Commencement is at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, and will be held on the front campus near the Barr-Buchanan Center. In the event of severe inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in the Francis Scott Key Auditorium in Mellon Hall.

If the ceremony is held outdoors, there are no restrictions on the number of guests graduates may invite to commencement. However, each graduate will be provided with six tickets for the seated commencement area. Additional guests are welcome to bring blankets or lawn chairs and may sit anywhere outside of the seated commencement area.

If the ceremony is held indoors, each graduate will be provided with two tickets for the FSK Auditorium.

In the event of severe inclement weather (heavy rains or thunderstorms), the ceremony will be held in the FSK Auditorium.

The ceremony will last approximately an hour.

Individual events may require an RSVP. Graduates are encouraged to review any event-specific communications for additional information.

Each graduate will be provided with one formal invitation for commencement to keep as a memento. This will be provided to students when they pick-up their regalia in the week immediately prior to commencement. Students with parents traveling from overseas who need additional documentation for visa applications should contact the Office of the Registrar.

• Graduates and families are encouraged to dress for a semi-formal event such as an outdoor wedding.
• Please dress appropriately for the day’s weather, including wearing sun protection and/or preparing for rain as appropriate.
• Commencement exercises will be held outside in a grassy area on the front campus. Appropriate footwear for potentially soft ground is encouraged.

Yes, there will be a reception following the ceremony this year.

A professional photographer will be at the ceremony taking pictures of each graduate receiving their diploma. More information about pictures will be provided to graduates a few weeks before graduation.

Campus parking is limited and on a first come first served basis. There will be ADA parking available in the Chase-Stone Parking Lot on a first come first served basis with handicap tags required. Free parking is available at the Calvert Street garage (state garage) from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday. The entrance to the garage is on St. John’s Street. There is also parking for a fee at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Rowe Boulevard and Taylor Avenue, just off Route 50, where a free downtown shuttle runs every 15–20 minutes.

Pets of any kind are not appropriate for the ceremony and will not be permitted within the area of the ceremony. Service dogs are permitted and should be clearly identified via a service dog vest/accessory. The college reserves the right to ask a service animal to leave the ceremony should it be disruptive.

The college has designated locations for smoking. Guests attending the ceremony are asked to relocate to one of the designated smoking locations.

Spring weather in Annapolis can vary significantly from hot and humid to cool and dry. Guests attending the commencement ceremony are encouraged to check the weather in the days leading up to the ceremony and dress and make arrangements accordingly. The ceremony will remain outdoors if it is lightly raining or light rain is forecasted; only heavy rain or thunderstorms will move the ceremony indoors.

Guests are encouraged to bring bottled water or other cool non-alcoholic drinks with them should the forecast be for sun and warm temperatures. While there is some shade, most of the ceremony location is in the sun. Sunscreen and light-colored clothing are recommended depending on the forecast.