Our commencement team will cover all things related to the Commencement Ceremony! Grads will have the opportunity to ask us any questions about the big day.

**Register to attend ONE of these two info session.**

Both sessions will take place on ZOOM and will cover the same information.

Session 1: Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 5pm
REGISTER NOW for Session 1 

Session 2: Friday, May 12, 2023, at 12pm
REGISTER NOW for Session 2

 

The 65th Annual Commencement Ceremony details are as follows:

Date: Friday, May 19, 2023

Time: 5:30 PM-Graduate Procession into Stadium Begins
           6 PM-Ceremony Begins

Location: Falcon Stadium

What is the Difference Between a Graduation and Commencement Ceremony?

Graduation: 

• Graduation happens when you finally complete your degree requirements. Cerritos College requires students to complete an official graduation petition with a minimum number of units, before they can receive their diploma. We recommend submitting your petition at the beginning of your last term (or sooner). 
• As a rule of thumb, if you finish your requirements in the spring semester and submit a graduation petition, you can say that you “graduated” in the spring. However, it may take time for the college to evaluate your record and send an official diploma.

Commencement:

• Meanwhile, “commencement” is the official term for the graduation ceremony, where students, family, and faculty celebrate their accomplishments. Cerritos College hosts their commencement at the close of the spring term.

source

November 4, 2022 – Deadline to submit the Fall 2022 graduation petition to Admissions

March 24, 2023 – Deadline to submit Spring & Summer 2023 graduation petition to Admissions

IMPORTANT: March 24, 2023 is  the deadline if a student would like to petition and have their name appear on the 2023 Commencement Ceremony booklet. Petitions submitted after March 24, 2023 WILL NOT be printed in the booklet.

Visit the Admissions Graduate Petition webpage for additional petition information.

For information regarding your records such as grades, petitions, transcripts, please contact Admissions & Records.

Cerritos College graduates of the following graduating classes are invited to participate in the Commencement Ceremony:

• Summer 2022
• Fall 2022
• Spring 2023
• Summer 2023

Do I need to apply or sign up anywhere to participate in the ceremony?

No. There is no application to participate in the ceremony. Graduates who submitted their petition to graduate to Admissions, for the Fall 2022-Summer 2023 semester, will be invited to participate in the ceremony.

• Admission will check every petition to graduate. If you have met or will meet all the requirements to graduate from the college during the Fall 2022, Spring 2023, or by the Summer 2023 semester, you will be added to the list of graduating students.

Please see the next section "When & How We Notify/ Communicate With Graduates", for more communication information.

The Commencement Team communicates with graduates via email sent from commencement@cerritos.edu.

If you have filed your petition with Admissions before the March 24, 2023 deadline,  you’ll receive communication from this office in mid-April. After the petition deadline on March 24, Admissions & Records provides us a graduate list (it takes a few weeks for them to process the intake of them all), and once we have the list we’ll start sending regular communication.  

Only graduates who have successfully submitted their graduation petitions to Admissions & Records by the deadlines (please see section above for these deadlines) will be contacted.

• Please make sure that you have updated your email address with the college so you don't miss the communication.
• We will only be sending information related to commencement. 

• Ticket distribution began at the Grad Fair.
• We have enough tickets to distribute to all graduates.
  
  • Note: If you did not submit your petition by the March 24, 2023 deadline, and your petition was not approved by Admissions & Records, will may need to wait until your petition is cleared to pick up guest tickets from the Student Activities Office.

Can't make the Grad Fair to pick up your 6 tickets?

• • Tickets will be available for graduating students (that have submitted their petition to Admissions), to pick up in the Student Activities Office from May 1-17.
    A photo ID is required for pick up. Please check for  office hours.
• Admission to the event is free.
• Each guest will require a ticket to enter the event.
• Graduates may request up to 6 guest tickets.
  • Children 3 years and under, who will be lap-seating, will not need a ticket.
• Stadium gates will close when/if capacity is reached.
• Seat saving is not allowed. 

Extra Tickets:

If extra tickets should become available, the Commencement Team will notify graduates the week of the event.

Save the date for GRAD FAIR!

• Dates: April 26 & 27, 2023 (Attend the day of your choice!)
• Time: 10 am-2 pm (both days)
• Location: Student Center  (SH-Student Hall)

Before Commencement Day

Purchase your Regalia (aka Cap & Gown)
Graduates will be able to purchase their cap and gown in-person from the Bookstore starting April 26, 2023.

GET IT EARLY! Pre-order your regalia and pick it up at the Grad Fair! Graduates will have an option to pre-order their regalia online and pick it up at the Grad Fair! The Commencement Team will email graduates with the pre-order link in April.

Price of Regalia:

•  $40.00 (plus tax). Sold as a set that includes a cap, a gown, and a 2023 tassel. For accurate pricing, please visit the Bookstore website.
• While sashes are not part of the required regalia, they will be available for purchase in the Bookstore-only while supplies last.
  
  

How To Prepare On The Big Day

Commencement Regalia should be properly worn at all times of the ceremony:

Gown: Have your gown pressed (cool iron only). Gowns should be zipped up at all times during the ceremony.

Cap: The cap should be worn straight and pulled down over the forehead. You may need to use bobby pins to keep your cap on. Caps should also be worn at all times during the ceremony, except during the National Anthem (men). The tassel should be draped over the left front quarter of the cap. 

If you are borrowing regalia from a sibling or friend, please make sure it matches the black cap and gowns that are sold at the bookstore.

Commencement Dress Code

Official cap and gown are required for participation.

Wear Proper Footwear 
Seriously, wear the proper footwear! You will be standing for a period of time and you will be walking on potentially uneven ground.

• Spike heels will not be permitted on the field.
• For your safety, graduates are strongly urged NOT to wear high heels. Wedge heels and flat shoes are highly recommended.

Decorating Your Cap 
Graduates are allowed to decorate their caps for the ceremony. Please keep in mind that the Cerritos College Standard of Conduct does apply to the graduation ceremony. If your cap violates a standard of conduct, you will be asked to remove your cap.

Cords, Medals, and Sashes 
If the graduate earned an honors cord, medal, and/or sash during the time they attended Cerritos College (for example Phi Theta Kappa, UMOJA, and Scholars Honors Program, etc) they are more than welcome to wear those items. Honors graduates may pick up their cord at the Grad Fair. Honors cords are available only while supplies last.

ARRIVE EARLY! 

Graduates are encouraged to park in lot 10 (accessed though 166th st.), to avoid traffic and parking lot congestion. Parking will be free for the Commencement ceremonies.

ADA Parking

The section of parking immediately in front of the stadium is reserved for ADA Handicapped Parking only. To enter that section vehicles must display a handicap placard or license plate.

The streets surrounding the campus will be heavily congested with traffic, especially those accessing the campus via Alondra Blvd. To avoid traffic and parking lot congestion, we encourage graduates and guests to arrive early and park in lot 10, which can be accessed through 166th street.

Directions to Cerritos College

From Downtown Los Angeles
Take I-5 South to I-605 South, exit I-605 at Alondra Blvd, turn left on Alondra Blvd, take Alondra Blvd East. The college will be on the right just past Studebaker Road.

From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Take I-105 East to I-605 South, exit I-605 at Alondra Blvd, turn left on Alondra Blvd, take Alondra Blvd East.

From John Wayne Airport (Orange County)
Take I-405 North to I-605 North, exit I-605 at Alondra Blvd, turn right on Alondra Blvd, take Alondra Blvd East.

*Traffic Alert*

The streets surrounding the campus will be heavily congested. To avoid traffic and parking lot congestion, we encourage graduates and guests to arrive early and park in lot 10, which can be accessed through 166th street.

Rideshare & Passenger Drop Off Zone 

A rideshare (Taxi, uber, Lyft, etc) and passenger drop off area will be located in parking lot 10 and accessed via 166th Street.  Due to heavily congested traffic, drop offs  in front of the stadium and gym will not be permitted.

On Commencement day:

Graduate Arrival

• ARRIVE EARLY
  • Arrive no later than 5 PM to line up to enter the stadium.
  • Graduates will enter the stadium at 5:30 PM.
  • LATE arrivals WILL NOT be allowed to participate in the ceremony.
    
    
• CHECK- IN: Graduates must report to the parking area south of the Field House Field.
  
  
• Instructions will be explained to all participating graduates in detail upon arrival to the parking area south of the Field House Field.
  
  
• Graduates are expected to stay during the entire ceremony. 

Dress Code

• Official cap and gown are required for participation.
• Selected adornments, such as honor and organizational cords and stoles and flower leis, may be worn with the cap and gown during the ceremony.

Personal Belongings

• DO NOT bring any personal items to the ceremony. Cerritos College will not be responsible for any personal items.

Smoke and Tobacco-Free Campus

Cerritos College is a 100% smoke and tobacco-free campus. Smoking, including the use of cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, snuff, snus, water pipes, pipes, hookahs, chew, electronic cigarettes, vaporized liquids, or other emission-producing products or devices is prohibited.

Behavior

• Unruly, disruptive or offensive behavior is strictly prohibited.
• Graduates who appear intoxicated, under the influence of illegal substances or exhibit any other illicit or belligerent behavior will be escorted out from the campus by law enforcement.

Graduates graduating with honors will be identified by a gold cord.

Only those graduates who have earned an ASSOCIATES DEGREE with a grade point average of 3.3 or better, and have successfully submitted a petition to graduate to Admissions and Records by the March 24, 2023 deadline, are eligible to receive a honors cord. Honors cords are not available for students earning a certificate.

Honors: Graduates who achieved a GPA of 3.3 to 3.69
Highest Honors: Graduates who achieved a GPA of 3.7 or higher

**Honors graduates earning an Associates (AA) degree, may pick up their cord at the Grad Fair.  Honors cords are available while supplies last. Honors GPA based on cumulative GPA at the time of the Grad Fair**

If you cannot pick up the cord at Grad Fair, you may check if they are available at the Student Activities office between
May 1-18, 2023, during office hours only. Photo ID is required to pick up a cord. Honors cords will not be sold in the Bookstore. **Honors cords are available while supplies last.**

If you have questions regarding the honors and whether or not you are eligible to receive honors cord please contact Admissions and Records. 

If you submitted your Graduate Petition for Fall 2022 or Spring/ Summer 2023, before the deadlines below, your name will appear in the Program Booklet.

• November 4, 2022 – Deadline to submit the Fall 2022 graduation petition to Admissions.
• March 24, 2023 – Deadline to submit Spring & Summer 2023 graduation petition to Admissions.

Visit the Admissions Graduate Petition webpage for petition information

For more information regarding your records, grades,  transcripts, please contact Admissions & Records.

Please note: The Commencement Team is unable to check the status of your Petition.

Students who submit their requests after the deadline may still participate in Commencement; however, their names will not be printed in the program booklet.

Programs are free and a copy will given to each participant and each guest present at the ceremony (while supplies last).

Photographs on Commencement Day

Grad Images will be available to take graduate portraits after the Graduate Check-In point, on the day of your commencement ceremony.

All graduates will have a photo opportunity as they proceed off stage and back to their seats. On commencement day, you will be asked to complete the form on the back of your name card, and a free color proof will be mailed to you.  Once you have received your proof in the mail you can contact Grad Images at their customer service line at (800) 261-2576. The link for graduates is www.gradimages.com

Certificates and Degrees

You will be notified by the Office of Admissions and Records when your diploma or certificate is available. Please make sure that your mailing information is correct and up-to-date.

Graduates will not receive their diplomas and/or certificates at the Commencement ceremony.

Diploma Covers

As a recognition of your accomplishments and participation in the ceremony, graduates who participate in the entire Commencement Ceremony will be gifted a diploma cover immediately after the ceremony. If you do not participate in Commencement, or you leave the ceremony before the ending procession off the field, you will be able to purchase a diploma cover at the Cerritos College Bookstore.

Diplomas Held

Please note that if you have an outstanding obligation to the college, this will prevent Cerritos College from releasing your diploma when it become available.

Graduates Requesting Accommodations

If you require disability accommodations contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS)  (562) 860-2451, ext. 2335; (562) 274-7164 (VP); or
Graduation-Accommodation@cerritos.edu a minimum of two weeks prior to commencement ceremony.

ADA Parking

Graduates and guests with a DMV approved placard may park in parking lot 1, located in front of the stadium.

Guests with Disabilities

In addition to general wheelchair seating in the grandstand, guests who use wheelchairs, walkers, or power-scooters may opt to be seated on the track the day of the event, along with one companion.  Accessible field level seating is available on the home side of the stadium only, on a first-come first-serve basis.  Please plan accordingly.

Sign language interpreters will be located on the home side of the stage and guest seating will be available near the stage (on the home side only) for those who need access to view the interpreters.

A limited number of programs will be available at the entrance in large print and Braille.

For any other accommodation requests or for additional information regarding accommodations, please contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) at (562) 860-2451, ext. 2335; (562) 274-7164 (VP); or Graduation-Accommodation@cerritos.edu . 

Commencement is a joyous celebration for all and we ask that graduates and guests stay through the entire ceremony. Leaving early not only disrupts the ceremony, but it is distracting to graduating students.

Graduation Gear & Gifts

Caps, gowns, tassels, and gifts will be on sale in the Bookstore beginning in April.

Security and Safety for Your Guests

Bags will be searched by campus police at the entrance of the stadium. The following will not be permitted in Falcon Stadium:

• strollers/ car seats/ coolers
• large signs/ confetti/ balloons/ noisemakers
• alcohol/ drugs
• open/glass containers
• smoking/ vaping

In Consideration of others..

No "Seat-Saving".
Due to limited seating, "seat-saving" will not be permitted. We ask that parties that wish to sit together arrive together.

Please be considerate and respectful of others in attendance. 
Do not block or stand in anyone's view anytime during the ceremony. Please refrain from using profanity.

Do I need to apply to participate in the ceremony on May 19?

No. There is no application to participate in the commencement ceremony. Please see section "When & How We Notify/ Communicate With Graduates" above for details.

Is It mandatory to participate in the ceremony?

Participation is not mandatory and completely up to the graduating student. 

Do I need to attend both days of the Grad Fair?

No. You do not need to attend both days. Both days will be the same. Drop in anytime during the event hours.

Can I purchase my regalia (cap and gown) at the Grad Fair event?

No. Graduates will only be able to pick up their PRE-ORDERED regalia at the Grad Fair.

I can't make it to the Grad Fair, is there another option to order my cap and gown?

• IN-STORE: Graduates will be able to make in-store purchases for cap and gowns from the Bookstore, beginning April 26 and up to May 19.
• ORDER ONLINE: Online orders placed after Grad Fair will be ship out only. 

I can't make it to the Grad Fair, is there another time I can pick up my tickets?

If you cannot attend the Grad Fair to pick up your tickets, you may pick up your guest tickets in the Student Activities office, during office hours, starting Monday, May 1st and until May 18th.

I can't make it to the Grad Fair, is there another time I can pick up my honors cord?

Honors cord: If you cannot pick up the cord at Grad Fair, you may check if they are available at the Student Activities office from May 1-12, 2023, during office hours only. Photo ID is needed to pick up a cord. Please see section above "Honors Cords" for all the details.