The finish line is just a couple blocks away – you’re almost there!   

Commencement is just 10 weeks away! 

In the weeks ahead, you will receive periodic Commencement emails with important information leading up to the big day. Please keep a close eye on your inbox and the Commencement 2025 webpage to ensure you have all the information you need to plan for this important occasion.  

First things first – Don’t forget to apply to graduate!  

Graduating seniors must submit their application to graduate by Friday, Apr. 18 in order to walk in the ceremony this spring. If eligible, you will find the link to the application on your student menu in Banner SSB. It only takes a few minutes to opt in to the ceremony, provide height information for a gown, and confirm other important details. Please also record your name in Canvas to ensure proper pronunciation at the ceremony.  

IMPORTANT: You will not be able to claim guest tickets for Commencement or Baccalaureate events until you complete the registration process. 

Sunday, May 18, 8:30 a.m., Ed Robson Arena 

Commencement Speaker
The College is pleased to welcome Mike Shum ’07, an award-winning filmmaker and journalist, back to campus to deliver the 2025 Commencement Address. A Sociology major with minors in Film Studies and African Studies, Shum has built a distinguished career covering some of the world’s most pressing stories. His work—featured by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, National Geographic, and PBS Frontline—spans investigative journalism, broadcast television, and feature documentaries.

Shum’s career has earned him numerous accolades, including nominations and awards from the National News & Documentary Emmys, the NAACP Image Awards, the Tribeca Film Festival’s Audience Award, and the Nieman Foundation’s Worth Bingham Prize. He recently returned to CC as a visiting instructor and received the Alumni Association’s 2024 Spirit of Adventure Award for his commitment to a life of intellectual, social, and physical adventure. See Shum’s full bio.

We look forward to the valuable insights Shum will share with our graduates as they head into their next chapter.

In addition to Commencement, other related events and festivities include:

Tuesday, May 6, 11 a.m., Shove Memorial Chapel
This is CC’s opportunity to honor outstanding students and faculty. The annual program includes departmental awards, all-college awards, faculty teaching and professorships, and awards from the CC Student Government Association. All members of the campus community are welcome to attend and a livestream of the ceremony will be available online.

Saturday, May 17, 3 p.m., Shove Memorial Chapel  
Baccalaureate is a centuries-old graduation tradition, providing an opportunity to reflect on this rite of passage, hear from a faculty member, and celebrate our talented students. Seniors who have applied to graduate will receive an email as we get closer to the ceremony with instructions for how to claim tickets (up to two guests per student) to the Baccalaureate ceremony through Ticketmaster. A livestream of the ceremony will also be available online. 

Academic departments typically hold receptions on the Saturday afternoon following Baccalaureate, at locations on and off campus. Stay tuned for more details on the Commencement website and watch for an invitation directly from your academic department. 

Each graduate will have an opportunity to claim an anticipated maximum of five seated and two standing-room-only guest tickets for Commencement, subject to availability. Students will be able to access these free, general admission guest tickets via their CC Ticketmaster Account Manager at the beginning of May, with specific instructions to come via email. 

A livestream of the ceremony will also be available online.   

On behalf of the entire CC community, we are so proud to honor the many accomplishments of the Class of 2025 and our MAT graduates!