53rd Annual Commencement Ceremony
Friday, May 15, 2020 at 7 p.m.
Physical Education Center (PEC)
Commencement Schedule
- 5:15 p.m. Graduates Arrive
- 5:30 p.m. Mandatory Commencement Rehearsal Begins
- 6:30 p.m. Doors Open for Guests
- 7:00 p.m. Commencement Begins
- 9:00 p.m. Reception
You can watch a live stream of the ceremony here.
The ceremony is also being shown on the following cable systems
- Comcast in Glen Ellyn on Channel 18
- WOW in Glen Ellyn on Channel 24
- Comcast in Wheaton on Channel 99
- Comcast in West Chicago on Channel 18
Commencement Registration
Register to participate in the commencement ceremony and receive up to 6 guest tickets for friends and family. (Each guest, including infants, must have a ticket to attend.)
Registration opens March 9, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. and closes May 1, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.
Click here to be taken to the commencement registration website.
Apply to Graduate
All students who earn a degree or certificate in the academic year (fall term through summer term) may participate in the graduation ceremony. In order to have your name listed in the Commencement program, your application must be submitted to the Office of Student Records by March 15, 2020.
Degree and Certificate Requirements
If you have any questions regarding your degree of certificate credits, please check with the Office of Student Records in the Student Resource Center (SRC), Room 2150, or call (630) 942-2260. It is not necessary to complete your degree requirements by May 2020, but they should be met by the end of the Summer 2020 term. Everyone will receive a diploma cover on the night of the Commencement Ceremony. The actual diploma will be mailed upon completion of your degree requirements. View Graduation Requirements
Caps, Gowns and Tassels
Commencement materials will be available in the College of DuPage Bookstore and graduates are encouraged to purchase their materials as soon as possible. All graduates who choose to participate in the Commencement ceremony must wear the appropriate hunter green cap and gown, which can be purchased in the campus Bookstore. In 2010, we changed to a new shade of green so you will not be able to use previous years' regalia. Purchasing early will ensure a correct fit.
Regalia will be available beginning the second week in March.
The prices are as follows:
- Full set of regalia(cap/gown/tassel) $36.50 + tax
- Individual silver tassel $5.99 + tax
College of DuPage Bookstore Hours and Contact Information
Monday to Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
(630) 942-2360
Honor Society membership recognition is through the individual purchase of a stole or cord. Please contact your honor society advisor for information. Only one stole may be worn and it must be from the approved list below:
- Alpha Beta Gamma – Sapphire Blue Stole
- Alpha Mu Gamma – Red and Blue Cords
- Alpha Delta Nu – Apricot Cords
- Kappa Delta Pi - Purple and Green Cords
- LEX Paralegal Honorary – Purple Stole
- Omega Lamda Nu - Forest Green and Maroon Cords
- Phi Theta Kappa – Gold Stole (and gold tassel)
- Psi Beta – Gold Cords
- Tau Upsilon Alpha – Blue, White and Gold Cords
Guests Needing Assistance
Any guests who have difficulty walking long distances or navigating hills should be dropped off at the designated entrance. Seating accommodations are available for persons with wheelchairs (COD does not provide wheelchairs). When registering for the ceremony, be sure to indicate if any of your guests are in a wheelchair or will need sign language interpreters. As a graduate, if you need any type of special accommodation, please indicate what type when registering and you will be contacted by a staff member.
Photography
Graduates will receive a photographer's card along with their seating assignment prior to the graduation ceremony.
During the graduation ceremony, a professional photographer from GradImages will take a photograph of each graduate receiving their diploma cover. There is no obligation to purchase the photo.
In order to ensure an orderly ceremony, we do not allow personal photographs and videos to be taken from the aisles. Personal photographs can be taken after the ceremony at the reception.
Approximately one week after the graduation ceremony you will receive an email with ordering information. You may also visit www.GradImages.com.
If you have questions please contact the Office of Student Life at studentlife@cod.edu or (630) 942-2243.