We recognize the importance that graduation holds for our students and their families. We are also aware of the enormous sense of pride that accompanies such a significant accomplishment. The faculty and staff at Concordia University look forward to celebrating with you at the May commencement ceremonies.

Tickets and duration

Tickets are required to attend commencement, and each ceremony duration is approximately 1.5 hour. Each guest is required to have a ticket to enter the Field House. All tickets will be scanned. Please have your ticket printed, or available on your phone, for scanning as you arrive at the Field House. The graduate must request tickets on your behalf. Please note that tickets are not transferable and cannot be shared with other students. 

Details

  • Cell phones should be place on vibrate or silent mode during the ceremony.
  • If possible, please remain seated throughout the ceremony.  If it is not feasible to remain seated throughout the ceremony, please consider moving to classroom across the hallway from the Field House where the ceremony will be broadcast on a large screen.  
  • Seats are first come, first served. Doors open 90 minutes prior to the ceremony. 
  • Please do not stand in the aisles. We care about the safety of our guests and it is a fire hazard.
  • No air horns or other loud noisemakers.
  • Professional photographers from Empire Photography will capture the awarding of your student’s diploma from different angles. We encourage you to sit back, enjoy the moment and leave the photos to our professional photographers.
  • Finding graduates following the ceremony can be difficult. It is recommended that guests make plans to meet their graduates at a designated location following the ceremony.
  • A limited number of spaces are available for wheelchairs and guests who utilize mobility devices. Please see the special seating accommodations page for details.
  • Live video will be broadcast in classroom directly across from the Field House after the ceremony begins for families with small children. Take a break and let the children move around in our relaxed remote viewing area.
  • The ceremony will also be streamed live online.
  • No eating and/or drinking will be permitted in the Field House. Vending machines will not be accessible during commencement. 
  • Please leave extra time to exit the building and to make your way through the post-event traffic.
Arrival/Entrance to Ceremony
  • Enter campus through the Lake Shore Drive entrance. Security will be present to direct you to available designated parking. 
  • Guests are welcome to arrive 90 minutes prior to the commencement ceremony. 
  • Guests will enter through the Field House entrance. Guest tickets will be scanned at the Field House entrance. Please have your guest ticket printed or available on your phone for scanning. 
Departure/Exiting the Field House
  • Faculty will process out of the Field House, but graduates will not. For that reason, finding graduates following the ceremony can be difficult. It is recommended that guests make plans to meet their graduates at a designated location following the ceremony.
  • Guests are welcome to depart from the Field House following the processional.
Photography, Flowers, and Red Elephant Chocolates
  • Empire Photography will be taking photos of your graduate several times today. If you’d like to snap a photo of your graduate, you are asked to remain in your seat while doing so. We ask that you do not occupy the aisles for any reason during the ceremony. Proofs of your graduate from Empire Photography will be available within days of commencement.
  • Each graduate is photographed as they receive their diploma. If you have any questions, please email Empire Photography at customerservice@empirephotos.com.
  • You may purchase flowers for your graduate in the Field House lobby. Please give them to your graduate AFTER the ceremony. Graduates will not be allowed to carry flowers during the ceremony. You're welcome to pre-order flowers here.
  • You can purchase custom “congratulations graduate” Concordia Red Elephant Chocolates (CREC) in the Field House lobby, with 20% of all sales going to student scholarships. CREC is a Concordia student-affiliated company.
Concordia Red Elephant Chocolates
Lodging

We encourage families to make and confirm reservations well ahead of time. You’ll find numerous overnight accommodations available within a short distance of CUW’s campus, many of which offer a discount for guests of CUW.

Learn more about local accommodations here.