Commencement

Thursday, April 30 at 6 p.m.	Commencement Rehearsal
Friday, May 1 from 10-11 a.m.	Presbyterian School of Nursing Blessing & Pinning Ceremony
Friday, May 1 from 1-2 p.m.	College of Arts and Sciences and Cato School of Education Awards Ceremony
Saturday, May 2 from 9-11 a.m.	Commencement

View Commencement Events

Caps and gowns should be ordered online at orderHJ.com/Queens before March 6 and will be available for pickup in the bookstore beginning April 20. Graduates will not be permitted to participate in their commencement ceremony or Baccalaureate without a cap and gown. Please contact the Queens Bookstore with any questions at 704-337-2413.

Underneath the cap and gown, graduates should wear a dark dress, skirt or trousers. Dark shoes with flat bottoms are recommended. Corsages should be pinned to the gown. Queens requires that all graduates be dressed appropriately in order to participate in commencement exercises.

Please note that the university will “hood” master’s degree candidates on stage during the ceremony. The hood is part of the master’s regalia package that is ordered at orderHJ.com/queens. Hoods will be draped over students’ arms during the processional.

Master’s level gowns are different in cut and style than undergraduate gowns, and we expect all participants’ gowns to be consistent in style. If you will be receiving a master’s degree and were considering borrowing a gown from someone or wearing your undergraduate gown, please reconsider. If your gown is not similar to the standard gown our graduate students wear, you will not be permitted to participate in the ceremony. The Bookstore will have a very limited number of extra caps and gowns on hand for emergency purchases on the day of the ceremony.

Undergraduate students who earn Latin honors (based on their GPA), will be given a cord to wear. Questions about qualifications for Latin honors should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.

Queens values both the academic and extracurricular accomplishments of our students and will allow regalia that is representative of both academic and nonacademic endeavors if they are part of a national organization that offers cords and stoles for sale to students.

For example, athletics is part of the NCAA, which supports the representation of athletics through specific cords, and the Black Student Association also is part of a national organization that is represented with a certain stole at many colleges and universities. Greek Life, as well, offers cords to sororities and fraternities, nationally and internationally.

Homemade, nonrecognized apparel is not permitted. No part of the regalia should be distracting or disrespectful to the occasion. That includes caps if the decoration is not distracting or disrespectful, it will be allowed within reason. Decoration of caps should not be three dimensional. Students will be responsible for the purchase of their own nonacademic cords and stoles. Contact your organization's advisor for information on availability of cords for your group.

Graduation announcements may be ordered online at orderHJ.com/queens.

As each graduate is handed his or her diploma cover on stage, a professional photographer will take a photo. A free color proof will be mailed to your current mailing address, including a password for online viewing. You are under no obligation to purchase prints. To receive an email notification the moment your photos are online, please visit www.photospecialties.com to preregister.

If you do not receive a proof within a week of the ceremony, please contact info@photospecialties.com or call 1800-722-7033.

You may order your class ring online at orderHJ.com/queens or by completing an order form at the Student Bookstore.

Graduates who need accommodations for ceremony participation should contact Cort Schneider, director of student accessibility services at schneiderc@queens.edu or 704-337-2508 before April 23.

A drop-off point for guests with mobility impairments will be available.

An interpreter will be available at all ceremonies, and seats will be reserved in close proximity for guests who are hearing impaired. Please note that we do not provide wheelchairs for guests, but they may be rented through First Choice Medical . Weekly rentals are $50.

Please see our list of driving directions for information on how to get to campus.

Parking Registration Required

Graduates will have reserved parking in the Byrum Parking Deck and will be provided with a parking pass via email in late April. All guest vehicles, however, must be pre-registered for parking in other lots. To supplement our campus parking, several nearby parking lots will be utilized with shuttles to transport guests to/from the campus.  All on-campus and off-campus lots for guests will require registration.

Each graduate is allowed up to three guest vehicle registrations.

Parking registration will begin in March.

Note that the Evans Clock Tower Lot is for guests with handicapped parking placards. This lot may also be used as a drop-off point for any guest with mobility impairments. Shuttles from off-campus lots are not ADA accessible.

Consider Alternative Transportation

We strongly encourage carpooling; also, using Uber or Lyft is another great option. The drop-off point for Uber, Lyft, taxis, etc., is Evans Clock Tower. Lots will open at 7 a.m., the audience seating area at Hall Brown Terrace opens at 7:30 a.m., and shuttles to remote lots will run continuously until 2 p.m. Please allow plenty of time for parking and transportation to campus.

Parking Questions

Please call Campus Police at 704-337-2306 or email parking@queens.edu if you have any questions.

 

Tickets are not required for commencement unless weather does not permit an outdoor ceremony. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held indoors at the Levine Center for Wellness and Recreation. Seating is not assigned and is on a first-come, first-served basis for those with tickets. Overflow seating with a closed circuit monitor will available on campus for others who do not have a rain ticket. The ceremony will also be broadcast live via YouTube.

Rain tickets will be issued to each undergraduate at rehearsal. Tickets for master’s degree candidates will be mailed in mid-April. Three tickets will be issued per graduate.

Traveling from out of town for the ceremony? Consider staying at one of our host hotels for discounted rates on your hotel stay.