Commencement Ceremonies

Parking

Guests and graduates are invited to park in any parking lot or space on campus provided it is not marked as a reserved space for special guests or a reserved space or lot for handicapped parking. There is also a parking deck that is adjacent to the Anderson Center.

Confirmation of Participation

If you plan on participating in the ceremony you must confirm participation by enrolling in the Graduation Canvas Course (which will be emailed to your VCCS email), then submitting your Participation Survey (link within the Graduation Canvas Course page).  

Please note, we host a Spring Commencement Ceremony and a Fall Commencement Ceremony. 

• Graduates completing in summer who have 9 or fewer credits to complete are invited to participate in our Spring Commencement Ceremony.
• Graduates completing in summer with greater than 9 credits to complete are invited to participate in our Fall Commencement Ceremony. 

All graduation applicants will receive details in your VCCS student email with steps on how to enroll into this course and confirm participation. We will also communicate any updates on guest ticketing and event expectations with you throughout the semester once you are enrolled into that course. Please be sure to check your VCCS email and the Graduation Canvas Course announcements frequently, as there will be time sensitive action items.

If you’re planning to participate in the graduation ceremony, please be sure to enroll in the Graduation Canvas Course AND submit your Participation Survey by the deadlines shared in your email. These steps are required to confirm your participation and to receive guest tickets.

If you missed the application deadline, please email us at graduation@germanna.edu to request an application to be created for you manually; be sure to include your name, student ID number, and graduation term.

Your Commencement Checklist:

• Apply for Graduation in SIS
• Enroll in the Graduation Canvas Course
• Submit your Participation Survey
• Purchase your Regalia (cap and gown, etc. – see Regalia tab)
• Claim your Guest Tickets (you will receive an email from Tassel)
• Check your Graduation Canvas Course daily for announcements

Tickets & Guest

Each graduate will be given 4 tickets for their guests (subject to change based on event capacity). You will be emailed the link to claim your tickets by Tassel (our ticketing service), after completing the participation survey located in the grad canvas course. The invitation to the canvas course as well as the ticket email will be sent to your student email (@email.vccs.edu). The commencement ceremony will be live-streamed for those who are unable to attend!

Admission to the ceremony

Anyone age 2 and older must have a ticket to be admitted into the ceremony.

Time

We host 2 ceremonies - one in the afternoon for Health Sciences graduates and one in the evening for all other programs (college-wide).

2 p.m. - Health Sciences Commencement and Pinning Ceremony
Graduates will arrive at 11:30am, wearing their academic regalia. Staff/Ushers will be available to assist with where and how to line up. Please check the graduation canvas course for the arrival times, locations, and schedule for both you and your guests.

7 p.m. - College-Wide Ceremony
Graduates will arrive at 5pm, wearing their academic regalia. Staff/Ushers will be available to assist with where and how to line up. Please check the graduation canvas course for the arrival times, locations, and schedule for both you and your guests.

Guests are asked to arrive no earlier than one hour prior to the ceremony. Please also check the "Security" tab on this page to ensure that you do not bring any prohibited items to the ceremony. All guests 2 years old and over must have a valid ticket to be admitted.

Dress Code

Please refer to your Graduation Canvas Course for Regalia requirements. Graduates are encouraged to wear comfortable footwear, as you will be standing for extended periods of time during registration and lineup.

Academic Regalia

Graduates will be able to order regalia online through Herff Jones. Please see the link below as well as our Caps and Gowns site for more information!

Tips

• Purchase regalia items individually if you already have some items from previous Germanna ceremonies; be sure to adhere to the Germanna Community College regalia requirements.
• You may decorate your cap as long as the decoration is not offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive to the ceremony or graduates, and it aligns with the College's expectation of professionalism that exhibits the skill, competence, and character expected of educational professionals.

Accessories

The College will provide bobby pins and safety pins to help keep caps and gowns in place when you arrive to line up before the event.

Stoles are optional for graduates to wear. These can also be purchased from Herff Jones. Outside stoles must be sent to the graduation team at graduation@germanna.edu prior to the ceremony for review.

Honor Graduates

Graduates who have fulfilled their program requirements are eligible for graduation honors based on their cumulative grade point average, determined as follows:

• 3.200 - 3.499 Cum Laude (with honors)
• 3.500 - 3.799 Magna Cum Laude (with high honors)
• 3.800 - 4.000 Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors)

Eligibility for honors for those graduates completing their requirements in the Fall 2026 semester will be determined by using their previous semester's cumulative grade point average. This is for ceremony purposes only.

Honor students will receive an email confirming honors. Eligible honor students will be able to pick up honors cords the day of the Commencement Ceremonies, during registration, that they may be proudly worn as you cross the stage!

Phi Theta Kappa Members

The purchase of PTK items for commencement is the PTK members responsibility.

Purchase PTK items

SAGA Members

Cords can be purchased directly from the bookstore.

Security

Personal belongings are the responsibility of the graduate and their guests. Germanna nor the Anderson Center will be responsible for any missing items.

Prohibited Items Inlcude:

• Alcohol
• Air horns
• Large or oversized umbrellas
• Confetti and Flutterfetti
• Silly String
• Balloons or inflatable items, such as beach balls
• Poles, monopods, tripods
• Weapons: guns, ammunition, knives, box cutters
• Leatherman or similar tools
• Sharp and/or pointed objects (scissors, knitting needles, etc.)
• Mace, pepper spray
• Spray containers, aerosols, flammable liquids
• Explosives, fireworks, laser lights, laser pointers
• Unopened packages
• Signs with sticks or on poles
• Cans, bottles, coolers
• Streamers

Permissible Items for Guests (All items subject to search):

• Flowers
• Small umbrellas (not to be opened in ceremony area)
• Small purses (4.5” x 6.5” or smaller)
• Small hand-held still cameras and video cameras (no tripods)
• Binoculars
• Kleenex
• Cell phones (must be silenced during ceremony)  

Anyone entering with prohibited items will be asked to return them to their vehicle.

Photography

Germanna has partnered with GradImages to take professional photos of every graduate.  Photos will be taken of the hand shake with the President as well as a posed portrait once the diploma cover has been received. Graduates can expect to receive proofs of their photos to their student email after the event.

Proof Pre-registration

To pre-register to receive your proofs visit the pre-register website to receive your proofs.

If you have any questions related to finding or ordering your photos after the event please call (800) 261-2576 or go visit GradImages website.

Commencement Memorabilia (T-Shirt, Sweatshirts, Flowers, etc.)

Germanna has partnered with The Commencement Group to offer the purchase of commemorative items that show the first initial and last name of each graduate in the graduating class on the back. They will also offer the purchase of flowers. All items will be available for purchase at the ceremony. If you would like to pre-order please see the link below! 

https://www.thecommencementgroup.com/germannacc/

Processional

Platform dignitaries, led by the President, will start the processional march, followed by Germanna College Board members, faculty and then graduate candidates. 

Graduates will assemble in the area designated for their respective degrees or certificates. Specific lineup times and schedules for graduates will be posted in the Graduate Canvas Course announcements. Processional coordinators will align graduates in proper order.

Identification Cards (Name Reader Cards)

Upon arrival, graduates will register and be issued an identification card indicating their name, proper pronunciation, and the degree/certificate to be awarded. This is the card our Name Readers will reference to call graduates' names as they cross the stage.

This card will be needed as you proceed across the stage to receive your diploma cover, so please do not lose it or leave it at your seat before you walk across the stage.

Family or Friends

No family or friends are permitted to enter the space designated for graduate registration and lineup, prior to or after the ceremony. Only graduates and staff are allowed in the graduate registration and lineup space.

Recessional

Aisle Marshals will direct graduates, board members, and faculty how to recess (formal exit).

Donation of Cap, Gown, and Hood

Anyone wishing to donate their cap/gown/hood for future graduates in need can drop them off at any Welcome Center.

Each row of graduates will be led to the stage by an Aisle Marshall.

Upon reaching the stage each graduate will give their identification card to the Dean. At the center of the stage each graduate will be greeted with a handshake by the President and be presented with a diploma cover. After shaking hands graduates are to proceed off the stage and return to their seat.

*Note:  Alternate arrangements will be made for graduates with special needs.

Confirmation of Graduation

Attendance at the College's commencement is voluntary and is not necessarily a valid indication of graduation. The College reserves the right to withdraw or add students from the graduation term.

Graduation is an exciting time for you and the College, and we celebrate your success! If you have any questions about the commencement ceremony, please email graduation@germanna.edu. Be sure to check your student email, as you will receive information regarding conferral, transcripts, and diplomas.

What Happens after Commencement?

Conferral review begins after Commencement and after grades are due.

What does conferral/conferral review mean? Conferral is the official awarding of degrees. Conferral review is the process of verifying that all program requirements have been satisfied to award students their degree. This process can take 4–6 weeks. Diplomas will be mailed after conferral is complete.

Diplomas will be mailed to the address currently on file in SIS. If you have moved, please submit a Record Change Form to the Welcome Center or email it to graduation@germanna.edu.

You will be notified via your student email when you have been conferred and when you can order official transcripts that will show your awarded program. If you submit a transcript order BEFORE this notification, you run the risk of not having your final awarded program listed and may have to submit another order. If you need to provide your transfer institutions with your completed grades, you can order transcripts at any time after your final grades are submitted. If you need a graduation verification letter for school or employer, email graduation@germanna.edu.

Commencement Information for Faculty

Who

All full-time faculty are expected to attend the commencement ceremony. If you cannot attend, you must make this request through your dean. The request will then move to Dr. Shashuna Gray and President Griffith for final approval. This request cannot be made through traditional leave. 

What

• Afternoon Health Sciences Commencement and Pinning Ceremony
• Evening College-Wide (all other programs) Commencement Ceremony

Where

TBD

Cap & Gown Requirement

Full-time faculty must wear a cap and gown. If you need a cap and gown or have a cap and gown to share, please complete the Cap and Gown Exchange document.

Commencement Information for Board Members and Special Guests

Commencement Information for Board Members and Special Guests

Parking

• Upon arrival, have your parking pass visible on your dashboard or prepared to show it to the police officer. The officer will direct you to your designated VIP parking spot.  Please contact the president’s office for your VIP parking pass.

Instructions for those attending the Health Sciences Pinning and Commencement Ceremony

Health Sciences Commencement and Pinning Ceremony

Time: 2 p.m.

Attire: Professional attire. The regalia is for use solely at the Commencement Ceremony. 

Instructions for those attending the Traditional Commencement Ceremony

Commencement Ceremony

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: TBD

Attire: Regalia is for use at the Commencement Ceremony. 

Instructions for Robing of Regalia, line up and procession to the stage

Upon arrival, please check in at the VIP table in the lobby. From there you will be shown to the reserved area to begin robing. Please arrive to the reserved area no later than 6:15pm so everyone is robed and in place to be seated on the stage for Commencement. 

Time: 6:15 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. – Robing of Regalia

           6:50 p.m. – 6:55 p.m. – Procession to the stage

           7 p.m. – Commencement begins

Departure

Following Commencement, please return to the reserved area to disrobe. All regalia must be collected prior to your departure.