Commencement Ceremony Details

Find information about tickets, receptions, and more!

Pre-Ceremony Details

Tickets

Students who have applied to graduate and have registered to participate in May 2024 Commencement will be eligible for tickets to their respective School ceremony. Please note: tickets are specific to each ceremony and admission will be granted only to the designated ceremony with the appropriate ticket.

Please note that each Ceremony is anticipated to last approximately 60-75 minutes. Seating is individual folding chairs on the same level in the fieldhouse (not stadium seating). There is an accessible ramp that leads from Parking Lot I to the main entrance to the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Athletic Center and Fieldhouse. 

Please complete the Commencement Accessibility Request form to notify us if you or your guest(s) have accessibility needs.

All graduates were allotted five guest tickets. Graduates will have the opportunity to apply for additional tickets and will be notified in April if, based on venue capacity, additional tickets are granted.

Tickets are required to enter the Fieldhouse, however, the ceremonies will also be live-streamed via the Commencement website as well as in the Donald E. Bain Campus Center for additional guests. Guests are welcome to campus to join graduates and guests on campus for photos and the reception immediately following each ceremony. 

Regalia (Caps, Gowns, and Hoods)

Online ordering for your undergraduate cap and gown is now closed. Be sure to pick up your regalia package in early May.

The Cardinal Shop hours during Senior Week:

  • Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
  • Friday, May 10: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 11: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Master's and Doctoral Student Regalia

Doctoral regalia orders are completed independently through each School. Master's and Doctoral students must wear the University-provided regalia to participate in the ceremony. While these gowns are the same color as undergraduate gowns, they have some distinguishing features (the sleeves are different, the hood is longer, and they have a different color in front). 

Commencement Ceremony Details

Parking

Graduate and guest parking is in Lots I, S, C, F, and A. If a graduate or a guest requires accessible parking or a drop-off, please email commencement@sjf.edu with the name of the graduate and the ceremony they are attending to request an accommodation.

Diplomas, Honors, and Awards

Eligible students must apply to graduate, as instructed by the University Registrar. In the spring semester, students who have applied to graduate and have been approved by the Registrar’s Office must register for their ceremony, indicating their intent to attend the ceremony.

At the ceremony, graduates receive a St. John Fisher University diploma cover as they cross the stage and are congratulated by the University and school leadership. Diplomas are mailed to the address submitted when a student applies to graduate.

Honors and awards are listed in the Commencement program. Final honors, based on the final cumulative GPA, are noted on the diploma and transcript. Cords for Latin academic honors are provided to the graduate upon check-in at the ceremony.

  • Summa Cum Laude: 3.85 or higher
  • Magna Cum Laude: 3.70 or higher
  • Cum Laude: 3.50 or higher

Photographs

The University works with Island Photography to make portrait opportunities available to graduates and their guests. A representative will capture a portrait of the graduate when they exit the stage, before returning to their seat. Proofs are delivered via Fisher email within 48–72 hours after the ceremony. There is no obligation to purchase. Portraits may be ordered directly from Island Photography. Questions may be directed to custserv@islandphoto.com or (800) 869-0908.

Food, Gifts, Reception

Water stations are available in the Athletic Center Fieldhouse, and Fisher’s award-winning dining services provides light catering in the Donald E. Bain Campus Center immediately following each ceremony.

In addition to commemorative gifts available at the bookstore, a local flower vendor will be available at the Athletic Center.

The Cardinal Shop

The Cardinal Shop on campus will be open for extended hours Friday, May 10 (9 a.m. - 8 p.m.) and Saturday, May 11 (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) for apparel, class ring, diploma frames, and other purchases to commemorate and celebrate the graduate.

Attendee Safety

Comfort-Related Matters

  • Each Ceremony is anticipated to last approximately 60-90 minutes.
  • Seating is plastic folding chairs on the same level in the Fieldhouse.
  • Please consider wearing or bringing comfortable footwear.
  • The Fieldhouse is not air-conditioned and may be warm.

Prohibited Items

  • Air horns, whistles, other disruptive devices.
  • Weapons of any kind, including knives.
  • Unweighted balloons.