album.