Commencement Day Details

GRADUATE ARRIVAL

  • Graduates should arrive 1 hour prior to ceremony time to check-in.
  • Guests should arrive to campus no earlier than 1 hour prior to ceremony time. Doors open 45 minutes prior to ceremony start time.
  • Provide your guests with their tickets before arriving to the ceremony.
  • Leave your personal belongings in the car. There is no secure holding place in the venue and you may not return to the same seat you were in before crossing the stage. 
  • Balloons, noisemakers, signs, large bags and purses are strictly prohibited
Events Center Ceremonies:

Enter the Events Center on the east side floor level. A map of the events Center entrance for Commencement graduates can be found here.

Anderson Center Ceremonies:

Enter the Anderson Center through the main entrance. Follow the signs to go to the Chamber Hall to check in.

GUEST ARRIVAL

  • Guests should NOT arrive to campus earlier than one hour prior to ceremony start time as parking will not be available. There is a changeover period in the parking lots between ceremonies. If you arrive on campus one hour prior to ceremonies, traffic will be less prevelant and parking will be available closer to the venue.
  • Guests will need to have tickets on their phone or printed prior to arriving at the venue.
  • Balloons, noisemakers, signs, large bags and purses are strictly prohibited

PARKING

Eligible parking lots will be marked on the day of the ceremony. Campus Map is available for reference.

Directional signage, UPD and parking attendants will be present upon arrival to campus for Commencement to direct parking. Those who require accessible parking or drop-off should visit the Accessibility Planning webpage for information.

Events Center Ceremonies:

Student Drop-Off for Events Center ceremonies will be in front of the Events Center.

Anderson Center Ceremonies:

Student Drop-Off for Anderson Center ceremonies will be in front of the Anderson Center.

GRADUATE ATTIRE

Regalia is mandatory if you are attending a Commencement Ceremony. Visit the Cap and Gown webpage for more information and deadlines. There is no formal dress code, however we encourage all graduates to dress for a special occasion. The Events Center and Anderson Center are air-conditioned.

GUEST ATTIRE

Binghamton University does not enforce a dress code for this event. The Events Center and Anderson Center are air-conditioned.

TICKETS

ONLY Students can claim tickets and distribute to guests. Guests must have the ticket available on their phone OR printed before arriving to the ceremony. There is no-rentry allowed. Once you are in the building you cannot re-enter.

Ticket quantities per graduate will be determined by March 2024. We determine the quantity of tickets per graduate by the number of graduates that sign up and the capacity in the Events Center at the time of the event. More ticket information can be found on the Commencement Ticket webpage

CEREMONY LENGTH

Ceremonies typically last between 1.5 - 2 hours at the most. Be sure to account for travel time and parking when making dinner reservations.

Not Allowed in the Venue

Pets: No pets will be allowed who are not trained service dogs that work to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability. Only service animals defined by  Federal regulations will be allowed. Assistance animals (or emotional support animals) are not included in Federal regulations. Binghamton is committed to ensuring that commencement is accessible to everyone. 

The following items will not be allowed inside the commencement venue:

  • Balloons
  • Bags or backpacks (small clutches allowed)
  • Noise-making devices
  • Flags, signs or banners