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 2023 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.
Should guests require accessible seating, please contact the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership at commencement@sjf.edu with the graduate’s name and the ceremony they are attending.
Digital tickets will be available beginning Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 12 p.m. through April 15, 2023 at 12 p.m. Tickets are free for graduates and guests. Graduates will receive an email with ticket registration information.
The University cannot guarantee that extra tickets will be available, but recognize that some graduates will not use all of their guest tickets. If, based on venue capacity, additional tickets are available, graduates will be notified via their Fisher email, and the online ticket system will reopen at a designated date and time to allow any graduate an opportunity to claim additional tickets on a first-come, first-served basis for their respective ceremony.
As a reminder, ceremonies will be live-streamed and displayed in designated areas on campus.
Regalia (Caps, Gowns, and Hoods)
Regalia is provided to ceremony participants via the University Bookstore. Graduates should plan to pick up their regalia package in early May. Staff will be available at the ceremony to assist graduates with dressing. Stoles and cords are provided by University departments/officials. Souvenir tassels, international study abroad stoles and veteran stoles will be available for purchase through the bookstore website at the time the graduate requests regalia. The deadline to request regalia is March 26.
Doctoral candidates should not place an order using the online system. Please refer to the information provided by respective program directors for ordering doctoral regalia.
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: 3.80–4.00
- Magna Cum Laude: 3.65–3.79
- Cum Laude: 3.50–3.64
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.
University Bookstore (The Cardinal Shop)
The University bookstore will be open for extended hours on May 12 and 13 for apparel, class ring, diploma frame, and other purchases to commemorate and celebrate the graduate.
Attendee Safety
Comfort-Related Matters
- Each Ceremony is anticipated to last approximately 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.
Additional Recognition Ceremonies
Degrees are conferred by the University at Commencement. Individual schools and departments also hold celebrations. Graduates should contact departments directly for celebration details.
- ALANA Dinner: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 5:00 p.m., RSVP required
- Baccalaureate Mass: Friday, May 12, 2023, 12 p.m., Hermance Family Chapel of St. Basil the Great
- Honors Brunch: Friday, May 12, 2023, 9 a.m., Cleary Family Auditorium
- Interfaith Service: Friday, May 12, 2023, 1:30 p.m., Hermance Family Chapel of St. Basil the Great
- Lavender Celebration: Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 5:00 p.m., RSVP required
- School of Arts and Sciences Awards: Friday, May 12, 2023, 2:30 p.m., Cleary Family Auditorium
- School of Business: Tuesday, May 9, 2023, 3–6 p.m., Lot D (next to the Victor E. Salerno Center for American Enterprise)