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Graduating Students: It’s Time to Make Plans for Commencement

By Office of Public Relations and Communications / February 28, 2019 / Posted in: CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY / Twitter / Facebook

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Spring is around the corner, and that means many students are preparing to finish their studies—and celebrate their time at DePaul. 

Graduating students who are eligible to participate in commencement can now indicate plans to attend their college’s ceremony and purchase regalia. 

Instructions for doing so, as well as details of the ceremonies, ticketing information, key dates, deadlines and more, are on DePaul’s Commencement website. This site serves as the main information hub for the ceremonies and will be updated with the latest details for graduates and their guests as the dates approach.  

Read on to learn what graduates need to know to prepare.

June graduates: RSVP and purchase your regalia by April 24

Graduates attending one of the June ceremonies at Wintrust Arena have until April 24 to RSVP through Campus Connect and purchase a cap and gown through the DePaul Barnes & Noble bookstore (online or in person). Submitting an RSVP before the deadline guarantees graduates will receive their guest ticket allotment; graduates will not be allowed to participate in a ceremony unless they have purchased regalia. 

All June ceremonies will require tickets for guests to attend. Each graduate will receive six guest tickets. Tickets will be distributed at Early Ticket Pickup on April 15-16 and at the Commencement Kick Off Event in the lead up to the June ceremonies. 

Please keep in mind that Wintrust Arena, at 200 E. Cermak Rd., has a strict policy that limits the size of purses and bags brought into the venue. Graduates and their guests are encouraged to review the policy in advance of the ceremonies. 

Anyone attending commencement, including graduates and their guests, will be turned away if he or she is carrying items such as a purse, camera bag, briefcase, diaper bag or backpack. You may bring clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags that do not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″ or a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag to hold belongings. 

Next steps for June graduates:

• RSVP through Campus Connect and purchase regalia before April 24. 
• Share information with your commencement guests about the ticketing process and Wintrust Arena bag policy. 
• Consider whether you would like to be a student speaker at your commencement ceremony. The student speaker application process for June graduates will be open March 18-April 12. More details will be shared as the launch day approaches. 

College of Law graduates: Purchase your regalia by April 2

For the College of Law, graduates’ regalia purchases indicate their attendance at the college’s May 18 ceremony at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St. (There is no additional RSVP process.) Regalia must be purchased at the DePaul Barnes & Noble bookstore (online or in person) by April 2. 

For security purposes, the Chicago Theatre requires all guest entrants to have a ticket to the College of Law ceremony. The number of tickets graduates receive will not be limited. More details on the ticketing process will be shared with College of Law graduates later.

Next steps for Law graduates:

• Purchase regalia before April 2.
• Mark your calendars for Commencement Kick Off on May 15-16.